Selling your car to a dealership can set you up for a trade or provide you with a fair amount of funds for your next car purchase. When you sell your car at a dealership, the process is simplified. You deliver the vehicle for inspection and discuss the fair value with a representative from the dealership. After completing an inspection of the exterior and interior of the vehicle, the dealership makes you an offer you can use toward the purchase of a new car or accept as payment to use the funds at your own discretion.
Preparing to sell your car to a dealer involves more than just giving it a quick wash and vacuuming the inside. It's important to prepare documentation to prove maintenance or repairs and gain a basic understanding of your vehicle's worth through research. At Bountiful Mazda, we want to help you get the best value for your vehicle, so we've assembled some professional tips on how to present your car, truck, or SUV to the dealership and what you can do to prepare for the sale.
Find Your Vehicle Identification Number
Every automobile is assigned a 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) unique to the car, truck, or SUV. Numbers and letters in the code identify the model and manufacturer of the vehicle and other data points unique to each automobile. Dealerships, repair shops, and law enforcement use VINs to identify, document, and track vehicles. You can find the VIN for your vehicle by looking in the bottom left corner of your driver-side windshield.
Learn About the Value of Your Car
Before you take your vehicle to a dealer, get to know the current market value for your car, truck, or SUV based on its condition, so you have a rough estimate of what the dealer may offer. Professional organizations like Edmunds True Market Value, Kelley Blue Book, and Carfax's used car values provide information about the current value of nearly any vehicle on the road for free or for a small fee.
After providing your vehicle identification number, you'll find in-depth data about the value of your make and model. Look for both the trade-in and private sale value estimates to find out the range of money you may earn for the sale.
Make Your Own Assessment
Once you learn more from market experts, make your own honest assessment of the value based on the history, performance, and appearance of the vehicle. Be prepared to share this assessment with the dealership, highlighting the best features of the vehicle and any regular maintenance you've completed. Share any repairs and major crashes that have affected the vehicle instead of waiting to see what the dealership finds after an inspection.
Determine the Cost of Repairs
If your vehicle is malfunctioning or has an indicator light on, you'll need to decide whether you want to have it repaired before you try to sell the car, truck, or SUV. It's a good idea to at least have the car looked at by a trained technician to find out if the repair is an easy fix or something major. If the vehicle needs repairing at the time of sale, be prepared to deduct the cost of maintenance from the sale price.
Research Other Vehicles on the Lot
Another way to assess the possible sale price for your car, truck, or SUV is to look at other vehicles on the lot at the dealership. Find similar models and mileage to compare to your vehicle. You'll get an idea of what the dealership is asking for the vehicle and what you can expect for a sale after accounting for its profits.
Get It Detailed
Spending money to get the car professionally detailed can make your vehicle more appealing to a dealership. Detailing involves cleaning and refreshing the interior and exterior of your vehicle through vacuuming, polishing, washing, dusting, and shining. Take your vehicle to a professional or schedule an at-home detailing service to complete a thorough refresh of your automobile inside and out. When the dealer sees a clean, well-kept vehicle driving into the lot, they're likely to take notice. A fresh interior can also add value during the initial inspection.
Before taking your car to a dealership to sell it, consider making minor repairs, such as buffing out scratches, replacing burned-out running lights, and switching out your wiper blades.
Provide Documentation
When you're ready to take your vehicle to a dealership for an offer, prepare a folder with records of maintenance, like oil changes and tire rotations, major and minor repairs, along with any other documents relevant to the history of the vehicle. When you can prove the worth of your vehicle to the dealership, you're more likely to receive a higher offer.
Negotiate a Fair Price
If you have a clean vehicle in good condition, it's reasonable to try to negotiate the value of your car, truck, or SUV once the dealership makes you an offer. Share what you've researched about the fair market value of the vehicle. Bring any reports or research you purchased or found that prove the vehicle's worth.
Ask questions about the inspection to find out how the dealership assessed the value of the vehicle. Be reasonable but firm if you expect a certain price. Keep in mind the dealership also has a system for determining the fair market value based on how it plans to sell the vehicle. Negotiating may be easier if you plan to trade your car for a vehicle from its lot rather than just selling the automobile outright.
Ready to sell your vehicle to our dealership? We offer a quick appraisal on our website through Edmund's Trade-In calculator. All you need is some basic information about your automobile, such as the make, model, and current mileage. After you enter your data, you'll get your True Market Value Report to help you determine your likely trade-in value.
When you bring your vehicle to Bountiful Mazda, we're committed to finding the best value for your car, truck, or SUV. We focus on serving our customers to make the selling process easy for you. Trade your vehicle for a new model or purchase a certified pre-owned Mazda from our expansive inventory. We're here to help you through every mile.