Sell My Car

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Great for Older Vehicles
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  • Online dealers provide an easy and efficient process to sell your car.
  • Getting instant offers from online dealerships takes just a few minutes.
  • The best way to sell your car is by providing vehicle information, waiting for offers to come in, and getting paid after accepting an offer.

It’s relatively easy to learn how to sell your car. Using either your license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN), you can get a real cash offer on your used car in just a few minutes.

How To Sell Your Car in Three Steps

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Provide Vehicle Information
Click on our online quote tool to get started. Then, select a buyer and enter your vehicle details into the form provided. Choose multiple online dealers to have several offers to compare.
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Wait For Offers To Come In
After submitting your information, you’ll receive an instant offer on your car. Depending on the provider, your offer will be good for up to seven days.
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Get Paid for Your Used Car
Once you decide on an offer, you’ll work with your chosen dealer to get cash or trade-in value toward a new car.

Get the Most Money for Your Car

We partner with leading dealership networks across the U.S. to help you find the best place to sell your car. The accessibility of our quote tool means it’s an easy way to find your car’s value from any device, without the hassle of phone numbers and back-and-forth emails.

Sell My Car: FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about the sell my car process:

Which is the best place to sell my car?

The best place to sell a car depends on your vehicle, along with your preferences and goals. While you can typically get the best price for your car in a private sale, the process can be pretty inconvenient. Online car buyers provide instant cash offers and a hassle-free experience.

What is the best site to sell a used car?

Based on our research, Carvana is the most convenient site overall to sell a used vehicle. However, other strong online dealers to get instant quotes from include Vroom, CarMax, and Cars.com.

Where can I sell my car for the most money?

You’ll typically get the most money for your car when you sell it to a private party. Doing so requires additional work on the seller’s part, though. You’ll need to list your car and deal with the department of motor vehicles (DMV) when handling changes to the car title and vehicle registration.

Is selling your car a good idea?

Selling your car is a good idea in many cases, but you should avoid doing so if there’s negative equity on your vehicle. This is when you have an active loan and your car’s current valuation is less than what you owe to the lender. In this case, you’ll end up having to make payments on a car you no longer own.

Where is the safest place to sell a car?

The safest place to sell a car is to a dealership, either in person or online. As businesses, they are regulated by local, state, and federal laws, making them a much safer option than private car sales.

What is better: CarMax or Carvana?

Carvana is likely to be a better choice for sellers who are looking for a convenient process. Carvana can pick up your old car from your home – usually for free – whereas CarMax requires you to bring the vehicle to one of its locations.

How do I make sure to get cash when selling a car?

You can insist on getting cash for your car when you sell it to a private party. However, companies that buy cars typically pay with a certified check.

How can I sell my car without getting scammed?

There are some basic precautions you can take to avoid getting scammed when you sell a car. These include the following:

-Don’t give out personal information during phone calls.
-Meet potential buyers in well-lit public areas, preferably during the daytime.
-Don’t sign over the vehicle title until all funds have cleared and are in your account.
-Insist on riding along with potential buyers if they want to take the car for a test drive.
-Fill out a bill of sale to document the transaction, even if your state doesn’t require one.
-Look up your car’s fair market value on sites like Kelley Blue Book (KBB) to know how much it’s worth.

What paperwork do I need to sell my car privately?

The paperwork needed to sell a car varies by state, but you will always need an original or verified copy of the title and photo identification. Other documents you may need or that could be helpful include:

-Bill of sale
-Owner’s manual
-Warranty documentation, if active
-Most recent emissions test results
-Vehicle history report or maintenance records

What used cars sell the most?

In recent years, the highest-selling used cars are models made by Ford, Chevrolet, Ram, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda. The exact models vary by location, however – there’s a much different market Houston than in San Francisco, for example.

Is it smarter to trade in or sell a car?

Selling a car privately will get you top dollar compared to trading it in or selling it to a dealer, but the process involves much more time and work. Trading in your used car toward the purchase of a new vehicle or selling it to a dealership won’t bring in as much money, but is a much faster and easier process.