How to Sell a Car at a Dealership

car for sale sign on a used vehicle

 

Learning how to sell your car to a dealership is an easy and hassle-free way to offload your old vehicle. How does selling your car to a dealership work? Find out in this guide from the Finance Center at Sam Leman Mazda. Whether you wish to trade in your car for a brand new MAZDA or if you want to sell the vehicle for cash, you can count on getting a great deal at our dealership in Bloomington. 

What to Do Before Bringing Your Car to the Dealership 

An important part of knowing how to sell a car at a Normal-area dealership is learning what you need to do to get everything ready beforehand. Here are a few things to take care of in advance:

  • Prepare the Vehicle: Wash the car and vacuum the interior. Remember to remove any personal items. You should also take care of minor repairs, such as replacing broken knobs or burned-out bulbs. You can leave the more expensive repairs to the dealer. It will cost them less to fix than you would have to pay out of pocket.
  • List the Benefits Of Your Car: Having a list of the car’s features and any accessories that have been added can help to increase the value of your vehicle, making it more appealing to the dealership. 
  • Gather Up the Paperwork: Make sure that you have the title, registration, any outstanding loan information, and maintenance records. This will help make everything go smoother and faster at the dealership. 
  • Get an Estimate of Your Car’s Value: Knowing how much the car is worth will put you in a better position to negotiate your final selling price. There are online car value estimate tools from Cars.com and Kelley Blue Book, or you can check out the Value Your Trade tool offered on your local Springfield-area dealership’s website.

How Does Selling Your Car to a Dealership Work?

Once you have the vehicle cleaned, the paperwork in order, and the car’s estimated value, you’ll want to know how selling your car to a dealership works. Here’s what to expect:

  • Make an Appointment: Making an appointment with the dealership ahead of time will help ensure that they will be ready for you when you arrive.. 
  • Used Car Manager: Most dealerships will direct you to a used car manager or a salesperson who will collect your information and run a vehicle history report on your car. 
  • Inspection: Either the used car manager or one of the technicians in the dealership’s Service Center will inspect the appearance and mechanical condition of the vehicle.
  • Consider the Offer: Based on the results of the inspection and vehicle history report, you will receive the dealership’s offer. You can then choose to negotiate or accept the offer outright. You also have the option of going to another dealership to see if you can get a better offer. 

Benefits of Selling Your Car at a Dealership

Now that you have an idea as to how selling your car to a dealership works, here are some of the advantages of selling a car at a dealership:

  • Less Hassle: To sell your car privately, you’ll have to prepare a listing, field inquiries, set up test drives, and deal with the paperwork. It can often take weeks, if not months, before you actually sell the vehicle. Selling to a dealership will only take an hour or so, and they’ll handle all of the paperwork for you!
  • Lower Your New Car Price: Using your vehicle as a trade-in allows you to apply its value towards your new car. This can help cover the down payment as well as lower your monthly payment amount. 
  • Save on Taxes: When you put your trade-in value toward the purchase of another vehicle from Sam Leman Mazda, you only pay the sales tax on the difference between the trade-in value and the cost of your new car. 

Find Out How Easy it is to Sell Your Car at Sam Leman Mazda

If you plan to trade in your car for a new MAZDA make sure to check out our new vehicle specials to take advantage of some of the best deals in the Morton area. Ready to sell or trade in your car? Contact us to set up an appointment today!

 

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