I had a very junky 2010 honda civic (huge crack in windshield, dented door, driver's side lock broken, paint peeling, etc) and I listed it on facebook marketplace for $3k. I got over 150 offers and it was overwhelming to say the least. I ended up taking it to carmax and they gave me $2500 for it.

Anonymous wrote:OP, why try to maximize this decision? There are lots of way you give-back, I'm guessing. Just make this one of them. Anything you could have gotten but it didn't turn out that way, it's charity.

Unless you're truly hard up for the money

They sell these cars for basically scrap & the supposed tax deductions don't happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will get the most money through a private sale, advertising on listservs or craigslist but it can be a pain and I would only take cash.

Thanks for this. Does anyone have any thought of the price difference between private sale vs selling to a dealership? I'm willing to take less, but $1000 seems not even worth it to sell

OP, there will probably be a huge difference - 50% or more.

But tell us what kind of car it is - year, make, model, mileage.

OP, why try to maximize this decision? There are lots of way you give-back, I'm guessing. Just make this one of them. Anything you could have gotten but it didn't turn out that way, it's charity.

Unless you're truly hard up for the money

The window not rolling down is an easy fix. Fix it before you sell it, is my advice. Sell to an individual, check the blue book value yourself and set the price at the lowest value, and be prepared to negotiate. I only buy used and pay cash, and I do my own repairs, so these are the kinds of deals I look for. Lots of smart people like me out there, who would snatch up a good, used vehicle in a heartbeat, but we're going to know exactly how much it's worth and we're going to get the best deal possible.

I agree with previous posters. Carmax gave me a reasonable price for my volvo. I would never buy a car from them though.

Anonymous wrote:I have a ten year old car that has been dinged a few times and has various imperfections, ranging from the cosmetic to issues like a door window not rolling down. Everything in the engine is functional though. I really wanted to sell it, but someone told me I will only get $1000 if I sell it to a dealership which is ridiculously low compared to the blue book value. My question is, what's the best way to get value for a car that will need some repairs to make it "perfect" (mostly cosmetic, but there are various little dings all over the outside of the car)?

What model car & how much mileage & how much do you want to get for it? Certain brands are desirable in different communities. Maybe not the DCUM bracket but could be appealing to someone capable of fixing the issues. Or just get the window fixed first!

Anonymous wrote:I have never sold a car but if you sell it yourself (FB marketplace or Craigslist or whatnot), how do you actually turn over the ownership? Do you have to go to DMV with that person?

You just sign the back of a free and clear title.

I have never sold a car but if you sell it yourself (FB marketplace or Craigslist or whatnot), how do you actually turn over the ownership? Do you have to go to DMV with that person?

We put our totaled 2011 minivan on FB marketplace for $4k. Got $3800. The engine and transmission were in great shape but it had been hit in the right rear and had major body damage, and had significant hail damage as well.

There are also websites like theclunkerjunker.com that will buy your car.

Immediate PP here. I should add that my mom's car was a 2015 model Prius, she bought in the mid/upper 30k and got 14k for it. We were surprised. Mechanically it was perfect but had several thousand dollars worth of exterior damage to address.

OP given that it has some issues, I think your best bet is to sell to carmax or dealership type place that will be able to fix the issues. Both Kelly Blue Book and, I think, Edmunds, have a kind of 'direct offer" option. You put in the VIN, mileage, take pictures of exterior and interior condition and note other issues.Then dealers nearby will contact you with an offer. We recently sold my mother's extremely dinged up car (this is why she' not driving anymore, kept hitting parked cars, walls in garages, etc) this way and got several competitive offers. Carmax is similar. Plus the hassle factor is far less than selling to an individual.

Or you can donate it.

I bought a 2007 Civic from a friend for $2000. I knew that the a/c compressor needed to be fixed (but didn't need immediate attention) and if the car is locked it alarms when it is unlocked (I just leave it unlocked). Friend and I were both happy with the deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the window not rolling down is a pretty big deal. It seems like you are downplaying what is wrong with the car.

Why?

Because of the way you put "perfect" in quotes, as if anyone who is concerned with not having a functioning window is being outrageously picky.

You didn't say which window doesn't roll down--is it the driver's window? That would be a HUGE deal. Even the front passenger side window is a big deal.

Not OP but you sound like an overly paranoid person.

Usually, fixing an immobile door window is a quick, inexpensive fix.

The used car market is hot due to supply chain issues.

OP: How many miles are on the car odometer ? Somewhat surprisingly, CarMax will buy used vehicles with as much as 120,000 miles or more.