How to Trade in a Car That is Not Paid Off?

How do you trade-in a vehicle that you owe money on? Many East Wenatchee drivers can trade in vehicles new to them for cash. When the trade-in process is pretty straightforward when your vehicle is paid off, the process is different if your loan balance is negative. Learn how to trade in a car that is not paid off with our finance team at Don Sangster Motors, Inc., and apply for financing if you want a head start on your auto loans. 

Do You Have Positive or Negative Equity? 

When you trade-in a vehicle that still has a payoff amount left on it, you have to determine whether you are in:

• Positive equity: your car is worth more than what you still owe
• Negative equity: your car is worth less than what you still owe 

Basically, If the offer is less than the amount you owe, then it is negative equity. However, if it is more than how much you still owe, then it is positive. 

Trading in a Car with Negative Equity

When you check out our vehicles with negative equity, you can trade-in your vehicle even still. Learn more about car purchases with negative equity below: 

• Make up the difference you still owe after accounting for the trade-in price. This option is perfect when you are looking to change your situation for the better. 
• Another option is to transfer the amount you still owe over to a new loan. Most Leavenworth drivers choose this option when they have negative equity and want to trade in their current vehicle that is not paid off. This can increase your monthly payments and you still will be paying for a vehicle that is traded in. 
• If you still have negative equity with a higher appraisal value, then negotiate with the initial dealership you went to. Provide the dealer with any offers you get from third parties and ask the dealer for a value of the difference you still own. That way you can sell your vehicle to a third-party dealer while still having the difference transferred to your new loan.

Learn More About the Trade-in Process with Don Sangster Motors, Inc. 

If you still have questions about trading in your car that’s not paid off, reach out to us at Don Sangster Motors, Inc. near Wenatchee, WA for more information.