Is it better to repair car before trade-in?

The better the condition of your old car, the better its private party sale and trade-in values, obviously. Major repair work is best left to the pros—they can do the work for less money, and they won’t add the cost you paid for repairs to the trade-in value. Small fixes, however, are worth the effort.

Does your trade in count as a down payment?

Yes, when buying a car or truck, your trade in vehicle can serve as your down payment.

Should you fix your old car before you trade it in?

What’s not obvious is how much work you should put into your old car before bringing it to the dealership for a trade-in appraisal. Major repairs are best left to the pros—they can do it for less money, and they won’t add the cost you paid for repairs to the trade-in value. Small fixes, however, are worth the effort.

Is it worth it to repair your car at a dealer?

“I would not recommend spending very much money on fixing up your trade,” Brian Murphy, vice-president of editorial and research at Canadian Black Book (CBB) said in an e-mail. “The advantage the dealer has is that they can recondition or repair your car for a lot less money than you can.”

How much work does it take to trade in a car?

How much work to put into a potential trade-in depends on how bad the vehicle’s problems are. Suppose the car requires significant repairs, such as a blown engine or bad transmission. In that case, it most likely needs professional maintenance, which costs more than you’re likely to gain from the trade-in.

What happens when you trade in a damaged vehicle?

When you trade in a damaged vehicle to a company that buys and sells used cars, you are generally obligated to purchase a car from their limited stock. Additionally, its car prices might be slightly inflated due to the fact that the companies will generally spend some time repairing and refurbishing vehicles they buy in order to sell them again.