How much should I fix before I sell my car?

Question

I'm planning on selling my car before moving to another city next summer. It's a 1995 Toyota Camry and it runs well - there are a couple problems with it though. The front passenger blinker is out, air conditioning doesn't work, back drivers side power window doesn't work, CD player doesn't work and there are 2 parts on the body that need to be replaced because of previous accidents (front and back bumper). I'm wondering how much of this I should get repaired before trying to sell it.

Answer 1

Depending at what price you want to sell it. . .

The more you fix, the better price you'll get.

Answer 2

You seem to have a car with a lot of problems but it could be worse. Most importantly, you should have the blinker fixed. My opinion would be that the power window that doesn't work should be the least of your problems. Are the dents that bad? If not, leave it the way it is. Now, people want to play music when they drive so be sure to invest at least $100 dollars or less on a cd player. The a/c can be fixed but might cost a lot. Do you live in an area with hot climate? If not, don't fix it. If you live in an area that's hot, then fix it.

Answer 3

I would do just enough to make it pass inspections and be aesthetically pleasing. We are talking about an 11 year old car so they have to expect some issues. The turn signal is a safety hazzard and I would get that fixed (likely just a burned out bulb). As far as the CD player and A/C.... chances are they will want the stereo THEY want so no use replacing that. A/C is nice but it can be expensive to fix on older cars and you won't get your return on the investment. Check around at junk yards for the body parts to see how much it would cost to get parts for the damage. If not too expensive, there are several back yard mechanics that will exchange it for cheap. I would reccomend going to www.kbb.com. This site gives you an idea how much cars sell for. You can customize it out to see how much the car is worth now with all of its damages to get a current value. Then plug it in with all repairs to see what you could possibly expect to see on a return. That will help you gauge how much work to put in to it. But the blinker is a must!

Answer 4

Sell it for 2700$ It is kind of a guess because you were limited in your information about your car mileage model etc but I assumed it has around 100,000 miles and the price doesn't change much for the different models.
Just fix the blinker so you don't get pulled over before get rid of it. If the body is damaged more than just a little dent or ding you may discount your price more if this price doesn't sent sell it with in two weeks.

Answer 5

The window is most important because nobody likes a wet car. The blinker would be the cheapest to fix but, the CD player most people would have one different to put in anyway. Being that its a 95 you might find your body parts cheaply in a junkyard and as long as there is no real frame damage they can be replaced easy.

Answer 6

You and the person that will buy it, are lucky that those are the only problems. I've been unfortunate to buy a car only to discover I couldn't get it home!

You should fix the blinker immediately. Don't want to get yourself or anyone else in trouble. As far as the A/C, CD, and window, just be upfront about it to the buyer that these don't work. It would be considerate of you to fix the window, but understandable if you don't.

As far as the body goes, is it a really big blemish? Does it hinder your driving or look really really bad? Look and see how much it will take to get it fixed. If it is a big hindrance, you should get it fixed or give the buyers a slight deal so they can do it themselves.

Answer 7

I dont think you wanted a long answer... Fix the turnsignal (most likely a bulb), get the power window looked at (might just be the switch) and decided depending on the price, bumpers should only be replaced if it is bad enough to be a safety hazard (again depending on price you could sell as-is, not certified), A/C and CD player... I wouldnt worry about it.

Your car is worth $4000 - $8000 canadian, depending on mileage and condition.
According to Trader.ca

Answer 8

answer for the 1995 toyota camary owner:
it's a great car. i've been selling and appraising new & used autos for over 21 years.here is my answer:
first off, get it detailed, inside & out, about $75.00 well spent! the blinker-may just be a bulb, or fuse, (cheap to fix) & yes get it fixed, also get current license plates, & a new state inspection. people don't ask as many questions that way.the blinker is probably required to pass a state inspection anyway.
may serve as brake light / tail light as well.
About the A.C. > secret tip...when do you plan to sell it? in what month? what state do you live in? is fall & winter severe cold? tip>sell it on a cold,cold day, most appraisers (even me) can't tell if it works or not! in winter some people,in some cold states, some folks don't even care about the AC, but generally be careful about implying orally, oh, it's fine, it works, boasting , bragging about the vehicles ac, or condition. you could end up in court. (if you sell to an individual) so watch that!
Some states even have laws that protect consumers from mis-representation of the sale of a used car between individuals. Texas & other states, have no law regarding this. if you sell to a dealer, all dealers understand if they make a mistake, or miss something they own it! it's still a good idea, to draw up an "as-is" no warranty document when you sell it to anyone and have them the buyer sign it. you can pull one off the internet.
also have a "bill of sale" with "as-is " "no warranty" written in big letters on the bill of sale. have buyer sign all documents, give him copies, you keep originals for your protection. this will help keep you out of court too.
About getting it fixed well, that can be a potential money pit. but if you still decide to go ahead, with A.C.diagnosis, & repair, my advice, i would be only use a certified Toyota Dealership for the diagnosis & repairs. you will pay them 20%-30% more but, you'll get a written warranty from them on all parts and labor. (GOOD SELLING POINT) AND IN ALL PROBABILITY, THEIR DIAGNOSIS WILL BE A LOT MORE ACCURATE.IF YOU PROCEED, & IF IT'S THE COMPRESSOR, ASK THEM ABOUT DIFFERENCE IN COST OF A RE-BUILT or
"re-con" COMPRESSOR, AND A NEW ONE. I WOULD GO WITH A RE-CONDITIONED PARTS IN YOUR CASE, SINCE YOUR INTENT IS TO SELl IT. A DIAGNOSIS WILL RUN $65.00 -$85 AND MOST DEALERS WILL DEDUCT THAT charge FROM BILL IF YOU ELECT LET THEM REPAIR IT.
power window, i would not fix, leave it in the up position.
tell your potential buyer it does not work. body work is high$$$ i would not do that either.did you collect on an insurance settlement? was it your fault, or someone elses? would your insurance pay for it? if it was a hit & run your un-insured motorist policy provision might pay part of it less $250.00 check into it.

I would get all repairs done under one roof...at one service facility.(pref Toyota) and mention to them, you wanna sell it. PUT A FOR SALE SIGN ON IT> THOSE MECHANICS MIGHT MAKE YOU AN OFFER RIGHT THERE! THEY CAN WORK ON IT CHEAPER THAN YOU CAN. THOSE GUYS ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK OUT
FOR A "DEAL"

get on internet Kelly Blue Book, NADA, OR BLACK BOOK, THEY ALL HAVE EVALUATORS, YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF TO GET A GOOD IDEA, WHAT IT WORTH
TAKE AN AVERAGE OF ALL 3 TO GET AN IDEA, KELLY IS ALWAYS HIGH. SO IS BLACK BOOK, NADA IS WHAT ALL BANKS, LENDERS , AND CREDIT UNIONS USE WHEN MAKING AUTO LOANS. but appraise it like your the buyer & not the seller, be critical, and if ac doesnt work , then do not check that box. i always scrutinize, a smoker's car, deduct about a $500.00 hit. tires need to be better than 50% tread depth.
TIP> start a little, high...you can always come down...
HOPE IVE HELPED YOU. GOOD LUCK-

Answer 9

It's far better to sell the car as is. If you find the best price you can get for the car in the condition it's in, then get the best estimate on what you can expect to get if all that you mentioned was repaired, you'll see that the difference is not as much as the cost of the repairs. In the end, you loose money.

Answer 10

depends if you want top dollar or not
at least
replace the blinker light
recharge the air ( so it appears cold air is working)
replace the Cd player with a new cheap radio
pay the $100? bucks to get car professionally cleaned and detailed so it looks better

Answer 11

Weigh the cost and time and messing around it would take to make the car perfect against how much you could sell the car for if it was just as it is.

Sounds like it's a good fixer-upper for someone, and spending the money to make everything work probably wouldn't make the car very much more valuable.