trading in my car?

Question

I have an 1994 dodge neon that I want to trade in... it is in ok condition and has alot of miles on it about 130,000 how much is my trade worth and to make sure that the car i get in return is ok what should I do? I have been told to take it to a mechanic to have it checked out and then I was also told to bring my laptop with me and check the vin number on the car against car fax to make sure it has not been in any accidents... is this good?

Answer 1

First of all, are you sure it is a 1994 Neon? They came out in 1995. Assuming you are going buy the date of manufacture on the door and it is a 1995, your car has a wholesale value of somewhere in the $500-$700 depending on model and trim level The dealer can play with the numbers to make it look like you are getting more, but that is what the will be giving you!

When you find a car you like, take it to your own qualified mechanic prior to purchase. A vehicle history report is also a good idea, but understand that a clean vehicle history report does not mean that they car was not in an accident. It means that there was no salvage history and that there is not a record of a mileage discrepency.

A car can have had major damage and it will not show up on a vehicle history report! For example, a friend of mine took his truck four wheeling on private property (with permission of the property owner). He had what I call "an attack of stupid" and hit a tree sideways. There was major damage to his truck! He did not file an insurance claim. He had the truck repaired at a good body shop, and paid for the repair costs himself.A vehicle history report on his vehicle will never show the damage!

The vehicle history reports only show what is reported to them, and body shops do not report damage. Many insurance companies do, and some manufacturers report when the vehicle was services at a dealer. States report title changes, and some also report the mileage at inspection! Your mechanic can see evidence of repair that is not on the report!

Answer 2

Your vehicle will be worth between $200.00 to $500.00.

Whether you buy a used car from a dealer, a co-worker, or a neighbor, follow these tips to learn as much as you can about the car:

Examine the car yourself using an inspection checklist. You can find a checklist in many of the magazine articles, books and Internet sites that deal with buying a used car.

Test drive the car under varied road conditions - on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic.

Ask for the car's maintenance record. If the owner doesn't have copies, contact the dealership or repair shop where most of the work was done. They may share their files with you.

Talk to the previous owner, especially if the present owner is unfamiliar with the car's history.

Have the car inspected by a mechanic you hire.


You can find out a used car's history, which is a must if you're buying a used car that is not certified, by logging on to www.carfax.com.

Answer 3

Okay, first let's see if I can help with the trade-in. Look, whether you are trading for a brand new car or a used one, it is still basically the same. There is something called the NADA Blue Book value on your Neon, you can find copies of it in any book store. This is the RETAIL value of your car, now this can vary depending on location and current market conditions. Then, there is the "Black Book", this is published by NADA for car dealers, this lists the different makes and models by WHOLESALE or auction price by region. Now, a dealer is going to trade with you either retail to retail price or wholesale to wholesale price. Here is an example:

YOUR CAR DEALER CAR
6000 retail 12000
4500 wholesale 9000

Your car is worth retail $6000.00, dealer has $9000.00 in the car you want. Your car is only worth $4500.00 wholesale. So, the dealer offers you the New car at $12000 minus $6000 equals $6000.00. The dealer is looking at it as $12000 minus $4500 equals $7500.00. He sells your car for $1500, he breaks even, anything more is profit.

Now, used cars are just what they are, Used. Some will say that new cars depreciate too much in the first year to justify the purchase. It is true a new car depreciates, but as to how much depends on what you buy it for. Remember, a used car purchased by someone that did not negotiate properly, get the best deal, still will have a large depreciation as well.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, your Neon is worth less than $500 wholesale as a dealer trade-in. If you were trading it on a new car they might give you $500, but trading it on a used car you might only get $250. (I know that sounds ridiculous, but that's what Edmunds bluebook shows). If you sold it yourself you could get more, but $1000 would be about tops with that kind of miles. For any used car you buy to replace it with, it is worth getting a Carfax report on it, which should list the number of previous owners, dealer servicing, and any accidents. You can sometimes get this report free from the service center at a dealership for the brand of car you are considering. Give them the VIN number and explain that you are thinking of buying it. Be careful, there are a lot of flood cars from Louisiana and the Gulf coast on the market

Answer 5

Sounds fishy... but when you hand someone a *signed* title of ownership, you are in effect giving them your car. Happy that you did not sign, but this is still not safe... aside from them not giving you the funds for the trade, they can still work w/DMV to transfer ownership etc... maybe through a lien. Please be direct with them, you want your money... the dealership owes you, and who's to say what the story is going to be in 25 days?

Answer 6

They will probably give you 500.00 for it. Any reputable dealer will give you a free carfax report if you ask. If they refure take your business elsewhere. Dont forget you can negotiate on the price they give you as trade in. If they say 500.00 see if they will give you 800 and settle at 700 trade in etc. Also you can negotiate on the new or used vehicle your looking at. Remeber start low, you can never go back down. Take the vehicle to a mechanic if its used to get an inspection.

Answer 7

first, get a price on the car you want without a trade. then get them to tell you how they will trade. that way you know what they are really giving you for your car. i managed new car dealerships for 27 years and there is lots of ways for them to get you and you wont know it until its to late. most new car dealers have enough integrity to explain everything.