Can I Trade In A Car That I Still Owe Money On (2023)

FAQs

Can I Trade In A Car That I Still Owe Money On? ›

Q: Can you trade in a financed car? A: Yes, you can. If you have positive equity on the car (as in it's worth more than what you currently owe), you can trade it in easily. The dealer will purchase the car and pay off the loan, then they'll put what's left toward the new vehicle price, giving you a major advantage.

Trading in a car generally helps you reduce how much you'll need to borrow when buying another vehicle, but if you have a balance on your current auto loan, you may be encouraged to roll your existing balance into a new loan, which will increase your total loan costs and the interest you'll pay over the life of your ...

Trading in your car can hurt your credit score. Trading in your vehicle can cost you if you're not careful. Sometimes the dealership tells you they'll pay off the financing on your trade-in vehicle when you finance a new vehicle through them.

If the trade-in offer is less than your auto loan balance, you'll still owe money on the vehicle — this situation is known as negative equity. You can either pay off the remaining loan amount before buying your next vehicle, or, in some cases, you may be able to roll over the balance into your next auto loan.

While a car with a blown engine might now be worth much to you – or anybody else for that matter – most car dealerships will accept it in a trade. With this, you can trade in your car to help pay for a new one. The car dealership will then take your car and either sell it or use it for pieces.

Although you don't have to wait to trade in a new car, it's often a good idea to at least wait a year. Cars depreciate quickly for the first five years, but the most rapid depreciation occurs within the first year of ownership –vehicles can lose up to 20 percent of their original value.

There is no set amount of negative equity that can be rolled into your next car loan. If you need another vehicle but your current one is worth less than you currently owe your lender, you may be able to roll the negative equity onto your next auto loan.

How Much Negative Equity Is Too Much on a Car? The maximum negative equity that can be transferred to your new car is around 125%. It means your loan value should not be more than 125% of your car's actual worth. If it is more than 125% then your next car's loan would not be approved.

Reach out to your lender

Explain your situation and ask about any options it may offer to help turn the underwater loan around. Even if the lender says there are no options, it doesn't hurt to ask. If there's room in your budget to pay extra money toward your principal each month, ask about setting up this option.

Returning a financed car can have an impact on your credit score. If the lender reports the return as a repossession or default, it can negatively affect your credit history and score.

What not to do when trading in a car? ›

Overestimating your car's worth

It's natural to attach sentimental value to your car but it doesn't carry over into real value. Trading in a car is a business transaction, nothing more. Also, avoid overstating your car's condition when appraising its value.

Sell a car with a broken engine for an instant offer, and you will get less than what it's worth. That's because local junkyards and car dealerships need to make a profit. Not all dealerships will even consider buying a car with a blown engine.

The short answer is no, gap insurance does not pay for a mechanical breakdown like a seized engine or broken transmission. Gap insurance pays the difference between your car's value and what you owe on it if the vehicle is totaled in a crash or stolen.

Next steps

If you're upside down on your car loan, it's a good idea to delay your trade-in if you can — unless you are comfortable paying off your negative equity upfront. But if you need a new car soon and a negative equity rollover is your only option, consider buying a used car and borrowing as little as possible.

When you trade in a car that you have equity in, the dealer will pay the remainder of the loan and subtract the equity from the price of the less expensive car. If the equity of your trade-in exceeds the price of the car your trading for, the dealer will cut you a check for the difference.