How to Sell a Used Car or Truck

Step 1: Clean your car up.
It is always a good idea to thoroughly clean your car or truck before trying to sell it.  The better it looks, the more attractive it will be to potential buyers.

Step 2: Determine the selling price.
Now decide how much you want to get for you vehicle by looking at advertisements for similar models and by looking up its True Market Value at Edmunds.com.

Step 3: Find out if you need to get a smog certificate.
Contact your local department of motor vehicles to see if you need to have a smog certificate to sell your vehicle.

Step 4: Place an advertisement.
Next place an ad for your vehicle.  You can do so on-line at sites like Auto Trader and eBay Motors or in a local newspaper.  It never hurts to place a "For Sale" sign in your vehicle's window.

Step 5: Be informed and friendly when accepting calls from potential buyers.
When a potential customer calls, be relaxed, friendly, and open.  Also, make sure to have all of the necessary info handy by the telephone, such as your vehicle's mileage, options, etc...  If you get a suspicions feeling about a caller, you can always decide not to meet with them.

Step 6: Be careful when meeting prospective buyers.
It is a good idea to meet prospective buyers at a public place Such as a mall parking lot, rather than your home.  You might even want to bring along a friend for additional safety.

Step 7: Go for a test drive.
Any potential buyer will want to test drive your vehicle.  Make sure to go with your vehicle on the test drive.  You don't want them to drive off in your car or truck and never come back.  If they want, let them take it to a mechanic for inspection at their own expense.

Step 8: Negotiate the selling price.
If the buyer decides to make an offer, negotiate a selling price that you are happy with.  You will be in a stronger bargaining position if you have your vehicle's service records and even a CarFax report.

Step 9: Collect the payment in cash or a cashier's check.
Cash is king because it helps you to avoid counterfeit checks, but it is not always possible to get cash for your used vehicle, especially if it is fairly expensive.  Make sure to confirm the name, address, home number and work number of the purchaser by consulting a phone book or the Web. If you can, call the bank where the check was obtained to make sure that it is real (make sure to get the bank's number from a source other than the person who gave you the check).  Being given a check for more than a vehicle's asking price along with a request for you to give them the excess amount is a huge red flag.  Also, never accept a personal check for a vehicle that you are trying to sell.

Step 10: Sign the title over to the new owner.
If a bank still holds the title your vehicle's title.  Pay off the balance and have the it mailed to the new owner.

Step 11: Record your vehicle's mileage at the time of sale.
Some states have a release liability forms.  Once this form is turned into the DMV, you are protected in the event of an accident or moving violation that happens after the sale.

Step 12: Turn over the keys and you're all done.
Before doing so, make sure that all of your possessions have been removed from your vehicle,

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