How to Trade In a Car

You may be wondering, “How do I trade in my car?” With Coastal Chevrolet, it’s simple! When you choose to trade in your car at a dealership like Coastal Chevrolet, you can avoid the hassle of trying to sell the vehicle yourself, and you also have the opportunity to apply the trade-in value to the purchase of a brand new Chevrolet car, truck, or SUV. If you’re wondering, “How can I get the best offer on my trade-in car?” our finance team is here to help. Just follow the steps below to ensure that you receive the best trade-in offers in the Bakersfield area.

Get Your Trade-In Car Value

The first thing you’ll need to do is to determine just how much your car is worth. Coastal Chevrolet makes this step quick and easy for Thousand Oaks-area drivers with our convenient value your trade tool. All you have to do is enter your car’s year, make, and model, along with your name, email, and phone number. From there, add information about the vehicle’s condition, and you’ll receive the estimated value of your car. If you would like to do more research, there are other online tools available, such as Kelley Blue Book® Value and Edmunds True Market Value®.

Get an Appraisal

Once you have a trade-in estimate, head to our Chevrolet dealership in Santa Barbara to get an appraisal. We will examine your car’s condition, inside and out, and we’ll also take into consideration our current used inventory to determine whether we can sell the vehicle. Make sure that you bring your trade-in value estimate (as well as any other trade-in offers you may have received) for our reference.

Negotiate or Accept a Trade-In Offer

Once we have completed the appraisal, you can choose to either negotiate or accept our offer outright and close the deal. The whole process is straightforward, which is one of the benefits of trading in your car at a dealership. Other advantages include:

• Unlike many Ventura-area used-car retailers, you can negotiate with a dealership like Coastal Chevrolet. The first offer you’re given isn’t necessarily set in stone, and you can choose to haggle up based on the trade-in value research you’ve done. 
• If you’re upside down on your auto loan and wish to consolidate what you owe with the price of your new car, a dealership can help you do that. 

Once you have accepted the offer, you can finalize your trade for cash, or put the car’s value toward buying a new car. 

What Documents Do I Need To Trade In My Car?

You will need your car title and registration in order to complete the trade-in process. If you’ve kept up with routine service throughout your ownership and have the records, bring those, as well.

Learn More About Car Trade-Ins at Coastal Chevrolet

Do you have more questions about how to buy a car with a trade-in? Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about trade-in cars or would like to schedule an appraisal. While you’re here, learn more about our buyback and trade-in center, and don’t forget to ask about our new vehicle specials and used car offers to take advantage of our current deals.