Car Trade In...to fix, or not to fix?

[Dove]

In the fall I decided this Spring, I was going to buy a new car. Alas, in Late November, on a dark, rainy night, I had an accident where I could not avoid a fallen tree limb across my lane. I had to get off the gas and brace for impact. It was loud and horrific but the car made it home. No engine lights or tire pressure warnings!

Alas, the car bled to death overnight. Very sad.

After 30 days at the shop awaiting all the needed parts, I fixed the under-the-hood stuff. New radiator, condensor, the housing that keeps them in place, an engine oil cooler and a/c-related repairs. Car now runs great.

Now, I have relatively minor body work left and I'm wondering if its even worth taking to a body shop, or just trade the car in as is. There is a baseball-sized dent in front quarter panel (no scratches) and the black plastic grill trim got wrecked.

Overall, probably 1500 to 2000 in repairs.

Should I just trade in as is? Or repair first?

 

[Monte]

Take it to the body work shop. Let them check the underbody structure and decide if it safe enough to drive for a few more years.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Don’t know how old you are. I’m a senior. Just bought a new Subaru Crosstrek compared to my 2011 Camry.

The electronics in the new car: backup cam, blind spot monitor, lane departure warnings, LED headlights and auto glare reducing inside/outside mirrors all make me feel 100% safe to drive. Wish I had bought a new car years ago. The tech is impressive.

 

[storrsroars]

The electronics in the new car: backup cam, blind spot monitor, lane departure warnings, LED headlights and auto glare reducing inside/outside mirrors all make me feel 100% safe to drive. Wish I had bought a new car years ago. The tech is impressive.

If it works to make you feel better, great. I can't speak for others, but I always feel 100% safe driving a car without any of that stuff.

As for Dove, I agree with Monte. Get the estimate. If you like the car and it's treated you well, keep the thing if it'll continue to run safely for a few years. I'm one of those "drive it until you can't" kinda guys.

 

[uconnyankee]

In the fall I decided this Spring, I was going to buy a new car. Alas, in Late November, on a dark, rainy night, I had an accident where I could not avoid a fallen tree limb across my lane. I had to get off the gas and brace for impact. It was loud and horrific but the car made it home. No engine lights or tire pressure warnings!

Alas, the car bled to death overnight. Very sad.

After 30 days at the shop awaiting all the needed parts, I fixed the under-the-hood stuff. New radiator, condensor, the housing that keeps them in place, an engine oil cooler and a/c-related repairs. Car now runs great.

Now, I have relatively minor body work left and I'm wondering if its even worth taking to a body shop, or just trade the car in as is. There is a baseball-sized dent in front quarter panel (no scratches) and the black plastic grill trim got wrecked.

Overall, probably 1500 to 2000 in repairs.

Should I just trade in as is? Or repair first?

Might need to throw in some key stats: age of vehicle, miles, balance of any debt on said vehicle, make and model.

 

[noeynox]

In the fall I decided this Spring, I was going to buy a new car. Alas, in Late November, on a dark, rainy night, I had an accident where I could not avoid a fallen tree limb across my lane. I had to get off the gas and brace for impact. It was loud and horrific but the car made it home. No engine lights or tire pressure warnings!

Alas, the car bled to death overnight. Very sad.

After 30 days at the shop awaiting all the needed parts, I fixed the under-the-hood stuff. New radiator, condensor, the housing that keeps them in place, an engine oil cooler and a/c-related repairs. Car now runs great.

Now, I have relatively minor body work left and I'm wondering if its even worth taking to a body shop, or just trade the car in as is. There is a baseball-sized dent in front quarter panel (no scratches) and the black plastic grill trim got wrecked.

Overall, probably 1500 to 2000 in repairs.

Should I just trade in as is? Or repair first?

If you get it fixed, sell it privately. Stealerships scrape the heck out of you on trade ins. Probably a great 1st car for a kid headed to college next year.

 

[temery]

If you get it fixed, sell it privately. Stealerships scrape the heck out of you on trade ins. Probably a great 1st car for a kid headed to college next year.

I still haven't bought a new/used car. The prices are too crazy.

 

[bfs3]

You won’t get the money back from a dealer if you fix it and then turn around and trade it in. It seems to me that’s the question you’re asking. If it’s not a car you could see being sold at that dealership, then they throw it in an auction and add it to whatever profit they made on selling you a new car. If it’s a car that would still retail at over $10K+ then that might be a different story.

In both circumstances, if you’re willing to sell it yourself you will definitely get more outside the dealership. I had a buddy that refuses to do this because he’s nervous about everything. You’ll get plenty of offers quickly and it’s a very easy process.

 

[noeynox]

I still haven't bought a new/used car. The prices are too crazy.

100 percent. Doesn't make sense and interest rates, forget about it.

 

[husky429]

It's pretty rare that fixing the car ISN'T the best financial decision. Body work can be one of the exceptions. You're going to want to get a quote on the trade-in (or private market) sale, and a quote on the repairs.

Cars with an accident history often are a tough sell, and you could be looking at a loss. You also could feel uncomfortable driving it... and there's your decision right there.

 

[Improviser]

Don’t know how old you are. I’m a senior. Just bought a new Subaru Crosstrek compared to my 2011 Camry.

The electronics in the new car: backup cam, blind spot monitor, lane departure warnings, LED headlights and auto glare reducing inside/outside mirrors all make me feel 100% safe to drive. Wish I had bought a new car years ago. The tech is impressive.

Nothing like having these electronics. Before buying my 2017 Subaru Legacy, I owned a 2007 Toyota Camry. It had low mileage, low maintenance, nice ride and good handling. I brought it in for the 5000 mile checkups as recommended by Toyota.

But did not have the above features and was approaching 10 years,( apparently the cutoff for a decent trade-in). So, I got a nice trade-in and never looked back because of the features you described.

 

[Improviser]

It's pretty rare that fixing the car ISN'T the best financial decision. Body work can be one of the exceptions. You're going to want to get a quote on the trade-in (or private market) sale, and a quote on the repairs.

Cars with an accident history often are a tough sell, and you could be looking at a loss. You also could feel uncomfortable driving it... and there's your decision right there.

True, and any knowledgeable buyer will check on carfax.com for repair history.

 

[Improviser]

I will also add that with a limited budget for a person who does not want to spend the money for a new car, or an expensive used car, there is another after-market option for a lesser version of some of the new electronics. Check out this place if you live in Connecticut or not that far away, or have a similar place where you live:

Attention To Detail | Car and Truck Accessories in Connecticut

Attention To Detail in Middletown, CT offers a variety of aftermarket car and truck accessories, like remote starters, car audio, leather interiors, etc.

addittoit.com

Around 2012, I went there and purchased their backup cam. It worked when you put the car in reverse and showed up partially on the rear view mirror and did not give a warning beep like the ones on the new cars. They may have improved on it since then.

The rep at the dealer where I bought my Subaru, was then really impressed that an old car like mine, had a backup cam, albeit one inferior to the ones installed on the new cars.

I see on their website, the blind spot detection system and parking sensors so this could be an option to consider if a person is priced out of a new car or a now expensive used car.

 

[superjohn]

I still haven't bought a new/used car. The prices are too crazy.

Have used prices come down much since the pandemic highs? I've been looking around a little but not really seeing much I like.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You didn't say what year or model this car is. I think that makes a difference in the keep vs trade decision. Always fix bodywork, but if the car is old, most dealers will only give you the lowest wholesale price. If you are expecting anything like the KBB used price, you'll be disappointed unless you sell it yourself.

@temery you kept looking at Toyota pickups and particular vehicles that hold value used like 4Runners. Buying a new 4Runner is expensive, but it holds value. It's a tough car to buy used though. So is a Lexus GX for the same reasons. Nothing is cheap or affordable, but prices aren't going to drop either.

I wouldn't drive any car without a backup camera or blind spot monitoring. The cost of liability if you hit someone or the risk to your own life/health or your families', is too high. There are other features like multi-stage airbags, side airbags, heated seats and steering wheels and even modern infotainment that make newer cars worthwhile.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Have used prices come down much since the pandemic highs? I've been looking around a little but not really seeing much I like.

Slightly. Not a lot.

 

[Devland]

Don’t know how old you are. I’m a senior. Just bought a new Subaru Crosstrek compared to my 2011 Camry.

The electronics in the new car: backup cam, blind spot monitor, lane departure warnings, LED headlights and auto glare reducing inside/outside mirrors all make me feel 100% safe to drive. Wish I had bought a new car years ago. The tech is impressive.

I feel 100% safe to drive until I look over at the car swerving in the next lane and see the operator texting.. A lot of drivers now a days think watching the road is secondary.

 

[uconnfan68]

I still haven't bought a new/used car. The prices are too crazy.

They're only going to get worse.

 

[dogpause]

One thing I always as family and friends when facing a significant repair decision:

How many car payments is that amount equal to?

 

[storrsroars]

I wouldn't drive any car without a backup camera or blind spot monitoring. The cost of liability if you hit someone or the risk to your own life/health or your families', is too high. There are other features like multi-stage airbags, side airbags, heated seats and steering wheels and even modern infotainment that make newer cars worthwhile.

You know what's safer? Not driving after hitting up microbreweries

 

[jleves]

Gotta love the Boneyard. Laughed my way through many of the responses that had nothing to do with the question.

Why not just bring it to the dealer, see what they're offering and ask what the difference would be if you have the damage repaired yourself.

I would imagine they aren't going to match what it will cost you. They can do the repairs cheaper than you can get them done and it's unlikely they would increase the price by more than what it would cost them. From what I remember, most of those trade-ins will just be sent to auction. They only keep the cream.

 

[alphasigko]

How many miles on the car?

 

[Samoo]

They're only going to get worse.

why?

 

[IndyLives]

Carvana is the way to go. they'll give you a fair price and its an easy process. Almost never worth keeping a car that needs constant care. Sell immediately.

 

[temery]

Have used prices come down much since the pandemic highs? I've been looking around a little but not really seeing much I like.

I had an Uber driver a few days ago whose family owns a dealership. He said lots will be dropping used prices in a month or so. Inventory is backing up.