How to Sell a Car in Oregon

If you’re ready to say goodbye to your current car and get into something new, you’ll probably want to sell your current car, either to a dealer, individual, or third party, and use the proceeds to help fund your new purchase. While the process of selling a car is different in every state, it’s fairly straightforward in Oregon and even easier when you sell to a licensed dealer like Tonkin. If you still want to learn the process for selling your car in Portland, Gresham, or anywhere else in Oregon, keep reading!

Research Your Car’s Value

Knowing what your car is worth is the best defense against getting ripped off, so be sure to research a fair price for your car before you list it. Researching the price to list your car is also a good way to ensure you’re not overpricing it.

There are a lot of ways to research your car’s value. A common method is to use Kelley Blue Book’s used car valuation tool, which asks questions about the vehicle’s age, trim, and condition and estimates its value.

Remember that any estimate you get for your car’s value is just that—it’s not a guarantee as to what you can expect when you sell. It can give you an idea of the ballpark to expect.

Get Your Car Ready for Sale

No matter how you’re planning to sell your car, you’ll benefit from doing the following to get it in selling shape:

• Clean it, inside and out. Consider having it professionally detailed—you’ll likely make that expense back in the final sale.
• Fix any mechanical issues. Anything your buyer will have to pay for after they purchase the car will come out of their offer to you. So go ahead and take care of it yourself—you’ll also be more likely to make a sale.
• Gather and organize all of your vehicle’s documentation. This includes all maintenance records, the owner’s manual, and any other paperwork you have relating to your vehicle. Not only will this provide the buyer with confidence that you’ve taken care of your car, but it might also be legally necessary—for example, if your car had a lien that you’ve since paid off. You’ll need to remove the lien from your Oregon vehicle’s title within 30 days of paying off the lien.

Allow the Buyer to Have the Car Inspected

Most private buyers of automobiles will pay for a pre-purchase vehicle inspection conducted by a qualified auto mechanic. Even though the buyer pays for the inspection, you must agree on when and where it’ll happen. If the inspection does find any issues with your car, you should keep that report for your records—and either repair the damage or include it in future listings.

Transfer the Car’s Title

The title of any car is the document attesting to its ownership—so this is the main thing you’ll need to transfer to legally sell your car. If you’re the only person on the title, you’ll just have to sign it in the proper spot and have your buyer do the same. However, if the title’s been lost or stolen, if the car’s owner has died, or if the title has more than one owner listed, it can be more complex.

You’ll also need to disclose the odometer reading as part of the sale, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rules. There are a few exceptions, but it’s never a bad idea to include that information when you’re selling the car just in case.

After the purchase is complete, the buyer will have 30 days to complete an Oregon Application for Title and Registration to get their title and registration for the car. However, your involvement is very nearly done.

Remove Your License Plates and Notify the DMV

Before you drive away after the sale of your car, make sure to take the license plates off of the vehicle. You should then cancel those plates online or at an Oregon DMV office as soon as possible unless you’re transferring the plates to another vehicle.

If you don’t remove the license plates, you could be blamed for any traffic violations the new owner makes until they replace the plates. That’s why it’s important to notify the Oregon DMV that you’ve sold the vehicle within 10 days of the transaction.

Tonkin Buy Center Makes It Easy to Sell Your Car!

It can be complicated selling your car in Oregon—unless you sell it to us at the Tonkin Buy Center! We make it simple to sell your car for cash or to roll that purchase over into a new car from one of our many Oregon dealerships! All you’ll need is your VIN to get a real-time offer for your car in seconds—we’ll cut you a check and handle all the paperwork, too!