Trading Used Cars with Open Recalls – Everything You Need to Know

Car recalls are common in the United States. However, you might get bothered only when it happens to your vehicle. Automakers recall their models for a variety of reasons and fix the issue at registered auto shops for no extra charges. However, if you were thinking of trading your used car in a buy here pay here dealership in Easley, you have two options. Either take care of the open recall yourself or sell it to the dealer and pass on the headache.

So, which option should you choose? And does selling a vehicle with an open recall affect your trade-in value? Read on to find out everything you need to know about trading vehicles with open recalls and make an informed decision.

Trading used cars with open recalls does affect your resale value

First, a dealership cannot sell used cars in Easley, SC that have open recalls. They will have to take your vehicle to an authorized body shop and get the issue fixed. Although the only thing that the dealership spends is time, there are costs associated with keeping your vehicle standing in the dealership that the dealer cannot sell immediately. Plus, not all recalls get taken care of instantly. Sometimes, automakers delay sending the replacement parts or maintain a limited supply. Dealerships take these unforeseen scenarios into account while valuing your used car and tend to offer a lower trade-in rate for vehicles with open recalls.

Some dealers try to take advantage of the open recall

Open recalls are often excellent excuses for some dealers to slash the resale price of your used car. They will not even inform you about the open recall until the very last step of the valuation and only reveal the same if you ask. Not all vehicle owners receive the notice on time. Not everyone is privy to every news about vehicle recalls. This is why you must stick with reputed buy here pay here no credit check dealerships where the trade-in process is completely transparent. For example, Family Auto will inform you about the open recall right at the very beginning. Then, it is your call to make whether you wish to continue or come back after getting the issue fixed. We do not use excuses to pay you low resale values. You get exactly what you deserve as per the market norms.

The best way – get it fixed and then trade

Once you get the recall issue resolved, your vehicle transforms into just another used car. The resale value then depends on the important parameters like model and age, underlying quality, vehicle history, and so on. Again, the only thing that you will have to spend behind a recall is time and that is worth it to claim a higher resale value during trade-in. At Family Auto, we recommend customers to bring vehicles with the open recall fixed. This way, both of us benefit in terms of resale value and opportunity costs. A high dollar value during trade-in means a high down payment for your Toyota of Easley used trucks or any other vehicle that you might wish to buy at Family Auto. Your loan burden reduces and you get faster ownership.