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What Documents Do You Need to Sell Your Junk Car?

The best thing about Chicostowinginc.com is how simple we make selling your car! Selling your car can be a long, difficult process that takes mountains of paperwork, countless headaches, and infinite patience. All we need is your title and you can sell your car in 24 hours or less! If you decide to go a different route, Chicos Towing and Junk Cars has you covered there too! We have done a lot of the work for you and have outlined all of the the documents you need below

Documents

The single most important part of selling a vehicle is the paperwork. Getting this part right will make the transaction so much smoother and prevent any problems in the future. Messing up the paperwork can be a difficult, dangerous, and potentially expensive mistake. That’s why we have outlined each piece of paperwork needed to sell a car, what it is, and why it’s important. 

Certificate of Title 

Probably the most important one of all, the title will give potential buyers the assurance that you own the car and make the entire process much easier. A title will vary from state-to-state but it is important that you locate it and keep it somewhere safe and secure. Examine your title to look for words like “salvage” and “rebuild.” If you see either of these words anywhere on your title, go here and read more about selling salvage title vehicles. 

Vehicle History Report 

This is more of a guideline than a requirement, but it will add legitimacy to the sale and provide peace-of-mind to anyone interested in purchasing your vehicle. When providing the vehicle history report to a potential buyer, it shows that you are honest about the state of the vehicle and will make them feel more comfortable. A vehicle history report is a document that lists and labels every major repair, maintenance task, accident, and previous owner that has ever been recorded for that vehicle. It serves as a written history on the vehicle to give prospective buyers an idea of what the car has been through and if it’s worth the investment. 

Maintenance Records 

Maintenance records are like a vehicle history report but specifically focuses on proving that consistent maintenance has been performed on the vehicle. This includes oil changes, tire replacement, rotating the tires, and every other mundane task that is done by a mechanic. Of course, maintenance records don’t exist for any sort of maintenance that was done on the vehicle by its owner. This will need to be proven with receipts and recorded dates on when certain maintenance tasks were performed. 

Warranty Document

When selling a newer car, this can be an important document to ensure your buyer gets after selling the vehicle. A manufacturer warranty is a guarantee that the vehicle will function without defects for a certain period. This is usually around 3 years. If any defects or problems do arise, a licensed dealership for the make of the vehicle will cover the repairs and fix any issues without any out-of-pocket costs from the customer. 

As - Is

Most older cars will no longer be under a warranty. A good rule-of-thumb is that if the vehicle has 40,000 miles or more on it, it probably isn’t covered any longer. As-is documentation is an agreement between the buyer and seller that the vehicle is being sold as-is. This documentation must be filed if the vehicle doesn’t have any applicable warranties. 

Odometer Disclosure 

This is another very important document that is required by most states. An odometer disclosure is an official piece of paperwork that ensures that the mileage on the odometer is truthful and hasn’t been changed in any way. This is important for both the buyer and the state because it ensure that the transaction is legit. 

Bill of Sale 

This is the last, and second most important piece of paperwork you will need. Essentially acting as a receipt of the transaction, both buyer and seller will want a copy of this. While not required by the state, a bill of sale can provide protection for both the buyer and seller as it proves that money was exchanged for a vehicle in case any titling issues or other paperwork problems come up in the future. 

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