6 Tips on Selling a Car with a Bad Transmission

It doesn’t matter what condition your car is, even if it has a bad transmission, you can still sell it. Sometimes the repair costs more than the actual value of the car, in which case it’s best to sell it the way it is. Major problems which could make you decide to sell as-is include bad transmission, blown engine, or a leaky head gasket. Keep in mind that you will need to disclose any problems to potential buyers when selling it.

1. Sell the Car Yourself
   You can sell a junk car yourself. This way you can get more money than going to a dealership and trading it in. People might be interested in your car for its parts or they might want to restore it. Be honest and upfront about any issues it has. When listing a car with a bad transmission, you can call it a fixer-upper or mechanic’s special.

2. Describe the Car
   When selling your car, put together any paperwork you have regarding any major work that was done to it. Let the potential buyer know all minor and major problems it has. Make sure your online listing specifies why the car is not driveable.

3. Determine the Price
   Some people that might be interested in buying your car might plan on fixing it. To figure out the price of your car, determine the value if it was in a good working condition using Kelley Blue Book. Then, since your car is in a very poor condition, lower the price according to the issues it has.

4. Checking Out Junkyards
   Another alternative is to visit your local junkyard. Most of them will be happy to buy your car since they can part it out for parts. Once they finish selling parts of your car, they will scrap it for metal, providing them with additional profit. You can also get a tax deduction when going this route.

5. Be Aware of Lemon Laws
   Lemon laws exist to protect consumers if they buy a car that was wrongly advertised and it turned out to have major mechanical problems which weren’t properly disclosed. In each state, the laws differ slightly. Lemon laws entitle the buyer to a full refund or car replacement if it has major issues after the sale.

6. Talk to a Used Auto Parts Garage
   Get on the internet and locate garages that sell second-hand parts. They might be interested in buying your whole car to resell for parts. In this case, your bad transmission won’t be an issue since they will just part out other parts from your vehicle.