What Should You Do with an Old Car?

If you have a car that you no longer want, use, or need, you might be wondering what to do with it. Old cars can be an eyesore, taking up valuable space in your garage or driveway. So, what are your options?

In general, there are three ways you can get rid of an old car. You can try to sell your car via private party, trade it in at a dealership, or donate your car to a local charity.

2002 Toyota Highlander Front
Car at Ohio Valley Goodwill Auto Auction

Heres a look at each of these options and what to expect:

Sell your car yourself

Selling a car via private party is a common practice, but its not for everyone. It can be especially challenging to sell a car thats older and past its prime.

What to expect:

You can try placing an ad in a newspaper, but these days its more common to sell cars online. Keep in mind that youll have to put in some work to make your car look presentable, take photos, and write a good description. Then, youll need to meet with prospective buyers, negotiate a deal, and complete paperwork to finalize the sale. In the end, it can take a lot of time and energy to sell your car!

Trade in your car to a dealership

If youre in the market for a new car, one option is to trade in your old car at the same time youre buying a replacement.

What to expect:

When you trade in a car to a dealership, you can sell the vehicle to the dealership and use the trade-in amount as part of your payment for a new or used car. However, the amount the dealership offers will depend on the condition of your car and if the dealer already has cars like it sitting on their lot. To get the price you want, youll usually have to negotiate with the dealer, which can put you in a stressful situation.

Donate your car to charity

Rather than going through the headaches and hassle of trying to sell your car or trade it in, consider the benefits of donating your car to a local charity! Not only will your car donation go on to help others, but by donating your vehicle to a non-profit like Goodwill, you may be eligible for a tax advantage.

What to expect:

Ohio Valley Goodwill accepts car donations in Cincinnati in any condition, whether your vehicle is running or not. You can even schedule a tow free of charge! We resell donated vehicles at our weekly auto auction, which is run completely in-house, so theres no third-party auction company getting a cut of your car donation. When you donate a car in Cincinnati to Goodwill, you can be confident that the proceeds raised from your generous donation will be used to support life-changing job training and employment services for individuals with disabilities and veterans!

Featured Vehicles Preview 3-13-2021
Donated Cars at Ohio Valley Goodwill

Make a difference with your vehicle

When youre ready to get rid of an older vehicle, Ohio Valley Goodwill is here to help. We make it easy to donate a car in Cincinnati and get back to your busy day! In fact, we have six convenient, city-wide vehicle donation drop sites through our partnership with Superior Automotive Group, Mike Albert Direct, as well as additional drop sites at Ohio Valley Goodwill locations throughout the tri-state area.

Donate a car to Goodwill and make a difference today! Simply fill out a donation form, and well be in touch with you soon.