August 8, 20187 yr A 2007 Outback 4 cylinder that runs but needs a new engine - what rough range of values would a dealer offer as a trade in?
August 8, 20187 yr its age alone is going to throw it in the "not much" category (more than 10 yrs old), add to that the need of an engine replacement... yeah.... I would be surprised if you got any kind of a trade value for it
August 8, 20187 yr Author Sure I get that - i was looking for any real world experience or how it actually works.
August 8, 20187 yr Completely dependent on the dealership. The one where I worked still had pretty good demand for older Subarus, so it wouldn't be difficult to sell once it was fixed. The service manager also had a good relationship with a couple JDM engine suppliers, which made it possible to reliably get decent engines without spending a fortune (although the VVT SOHC 2.5s were the most difficult). Also with a large service department, it was easier to shuffle things around to free up a mechanic to do the labor. I was never involved in the transaction, so I have no idea what dollar amount they offered, but it wasn't uncommon to get cars like that in trade and fix them, so it must have been a decent offer. But, I can completely see how a dealership in a different area might make a completely different decision. If the used market wasn't as strong, or the service department didn't want to deal with it. They might just send it to the auction as-is, in which case they'll probably only clear a few hundred bucks (keep in mind, most dealerships are willing to take a loss on a trade, depending on what it's being traded)
August 8, 20187 yr Doubt it would be more than $1000..... But.... trade ins at dealers are usually a very poor idea. They work the numbers around and add it to the back end of the loan or other unsavory financial trickery that basically ends up with them getting your car for free or extremely low cost. Then it either will get fixed if it's nice, or thrown to the auction. I have bought plenty of trade ins from my dealer friends and I rarely pay more than $500. Highly doubt that's what the customer thought they were getting for them. GD
August 9, 20187 yr Author I'd never do it - i know a guy trading one in and I can buy it for roughly trade in value, i'll give him a little more if it's decent and nonrusty.
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