Trade-In Value Calculator

Find out what offer a dealer will likely make for your car. You need no email, ZIP code, or account.

VIN (optional)

Year

Mileage

Leave blank to use 12,000 a year.

Condition

Excellentlooks new, no body work, full service recordsGoodminor wear, no major mechanical problemsFairneeds some cosmetic or mechanical repairs, still runsPoorsignificant problems, may not pass inspection

Your car's estimated value

Trade-in–

Private party–

Dealer retail–

Pick the year, type and condition to see your car's value.

Add make, model and original price for a closer estimate

Make

Model

Price when new

Reasons a trade-in brings less than a private sale

Inspecting, repairing, cleaning and reselling the car are jobs a dealer has to do, and the dealer wants a profit at the end. Our trade-in figure is 15% below the private party value.

Consider a 2021 Honda Civic in Good condition with 61,000 miles that cost $23,000 new. A likely dealer offer would be $10,900–$12,300. A private buyer pays $12,900–$14,500 for that same car, about $2,100 more, according to our model from November 2026.

Value ranges shown for the 2021 Civic example: Trade-in, private party and dealer retail.

What the dealer's appraiser reviews

The appraiser drives the car and walks around it. Every finding moves the car up or down among the tool's four condition ratings.

Body and paint: dents, scratches and past repairs. With no body work, a car can receive an Excellent rating.
Tires: whether they match and how much tread remains. Worn or mismatched tires can lower the rating.
For engine and gearbox, the appraiser notes warning lights, leaks and how the car drives. If a part needs work, the rating is Fair.
Records and title: a clean title and service history. A salvage or rebuilt title results in a Poor rating.
Mileage: compared with 12,000 miles a year. For every 10,000 miles above that amount, about 3% comes off.

Each condition has its own Trade-in range

Our two worked cars are in the table, which shows how far the condition rating shifts the trade-in offer.

Condition-based Trade-in ranges for the two worked cars (our model)
Condition	2021 Honda Civic, $23,000 new, 61,000 miles	2019 pickup truck, $45,000 new, 110,000 miles
Excellent	$11,800–$13,300	$14,800–$16,600
Good	$10,900–$12,300	$13,700–$15,400
Fair	$9,300–$10,500	$11,600–$13,100
Poor	$7,100–$8,000	$8,900–$10,000

Check the private party value first, using the car value estimator. Are you trading in a Tesla? Four Tesla rates are used on the Tesla value page.