When should I sell my car instead of repairing it?

The general guideline is that when a single repair costs more than 50 percent of the vehicle's current market value, selling usually makes more financial sense than repairing. A $3,500 transmission rebuild on a vehicle worth $5,000 is a questionable investment. However, this is a guideline, not a rule. The full calculation includes the total cost of acquiring a replacement vehicle (purchase price, taxes, registration, insurance changes), the condition of the rest of the vehicle (if everything else is sound, one expensive repair may buy you several more years), and your financial situation (a $3,000 repair on a paid-off vehicle may be cheaper over the next two years than $500 per month in payments on a replacement). Sell when repairs are frequent and escalating, when multiple major systems are failing simultaneously, when the vehicle has safety issues that are expensive to resolve, or when the repair cost plus the vehicle's remaining problems exceed what a reasonable replacement would cost.

How do I determine the right asking price for a private sale?

Check three sources: Kelley Blue Book private party value (kbb.com), Edmunds private party appraisal (edmunds.com), and the NADA Guides value (nadaguides.com). Enter your vehicle's exact year, make, model, trim, mileage, and condition honestly. The private party value is typically 10 to 20 percent higher than the trade-in value because you are eliminating the dealer's margin. Price your vehicle at or slightly above the average of the three sources to leave room for negotiation. If your vehicle has complete maintenance records, new tires, or recent major service, you can justify pricing at the higher end of the range. If it has cosmetic damage, mechanical issues, or high mileage relative to its age, price at the lower end. Check local listings on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and AutoTrader for comparable vehicles in your area to see what the actual market looks like.

What paperwork do I need to sell a car privately?

At minimum, you need the vehicle title signed by all owners listed on it, a bill of sale with the vehicle description, VIN, odometer reading, sale price, and signatures of both buyer and seller, and a release of liability or transfer notification filed with your state's DMV. Most states require sellers to disclose the odometer reading on the title itself, as required by federal law. Some states require a separate odometer disclosure statement, a smog or emissions certificate, or a safety inspection. Check your state DMV's website for the specific forms and requirements, as these vary significantly. If your vehicle has an outstanding loan, you will need to pay off the loan to obtain a clear title before you can transfer it. Contact your lender to understand the payoff process, which may involve the lender sending the title directly to the buyer or to an escrow service. Keep copies of every document for your records.

Is it better to trade in my car or sell it privately?

Private sales typically bring 10 to 20 percent more than a trade-in because you are selling directly to the end buyer without a dealer taking a margin. On a vehicle worth $15,000, that difference could be $1,500 to $3,000. However, private sales require more effort: you must advertise the vehicle, respond to inquiries, arrange showings and test drives, handle negotiations, manage the paperwork, and accept the risks of meeting strangers. Trade-ins are faster and simpler: the dealer handles all paperwork, you drive in with one vehicle and drive out with another, and in most states you pay sales tax only on the difference between the trade-in value and the new vehicle's price, which can save hundreds to over a thousand dollars. If your time is limited, if you are uncomfortable meeting strangers, or if the tax savings on the trade-in partially close the price gap, a trade-in may be the better practical choice even though it returns less money.

Can I donate my car for a tax deduction?

Yes, but the tax benefit is often smaller than people expect. If the charity sells your donated vehicle for $500 or less, you can deduct the fair market value up to $500. If the charity sells it for more than $500, your deduction is limited to the actual sale price the charity received, not the vehicle's fair market value, unless the charity uses the vehicle in its operations or gives it to a needy individual. The charity must provide you with a written acknowledgment within 30 days of the sale, and you must file IRS Form 1098-C with your tax return. You must itemize deductions to claim the donation, which means the benefit only helps if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction. For many households, the standard deduction is higher, making the vehicle donation deduction worth nothing. If the vehicle is worth enough to sell privately and you want to support a charity, selling it yourself and donating the cash may result in a larger deduction and more money reaching the charity.

Home Self-reliance Planning Vehicle Ownership Selling or Retiring a Vehicle

Vehicle Ownership

Selling or retiring a vehicle.

When to let go, how to get the best value, and every step from listing to title transfer, donation, or final disposal.

Sell or repair? The private sale process

The first decision

Should you sell or keep repairing?

Every vehicle reaches a point where the next repair bill forces a real question: is this worth fixing, or is it time to let go? The answer is rarely obvious, and the emotion of the moment (a tow truck just dropped it off, the mechanic just called with the number) makes it harder to think clearly. A framework helps.

The 50-percent guideline

The most common rule of thumb is that when a single repair costs more than 50 percent of the vehicle's current market value, selling usually makes more financial sense. A $3,500 transmission rebuild on a vehicle worth $5,000 puts you within striking distance of buying a different vehicle entirely. But this is a starting point, not a verdict. The real calculation is broader.

The full calculation

What the repair costs versus what the vehicle is worth

Check your vehicle's private party value on Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com), Edmunds (edmunds.com), and NADA Guides (nadaguides.com). Compare the repair estimate against that value. A $2,000 repair on a $12,000 vehicle is a reasonable investment. A $4,000 repair on a $6,000 vehicle is not, unless the rest of the vehicle is in excellent condition.

What the rest of the vehicle looks like

A single expensive repair on an otherwise healthy vehicle is different from the same repair on a vehicle with worn tires, an aging suspension, and a cooling system that is next in line. If the repair would buy you three to five more reliable years, it is a better investment than if it would buy you six months before the next problem lands.

What a replacement actually costs

The repair cost is not compared to zero. It is compared to the total cost of acquiring a replacement: purchase price, sales tax, registration fees, insurance changes, and the risk that the replacement has its own hidden problems. A $3,000 repair on a paid-off vehicle may be less expensive over the next 24 months than $500 per month in payments on a replacement vehicle.

The pattern, not just the incident

One major repair in five years of ownership is normal. Two major repairs in six months is a pattern. If the vehicle has been increasingly unreliable, requiring more frequent and more expensive repairs, the trajectory matters more than any single repair bill.

Signs it is time to sell

The repair cost exceeds 50 to 75 percent of the vehicle's value. Multiple major systems are failing or approaching failure simultaneously. The vehicle has recurring safety issues. Repair frequency is increasing and you are spending more time at the mechanic than on the road. Your lifestyle has changed and the vehicle no longer fits your needs (growing family, shorter commute, different climate). The vehicle is becoming difficult or expensive to insure due to age or accident history.

Signs it is worth repairing

The vehicle is paid off and otherwise in good condition. The repair is a known maintenance interval item (timing belt, water pump, struts) rather than a failure. The rest of the vehicle, including body, frame, electrical, and interior, is sound. Comparable replacement vehicles cost significantly more than the repair. You know the vehicle's complete maintenance history because you have maintained it yourself.

The emotional factor

Vehicles carry emotional weight. The truck you drove when your kids were small, the car that got you through a difficult year, the first vehicle you bought with your own money. These attachments are real, and there is no reason to pretend they do not exist. But they can lead you to spend $4,000 repairing a vehicle worth $3,000 because you are not ready to let it go, or to sell a perfectly reliable vehicle because you are tired of looking at it. Acknowledge the emotional component, then make the financial decision separately. If the numbers say repair, repair. If the numbers say sell, give yourself a week to sit with it, then act. The worst outcome is a $3,000 decision made on impulse in either direction.

Know your number

How to price your vehicle.

Pricing your vehicle accurately is the single most important step in selling it quickly and for a fair amount. Price too high and it sits for weeks with no inquiries. Price too low and you leave money on the table. The goal is to find the realistic market value and price within negotiating range of it.

Check three sources

Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com). Look up the private party value, not the trade-in or retail value. Enter your exact year, make, model, trim, mileage, and an honest condition assessment.

Edmunds (edmunds.com). Their private party appraisal tool adjusts for local market conditions. Compare this against the KBB figure.

NADA Guides (nadaguides.com). Used by lenders and some dealerships. A third data point that helps you triangulate the real number.

Check the local market

After you have the guide values, search for comparable vehicles in your area on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, AutoTrader, and CarGurus. Filter for the same year, make, model, and similar mileage. Note their asking prices and how long they have been listed. A vehicle that has been listed for 60 days at $14,000 is probably priced above the market. A comparable one that sold in three days at $11,500 tells you where the real demand is. Your pricing should reflect the actual local market, not just the national guide values.

What affects your price

Complete maintenance records add 5 to 15 percent to your vehicle's value. Recent major service (new tires, new brakes, timing belt just done) justifies pricing at the higher end of the range. Cosmetic damage, mechanical issues, high mileage relative to the vehicle's age, missing maintenance records, modifications that narrow the buyer pool, and salvage or rebuilt titles all push the price toward the lower end. Be honest with yourself about condition. A buyer who shows up expecting a "good condition" vehicle and finds dents, stains, and a check-engine light will lose trust immediately and either walk away or offer significantly less.

Being honest about condition

Valuation tools ask you to rate your vehicle's condition, and the price difference between "good" and "fair" can be $1,500 to $3,000 or more. Overrating your vehicle's condition sets you up for a listing that attracts buyers who expect more than what they find, followed by negotiations that start from a position of lost trust. Rate honestly. "Good" means the vehicle runs well, has no significant mechanical issues, has a clean interior with minor wear, and has a body free of dents larger than a quarter. "Fair" means the vehicle runs but may need minor repairs, has noticeable cosmetic wear, or has one or two issues that a buyer would need to address. "Poor" means the vehicle needs significant work. Most vehicles with more than 80,000 miles and five or more years of daily use are honestly in "good" to "fair" condition, not "excellent."

Setting the asking price

Price your vehicle 5 to 10 percent above the target selling price to leave room for negotiation. Most private-sale buyers expect to negotiate, and an asking price that leaves no room signals either inflexibility or overpricing. If the average of your three guide values is $13,000 and local comparables support that figure, listing at $13,500 to $14,000 gives you room to settle at or near your target.

Timing the sale

Vehicle prices have seasonal patterns. Convertibles and sports cars sell better in spring and early summer. Four-wheel-drive trucks and SUVs bring higher prices in late fall and early winter when buyers start thinking about bad weather. Tax refund season (February through April) brings more buyers into the market with cash to spend. Listing during peak demand for your vehicle type can add 5 to 10 percent to your sale price compared to listing during the off season.

First impressions matter

Preparing the vehicle for sale.

A clean, well-presented vehicle sells faster and for more money than an identical one that looks neglected. Buyers make judgments within the first 30 seconds, and those judgments affect what they are willing to pay. You do not need to spend hundreds on detailing, but you do need the vehicle to show that someone cared for it.

The essentials

Wash and wax the exterior. Remove road grime, tree sap, and water spots. A fresh coat of wax makes the paint look better than it has in months. Clean the wheels and wheel wells.

Deep clean the interior. Vacuum carpets, seats, and crevices. Wipe down all surfaces. Clean the windows inside and out. Remove all personal items, trash, change from the cup holders, and anything that makes the vehicle feel like someone else's space. A buyer needs to imagine themselves in it.

Address odors. Pet smell, cigarette smoke, and stale food are deal-killers for many buyers. Shampoo the carpets and seats if needed. An ozone treatment from a detailer can remove stubborn embedded odors. Do not try to mask smells with air fresheners; buyers notice and assume you are hiding something.

Fix the cheap things. Replace burned-out bulbs. Top off all fluids. Replace the windshield wipers if they are streaking. Touch up visible paint chips with a $10 touch-up pen. These small fixes cost almost nothing but remove reasons for a buyer to negotiate down.

Organize the paperwork. Gather the title, maintenance records, receipts for recent work, the owner's manual (if you have it), and any spare keys. A folder of organized records signals to the buyer that this vehicle was maintained by someone who paid attention.

What not to fix

Do not spend money on major mechanical repairs solely to increase the selling price. A $1,200 repair that increases the vehicle's value by $800 loses you $400. Disclose the issue honestly and price the vehicle accordingly. Most buyers expect to negotiate, and a known issue with a fair price adjustment is better than a hidden issue that damages trust. The exception is safety-related items: working brakes, functional lights, and proper tire condition are non-negotiable. Do not sell a vehicle with known safety defects without disclosing them.

Selling it yourself

The private sale process.

A private sale typically brings 10 to 20 percent more than a trade-in because you are selling directly to the buyer without a dealer taking a margin. On a $15,000 vehicle, that difference can be $1,500 to $3,000. The trade-off is that you handle everything: advertising, screening, showing, negotiating, and paperwork.

Writing the listing

A good listing is honest, specific, and well-photographed. Include the year, make, model, trim, mileage, condition, any recent service or repairs, any known issues, and your asking price. Take 15 to 20 photos in good light: exterior from all four corners and both sides, interior from both front seats, dashboard, odometer, engine bay, tires and wheels, trunk, and any damage or wear. Post on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and any local platforms popular in your area. AutoTrader and CarGurus offer private-party listings as well.

Do not lie in the listing. Do not omit known problems. Do not use photos from when the vehicle was newer. The buyer will see the vehicle in person, and any gap between the listing and reality costs you credibility and negotiating position.

Writing an effective description

Lead with the facts a buyer searches for: year, make, model, trim, mileage. Then describe the vehicle's condition honestly and specifically. "Well-maintained" is vague. "Oil changed every 5,000 miles, timing belt replaced at 95,000, new front brakes at 108,000, all records available" is specific and credible. Mention any features that differentiate your vehicle from others of the same model: leather seats, sunroof, tow package, upgraded audio, heated seats. Note any recent maintenance or repairs that add value. Disclose any known issues clearly: a buyer who sees "the A/C blows warm; I priced the repair at $650 and adjusted the price accordingly" respects the honesty and knows exactly what they are getting.

Avoid all-caps, excessive punctuation, and sales language. Write the way you would describe the vehicle to a friend: straightforward, honest, and specific. Include the VIN in the listing so buyers can run their own vehicle history report, which builds trust and saves both of you time.

Screening inquiries

Respond promptly to serious inquiries. Red flags include buyers who offer to pay sight-unseen, buyers who ask you to ship the vehicle, buyers who want to pay with a cashier's check for more than the asking price with you refunding the difference, and anyone who creates urgency or pressure. These are common scams. A legitimate buyer wants to see the vehicle, drive it, and pay a fair price.

The test drive

Always accompany the buyer on the test drive. Verify their driver's license before handing them the keys. Meet in a public place if possible, or at minimum let someone know you are showing the vehicle and to whom. If you are uncomfortable with a prospective buyer, trust that instinct and decline the showing. Your safety is more important than the sale.

A serious buyer may want to have the vehicle inspected by their own mechanic before purchasing. This is a reasonable request and a sign of a thoughtful buyer. Agree to it and suggest they schedule the inspection promptly so neither of you loses time.

Negotiation

Most buyers will offer less than your asking price. This is expected. Know your bottom line before the conversation starts. If your asking price is $14,000 and your target is $13,000, you have $1,000 of room. Be willing to come down, but do not agree to a number you will regret later. If the buyer's offer is too low, counter with your own number and explain the basis: maintenance records, recent work, comparable listings. If you cannot reach agreement, part ways politely. Another buyer will come.

Accepting payment

Cash is the safest form of payment for a private vehicle sale. If the amount is large enough that carrying cash feels uncomfortable, meet at the buyer's bank and have them get a cashier's check while you watch, so you can verify it is real. Do not accept a cashier's check mailed to you or brought to the showing, as these can be counterfeit. Personal checks should be avoided unless you are willing to wait for them to clear before releasing the vehicle. Some sellers and buyers use escrow services for high-value vehicles. Never release the title until payment is confirmed and in your hands.

The simpler path

Trading in at a dealership.

A trade-in is faster and simpler than a private sale. The dealer handles all paperwork, you drive in with one vehicle and drive out with another, and in most states you pay sales tax only on the difference between the trade-in value and the new vehicle's price. On a $30,000 purchase with a $10,000 trade-in, you pay sales tax on $20,000 instead of $30,000, which can save $500 to $1,000 or more depending on your state's tax rate.

The trade-off is price. Dealers need to recondition the vehicle and resell it at a profit, so trade-in values are typically 10 to 20 percent less than private party values. The convenience and tax savings partially close that gap, but rarely eliminate it entirely.

How to get the best trade-in value

Get independent appraisals first. Before visiting a dealer, get your vehicle appraised at CarMax (which provides written offers valid for seven days), a competing dealer, or through an online instant offer tool. These give you a documented baseline that strengthens your negotiation.

Negotiate the purchase price first. Do not reveal that you have a trade-in until after you have agreed on the price of the vehicle you are buying. If the dealer knows about the trade-in from the start, they can manipulate the numbers between the two transactions.

Clean the vehicle. The same preparation that helps a private sale helps a trade-in appraisal. A clean vehicle in good condition appraises higher than a dirty one with fast-food wrappers on the floor.

Bring your records. Maintenance records demonstrate that the vehicle was cared for, which reduces the dealer's reconditioning cost estimate and improves the offer.

Be willing to walk. If the trade-in offer is significantly below your independent appraisals, you have the documented evidence to push back or to take the vehicle elsewhere.

Negative equity warning

If you owe more on your current vehicle than it is worth (called being "upside down" or having negative equity), trading it in rolls that debt into the new loan. A $5,000 negative equity balance added to a $30,000 purchase means you are financing $35,000 on a vehicle worth $30,000, which puts you immediately upside down on the new vehicle. This is one of the most expensive mistakes in vehicle ownership because it compounds with each subsequent trade. If you have negative equity, paying down the loan before trading, selling privately to maximize the return, or keeping the vehicle until you have positive equity are all better options than rolling the deficit forward.

Make it legal

Paperwork and title transfer.

Properly transferring the title protects you from liability after the sale. Until the title is transferred, the vehicle is still legally yours, which means parking tickets, toll violations, and even accidents can come back to you. Every state has a process for this, and the details vary, but the core elements are the same.

What you need

The vehicle title, signed by all owners listed on it, with the buyer's name, address, sale date, and odometer reading filled in. Federal law requires accurate odometer disclosure at the time of sale.
A bill of sale listing the vehicle description (year, make, model, VIN), the odometer reading, the sale price, the date, and signatures of both buyer and seller. Even if your state does not require one, having it protects both parties.
A release of liability (sometimes called a notice of transfer or vehicle transfer notification) filed with your state's DMV. This formally notifies the state that you no longer own the vehicle. In many states, you can file this online immediately after the sale.
State-specific forms. Some states require a separate odometer disclosure statement, a smog or emissions certificate, a safety inspection, or a damage disclosure statement. Check your state DMV's website for the exact requirements before the sale.

If there is a lien on the title

If you still owe money on the vehicle, the lender is listed on the title as the lienholder, and you cannot transfer a clear title until the loan is paid off. Contact your lender before listing the vehicle. Some lenders will provide a payoff letter and work with you to release the lien at the time of sale. Others hold the title and will mail it to the buyer after receiving the payoff amount. In some cases, the transaction can be handled through a bank or escrow service where the buyer's payment goes to the lender, the lender releases the lien, and the clear title goes to the buyer. This protects both parties.

Protect yourself after the sale

File the release of liability or vehicle transfer notification with your state DMV immediately after the sale. Remove the license plates if your state requires it (most do). Cancel or transfer your auto insurance (see the next section). Keep copies of the signed title, the bill of sale, and the transfer notification for your records. In most states, the buyer has 30 days to register the vehicle in their name. Until they do, the vehicle may still show as registered to you, which is why the transfer notification is critical.

Close the loop

Insurance, registration, and final steps.

Selling or retiring a vehicle creates a cascade of administrative steps beyond the title transfer. Missing any of them can cost you money or create legal liability.

Insurance

Contact your insurance company on the day of the sale. If you are replacing the vehicle, transfer the coverage to the new one. If you are not replacing it (household going from two vehicles to one, for example), remove the vehicle from your policy. You may be entitled to a prorated refund of your premium for the remaining policy period. Do not cancel your policy before the vehicle is sold or the title is transferred, as you are still the legal owner until then.

Registration and plates

In most states, you must remove the license plates when you sell a vehicle. Some states allow you to transfer the plates to a replacement vehicle, which saves the cost of new plates and registration. Other states require you to surrender the plates to the DMV. Check your state's rules and handle this within the required timeframe. Do not leave your plates on a vehicle you no longer own; if the buyer accumulates toll violations or parking tickets before re-registering, those may come back to you.

Loan payoff

If you financed the vehicle and the loan is now paid off, confirm that the lien has been released on your title. Contact your lender if you paid off the loan but never received a clear title or lien release document. In some states, the lender files the lien release with the DMV electronically. In others, you need the physical lien release document to transfer a clean title. Verify this before you list the vehicle for sale, not when a buyer is standing in your driveway with cash in hand.

Toll accounts and automatic payments

If your vehicle is registered with a toll account (E-ZPass, SunPass, PeelPass, or a state-specific transponder system), remove it from the account. If you have automatic parking payments tied to the vehicle's license plate, cancel those. Any subscription services tied to the vehicle (satellite radio, connected services, dashcam cloud storage) should be cancelled or transferred. These are easy to forget and can result in ongoing charges for a vehicle you no longer own.

Data and personal information

Before handing over the keys, factory-reset the infotainment system to clear your paired phones, saved addresses, garage door codes, Wi-Fi passwords, and stored contacts. Remove the vehicle from your manufacturer's connected services account (OnStar, FordPass, Toyota Connected, etc.). If you used a Bluetooth OBD-II scanner, unlink it. Check the glovebox and trunk for personal documents, registration cards, and insurance cards that should not go with the vehicle.

When selling is not the right move

Donating, junking, and parting out.

Not every vehicle is worth selling. If the vehicle is not running, has major structural or mechanical problems, or is worth less than the effort of advertising and showing it, donating it, selling it to a junkyard, or parting it out may be the most practical options.

Donating

Donating a vehicle to a qualified charity provides a potential tax deduction, but the benefit is often smaller than advertised. If the charity sells the vehicle for more than $500, your deduction is limited to the actual sale price the charity received, not the vehicle's fair market value. The charity must provide you with a written acknowledgment (IRS Form 1098-C) within 30 days of the sale. You must itemize deductions on your tax return for the donation to have any value, which means it only helps if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction.

If your vehicle is worth enough to sell privately and you want to support a charity, selling it yourself and donating the cash may result in both a larger deduction and more money reaching the organization. For vehicles that are truly worth very little, donation is a convenient way to dispose of the vehicle while supporting a cause you care about. Just go in with realistic expectations about the tax benefit.

Selling to a junkyard or salvage yard

Junkyards and auto recyclers buy vehicles based on their weight in scrap metal, the value of their reusable parts, and the demand for their specific components. Expect $200 to $500 for most non-running vehicles, though prices vary based on the vehicle's size, the current scrap metal market, and whether the catalytic converter is intact (converters contain precious metals and can be worth $100 to $300 on their own). Get quotes from at least two or three yards. Most will pick up the vehicle for free. You will need to sign over the title and should file a release of liability with your state DMV.

Parting out

If you have mechanical knowledge, space, and time, parting out a vehicle (removing and selling individual components) can yield significantly more than selling the whole vehicle to a junkyard. A single set of wheels and tires, a working transmission, or a good engine can be worth more than the entire vehicle as scrap. However, parting out requires tools, knowledge, storage space, and the willingness to list individual parts on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or specialty forums. It can take weeks to months to sell everything. What remains after the valuable parts are removed still needs to go to a junkyard, and it will be worth less as scrap without its most valuable components. Parting out makes the most financial sense on vehicles with parts in high demand, such as popular enthusiast cars, trucks with desirable beds or tailgates, and vehicles whose specific parts are expensive and hard to find.

Keeping it in the family

Selling or gifting to family members.

Transferring a vehicle to a family member is common and generally straightforward, but it still requires proper paperwork. Skipping the title transfer because "it's just family" creates liability problems: if the family member is in an accident or accumulates violations while the vehicle is still titled in your name, you may be legally responsible.

The title must be transferred

Even in a gift, the title must be signed over to the new owner and re-registered in their name. Many states have a gift transfer process that reduces or eliminates sales tax when the vehicle is transferred between immediate family members (parents, children, spouses, siblings). Check your state DMV's website for the specific forms required. Most states require a statement that the vehicle is a gift, and some require a notarized affidavit.

Insurance for the new owner

The new owner must have their own insurance before they drive the vehicle. Your policy does not automatically cover a family member who is not listed on it, and it definitely does not cover them once the vehicle is titled in their name. The new owner should arrange insurance before the title transfer is complete. If you are giving a vehicle to a teenage child or young adult, adding them to your existing policy (if they live in your household) or helping them obtain their own policy is part of the gift.

Be honest about condition

Whether you are selling to family at a reduced price or giving the vehicle outright, be transparent about its condition. A family member who inherits your vehicle's transmission problem along with your vehicle will not appreciate the surprise. Provide the same disclosure you would give a stranger: known issues, maintenance history, upcoming service needs, and a realistic assessment of remaining useful life.

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