Sell Your Car

What your Van Nuys car is really worth.

Even a high-mileage work vehicle has real value if it's been maintained, and instant online offers often lowball cars that don't fit a neat average profile. We'll help you figure out what your car should actually bring, whether it's a daily commuter or a truck that's put in years of real work.

Chat with a real Car Dog Ask a Car Dog (AI)

Written and reviewed by Nicholas Velez, Founder, Car Dogs

What you get

A realistic value range — not a teaser number designed to get you in a door.
Trade-in versus private sale, compared side by side.
Still making payments? We'll explain equity and payoff clearly.
No obligation. Knowing your number is useful even if you keep the car.

Watch out for

High mileage doesn't automatically mean low value — a well-maintained work vehicle with service records can be worth more than an algorithm assumes. Get a second opinion before settling.
A trade-in lowers your taxable amount on a new purchase in California, which can make a modest trade offer the better overall deal. Run both numbers.
Cross-shop more than one dealer on Van Nuys Boulevard — offers on the same car can vary more here than people expect given how many lots are competing.
Know your exact loan payoff before you negotiate a trade so you're not surprised by a number buried in the paperwork.

Every connection we make helps support dogs looking for their forever homes.

Meet the dogs

Tell us what you need

A couple of details is all it takes to get a real answer.

First name

Last name

PhonePhone or email — give us at least one and we'll use it to get back to you.

ZIP code

What can we help with?

A few quick details so we can be useful

Required fields are marked — the rest help us give you a sharper answer.

Year

Make

Model

Pick a make first

Trim

Pick a model first

Mileage

VIN (optional)

Price you have in mind

Condition

Still making payments?

What's the goal?

Tell us a bit more(optional)

What would you like from us?

Open to a partner introIf a vetted local partner fits, we'll offer to connect you.Just advice for nowWe answer your question. Nobody else gets your details.

How should we reach you?

Text and emailWhichever reaches you fastest.Text onlyWe'll text the number you gave us.Email onlyWe'll keep everything in your inbox.

Texting needs a phone number above. Reply STOP any time and the texts stop.

Email me the daily vehicle specialsOne email each morning with that day's deals. Unsubscribe from any email and it stops. Payments shown are estimates, not offers; taxes, fees, and credit approval change the real number. See our Privacy Policy.

By submitting this form you agree that Car Dogs and its partners may contact you by phone call, text message and email about your request, including with automated messages. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out of texts, HELP for help.

No spam, no auto-dialers. Just a real person following up. A share of every referral we place goes to a dog rescue near you — your community's shelter, not a national fund.

Getting a fair number for a work-used car

Instant online offers are built around average condition, and a Van Nuys work vehicle with real service records often doesn't fit that average. If you've kept up maintenance on a high-mileage car or truck, it's worth getting a second opinion before you take the first number an algorithm gives you.

Where to sell it

Trading in is fastest and reduces the California sales tax on a replacement vehicle if you're buying anyway.
Cross-shopping more than one dealer on Van Nuys Boulevard often surfaces a meaningfully better offer on the same car.
A documented maintenance history is worth highlighting to any buyer, since it separates your car from an average-condition estimate.

What it costs around here

Real ranges, not quotes. Prices move with the car, the parts and the shop — send us your number and we'll tell you where it lands.

Smog certificate for a private sale

Modest, at a licensed station

California sellers generally need a valid smog certificate; newer cars are often exempt.

See the full breakdown

Title transfer paperwork

Set by the state

File the release of liability the day the car leaves your hands.

See the full breakdown

Vetted Van Nuys-area partners

We don't have a published partner page for Van Nuys yet. That doesn't slow you down — tell us what you need and a Car Dog will vet the right local shop, dealer or agent for your specific job before we hand you off. If it doesn't pass our check, we say so.

Chat with a real Car Dog See every vetted partner

Questions Van Nuys drivers ask us

Will an instant offer lowball my high-mileage car?

It can, especially if your car has been well maintained. Instant offers price for average condition, so a documented service history is worth getting a second opinion on before you accept.

Is trading in or selling privately better in Van Nuys?

It depends on the car and whether you're buying a replacement. A trade lowers your taxable amount on a new purchase, which can offset a lower offer — run both numbers before deciding.