How to Sell a Car That Has Been in an Accident

Dear Miss Mota Mouth,

I have a 1999 BMW 323i, which was involved in an accident. The price of the car without the accident would have been around $7000. Now with the accident the price will be no more than $3000.

What are the proper steps to selling the it. I want to post it on Craigslist or any other site. But, besides that, what papers do I need and/or any other legal documents?

Joe in NY

Dear Joe,

It looks like you have done you research and have realistically priced your car closer to trade-in value than retail value. You can check the value of cars successfully sold online like you’re here for free.

To sell a car that has been in an accident it is essential that you are completely upfront about damage that can be seen and any potential unseen damage. To do that in a way that will make buyers feel most comfortable might be to have an inspection done ahead of time and on hand. www.inspectmyride.com is one of the companies who will come to your home or work and do just that.

As for the paperwork once you have found your buyer: You will need to provide the title to the buyer and sign it over to them once they have paid you. They will need to provide proof of financial responsibility in order to register the car in their name so you may want to accompany them to the DMV to make sure that they do that or you will be liable for the car until it is properly registered by them.

The NY DMV also likes to see a bill of sale which you can print from here.

Good luck!
M

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