You can renegotiate, refinance or sell your vehicle to get out of a car loan you can't afford. Refinancing can be a good option if your credit score has improved since you initially took out the loan. When trying to exit a lease early, be aware of potential fees and consider transferring the lease to someone else.
You cannot return the car. You can sell the car to pay off the loan. Or you can give the car to the bank, they will auction the vehicle off at wholesale price, you will owe the remaining balance of the loan and tank your credit.
Selling, trading in, refinancing, or negotiating a payment adjustment are usually better options to get out of a car loan without negatively impacting your credit score than running afoul of a knock to your credit.
Voluntary surrender counts as a derogatory or negative mark and will stay on your credit reports for up to seven years.
One way to get out of a car loan is to sell the vehicle privately. If you're not upside down on the loan, meaning the car is more valuable than what you currently owe on it, you can use the proceeds of the sale to pay off the current loan in full. Another term for an upside-down car loan is negative equity.
Contact Your Lender
Contact your lender as soon as you know you won't be able to make payments. Many lenders are willing to work with borrowers to avoid vehicle repossession and get their payments under control. The sooner you get in touch, the more options your lender may be able to offer.
Note: If you're selling a car with an active loan, you're still the one responsible for paying it off, so the remaining balance on the loan will likely be subtracted from the price the dealer offers you. So if you owe more than what the dealer offers, you'll need to pay the difference to the lienholder.
They can sue you for the balance you didn't pay for the down payment, but unless it was in the contract they can repossess, the law in CA doesn't allow it. Under California law, a breach of contract occurs when one party fails to fulfill a legal duty the contract created and causes damages for the defendant.
Also, when you first applied for a car loan, a hard credit inquiry was necessary, so your credit score needs time to recover from this minor impact, which usually takes about a year. So as a best practice, it's ideal to wait at least one year before refinancing but you should have at least two years left on your loan.
Increasing your monthly payments, making bi-weekly payments, and making extra principal payments can help accelerate mortgage payoff. Cutting expenses, increasing income, and using windfalls to make lump sum payments can help pay off the mortgage faster.
Car loans are secured debts, so the lender can repossess your vehicle if you stop making payments. A surrender is when you as the owner voluntarily gives the vehicle back to the lender when you file for insolvency proceedings.
If you financed a vehicle purchase through a dealership, it's possible that you may be able to return it. But this will depend on the dealership's return policy and rules. Similar to lemon laws, there may be a time limit on how long you have to return a financed car back to the dealer.
CarMax buys vehicles that are not paid off. To sell a car you still owe money on to the retailer, you must provide loan information so CarMax can pay off the lender. If you owe more than your offer, you will need to cover the difference.
Negotiate and finalize: You can negotiate with the dealer on the price of the new car, and on how much they will offer you for your trade-in. If the trade-in offer won't be enough to pay off your current loan, the dealer or lender may roll the difference into a new loan.
While this may sound like an ideal solution, it should be viewed as a last resort. It can harm your credit score and make it much more difficult to be approved for financing again in the future.
The name makes it sound less severe, but a voluntary repossession is essentially the same as an involuntary one as far as your finances go. You'll still have to pay for the costs of the auction. You may still face a deficiency, a collection lawsuit, and wage garnishment.
Church grants are forms of financial aid provided by religious organizations to support individuals and families facing financial hardships. These grants can address various needs, including housing, utility bills, medical expenses, and car payments.
If you can't afford your car payments, you can give the car back to your car loan lender in a "voluntary repossession." But think carefully before you do this—you might still owe the lender money.
Many people are surprised to discover that they can sell their existing vehicle to a dealership without having to buy a new vehicle. You simply need to take your vehicle to the dealership, alongside your necessary paperwork, and let them know that you're looking to sell.
You typically can't return a car because you changed your mind or realized you can't afford it. However, you might be able to return a car if it turns out to be a lemon, the dealer allows returns or your dealer financing falls through.