If you return the car to the bank, they'll simply market up as a repossession on your credit record, sell the car, pay off the balance of your loan, and in the matter.
Only way out of the loan is to sell the vehicle and either pay off the difference, or roll the negative equity into the next vehicle.
Good afternoon. Your only real option is to sell the car and pay any deficiency in order to minimize the shortfall. Otherwise, the lender will repossess the car, sell it at wholesale, and stick you with the shortfall.
The car is collateral for the loan, and until the loan is fully repaid, the lender holds a lien on the vehicle. So, can you sell your car back to the dealership if it's still under finance? Yes, you can. However, there are specific steps you need to follow to ensure the process is legal and smooth.
Voluntarily surrendering a car involves informing your lender that you can no longer make payments and intend to return it. Empty your car of all personal items and arrange the time and place to drop off your car and hand over the keys.
While you can trade in a financed car at any time, it is most beneficial to wait until you have positive equity before doing so. It is also a good idea to wait at least a year or more before trading in, especially if you purchased your car brand new.
Whether or not a bank can revoke an auto loan depends on the contract you have with them. If you've financed your new car at the dealership, they could also deny your financing after you've driven the car off the lot.
Coordinate with your lender.
Some lenders might allow you to pay off the remaining balance of your loan when you donate the car. In this case, you essentially buy the car from the lender so you can donate it.
Another option is to give up the vehicle to the lender voluntarily rather than going through the repossession process. The lender may find this option appealing because it avoids the costs of repossession, and it may agree to reduce or eliminate the deficiency balance on the loan.
Trade In or Sell Your Vehicle
If you need more than just short-term relief and refinancing isn't an option, it might be worth it to get rid of the car. You could either trade it in to a dealership or sell it to a private party and buy a used vehicle.
Yes, you can trade in a financed car, but the balance of your loan doesn't just disappear when you do so — it still has to be paid off.
If your lender can't locate your vehicle to do a "self-help" repossession, they can still sue you for the vehicle. This will involve a small claims case, where the judge will order you to give the car to the lender. You might even be compelled to Court to provide testimony about the location of the vehicle.
Consider voluntary repossession
Voluntary repossession involves working with the lender to repossess your car and sell it in order to recoup some of what you owe on your auto loan. While this may sound like a solid option for getting out of a car loan, it can have some serious negative financial effects.
Having your car repossessed or surrendering it voluntarily is seen as a major negative event by lenders. They'll view you as high-risk. Expect your credit score to take a big hit, maybe over 100 points or more. That makes getting approved for financing in the future much harder.
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.
Most of the time, unfortunately, you can't return a financed car. Although there are a few scenarios where it may be possible (more on that below), they are few and far between.
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.
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.
Return the car
You'll have to pay an early termination fee, usually a set dollar amount plus the difference between the balance on your lease and the car's market value. Be sure to calculate whether the fee would be more than your remaining monthly payments.
How Much Does a Voluntary Repossession Affect Your Credit? Estimates vary, but you can expect a voluntary repossession to lower your credit score by 50-150 points. How big of a drop you will see depends on factors such as your prior credit history and how many payments you made before the repossession.
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.
Your credit score is complex and applying for an auto loan when trading in your car is unlikely to impact you much in most cases.
A dealer may allow you to trade in a financed car for a lease, but you'll still be responsible for the amount you owe on your current car's loan.
In general, you can trade in your car for a new one even if you're still making payments on it. But first it helps to know how much equity you have in the vehicle. That's the difference between your car's current value and the amount you owe on the loan.