Lifted Taco Dealer Trade In

I'm looking to get a new truck and was wondering before I go and get trade in value from the dealer whats your thoughts on lifted trucks. Should I pull everything off like lift, tires/wheels, skid plate, sliders, new apple play radio, Meso lights, remote start, led fogs, light bar, and other stuff. It's a 2017 TRD OR with 48000 miles on it and the lift and tires have about 40000K highway miles with very little off road. Also should I just sell it as is to someone?

 

You won't get a penny from the dealer for any of those extras. They might tell you they'll give you some credit for it but that just means there's room for them to fudge.

Depending on what your time is worth, you'd be better off getting cash in hand by selling off the bits on here.

What have you got....maybe I'll buy it!

 

If you're trading it in you will get very little back on your mods in the form of increased value, so I would put it back to stock if possible. You can either sell the mods or put them on your new Taco, if that's what you're getting.

 

Even w/o the mods the dealers will still screw you.

 

Nice looking truck with tasteful modifications. Why not try to sell it here to someone who might appreciate it?

 

Oh, nice truck too. Why you selling?

 

From my experience, they won't factor in those mods very much, but you can bet they will mark it up sky high after you trade it in. If it was me, I would try the Truecar.com route because you will get multiple offers. The dealers will compete against each other. You don't have to accept anything, and you can sit at home and see what offers come in. Keep in mind, just about every salesman has multiple people with deposits put down waiting on a truck, and most people want to do the mods you have already done. After a 3 month wait, I just bought a new 22 OR for MSRP and they had several bone stock 2019 OR's with like 40K miles, and they were asking like two grand more than I paid for my new one. The salesman said people will pay up for a used one to avoid the wait for a new one.

 

I would also get a number in your head that you would like to get for it, then compare that number with what local dealers are asking for used ones, and you should be able to use that to your advantage and make a deal.

 

I bought mine at the end of July. I fully expected to let someone else eat the depreciation and intended to buy an '18 or 19. When I found them, they were asking MORE than the MSRP for a brand new TRD OR! After a few looks I said "fuck that!' and set my sights on new. New was scarce but I found mine and DOVE on it as it had everything I wanted except heated seats....which I just installed for $100 bucks.


Also, OP....go the Carvana route, too. I had their value when I went to the dealer. I also did the Kelly Blue Book deal where they put it out there to dealers. I had offers from those vultures, too. It's good to have a fall back for negotiating your price.

 

Well, you could always get more privately, but if you did keep a lot of the stock stuff I'd put that back on before doing a trade in and take the slow route to regain some of the extra money you spent... Or, just out it in a nicer, newer taco

The market is crazy, might as well see what both private and trade in offer as is just to test the waters. If it's higher than kbb, which you can get for a trade in currently, then make your choice.

Some people don't want to or can't do the labor to remove stuff. Understandable. I have a physical disability and paying someone to put stock suspension back on isn't worth it. I "sold" the stock stuff to the dealer - basically they gave me $500 off the labor. Good enough for me.

But for sure I'd test those waters either way. I made my money back on my trade in and didn't have stock parts other than rims/tires that I sold privately. But it was a Subaru and not as much was spent modding it either.

 

Sell it outright and put easily another $7-10k in your pocket. But I get that some people don't want to put in the work or time involved in selling it to someone outright. On the other hand the market is different right now. My buddy took his 2018 Tacoma to five dealers in the area and three if them spent a week out bidding each other to get his truck on their lot. He was eventually given more that he paid new in 2018.

Nice looking truck by the way!

 

Lol same happened to me. I got 4k over BB. I spent maybe 2 on mods. Worth it for a quick upgrade.

I didn't have this kind of suspension though. And if I'd had things like a light bar, I'd pull that stuff. Wiring can be rebought, for most of it. Hell, selling privately and even saying "wired for light bar" can mean a lot to a potential buyer.

 

You're definitely better off selling it on your own, with or without the mods on. Dealer/trade in will be much less than private party sale

 

Those photos show how clean it is, If I was looking I'd like the job you did on getting the suspension installed. I'd list here on Tacoma world, course these guys will still try to low ball you! GLWS.

 

Aftermarket is best. With today’s online selling it is not the hassle it once was either.

 

I don’t understand some dealers not recognizing the value in mods and appraising accordingly. I don’t mod my trucks very much so it doesn’t matter to me, but my buddy buys a new Wrangler every few years and the dealer pays handsomely for his lift kits, tire and rim combos lights etc.

 

Not getting a Taco, we have a bigger boat now and going with the new Chevy 2022 ZR2 with the 6.2.

Not a bad idea.

I need a bigger truck to pull a boat. The new Tundra is having issues with the new twin turbo wastgate so looking at the new ZR2.

Thanks!

 

Dealer wasnt willing to give me anything extra on the Tacoma I traded in (traded 06 for a 21). So I ripped everything off and sold it to a neighbor. Made some extra coin to start modding my new truck.

 

Depending on the state, you could pay much higher sales tax if your state is one of the ones that charges tax on the price of the new truck minus the value of your trade. Just something to consider.

 

Dump it. You don’t need the money.