2013 Tacoma Access Cab - Sell, Drive or Ship?

I own a 2013 SR5 Access Cab (4cyl) that is garaged in San Luis Obisbo, CA where my daughter rented a house while attending college. She is doing classes online from home (Boston) and likely is not going back to CalPoly. This is an extra vehicle we plan to sell. I have to decide whether to sell it in California when we move her out, drive it back (3000 miles, 4-5 days) or ship it back ($1,500-$2,000) and then sell it in Boston.

I am leery of shippers because of the terrible experience shipping it there 2 years ago. This is a very good truck but not a comfortable ride for 3000 miles. Selling locally could be a problem if I got a flaky buyer who backed out. (Carvana’s offer was low.) I am curious if anyone had to sell a car that was located far away from home and, if so, what was your experience like?

 

I would sell it Private Party in CA where it lies. Easy peasy

 

If you don’t need it, and are set on selling it. I would say sell it in Cali.
If you ship it back, you’ll need to recoup the money for shipping when selling back home.
The biggest issue with selling in Cali. Is like you said, time constraints. Since you probably won’t be there long.

Is there anyone in Cali that can show the truck for you?
Like room Mayes or the person renting the house?
Maybe compensate them for their time, I’d say that would be far cheaper than shipping.

 

Selling there is the only thing that makes a lick of sense.

 

Sell locally if you can but if its not already titled CA you will probably only get lowball offers do to the out of state plates

 

First, thanks to who replied. I guess selling it locally is probably the way to go. The two female roommates probably are not up to showing the truck. Even if I end up with a lower sale price because of the out-of-state plates and time constraints, the net will be comparable because of the shipping or driving costs. Someone will get a good truck.

 

Is it a 4wd?

 

The market here in SoCal I would assume is MUCH better than out east. There’s crazy demand here.

Out of state plates are not an issue here as long as the truck isn’t a Boston rust bucket. I have an unlimited carfax acct so can run a report for you. If there are local service records for the recent use of the vehicle, it’s clean (not rusty) and priced well then no one is gonna care about the plates.

Unfortunately, the fact that it’s a base model, 4cyl are much bigger detractors than the plates.

Not that I need another project but TW has been good to me, I like paying it forward and oddly enough I actually like selling cars, lol. So if you’re interested I’d be down to help you sell it. I’ve helped friends sell in the past as I hate to see people just trade in their cars and lose money simply because they aren’t comfortable or don’t know how to sell a car. I detail the car, take pro looking pics and write a detailed ad that gets posted to Craigslist and OfferUp (or wherever they like).

If you’re interested in some help, shoot me a message and let me know what you’re thinking.

 

Agreed - the out of state plates adds a layer of complication - just one more annoyance to deal with at the DMV, but not a huge deal... I'd be more concerned with (see below)…

Rust would be my main concern.

If it's a 4x4, it will definitely sell easier even though it has the 4cyl. In fact, I may have a buyer for you here in Colorado.

 

Yes, it is 4WD. The Toyota dealer did the frame inspection as part of the recall and found no significant issues.

Thanks for the generous offers of help. (I’ve also had a family member offer to drive it back to her home in MT or back east.) What a great community TW this is. I should know in a week or two what direction to go.

 

You could try used auto dealers in immediate area. They may be willing to sell it on consignment.

 

UPDATE: I’ve decided to put it up for sale late next month about a week before we move her out of the San Luis Obispo house. Driving takes too long. I don’t like the pressure of a quick sale but I’ve got fall back options. In the meantime, I am exploring local consignment dealers as has been suggested. I am not sure about price yet. I’ve looked at the guides and listings for comparable Tacomas and found the prices are all over the place. Thanks again.

 

Market is right for a private sale for sure

 

Post it up on TW also with pics. Some of us are always looking for a truck.

 

Hope this doesn't come back to bite you. Seen enough folks around here get burned by dealers who passed their truck only to find out a few years later that their frame is rotting out and/or severely rusted. Even if it's not, rust belt cold weather state folks and warm weather state folks idea of acceptable rust are on two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Hopefully this isn't the case for you and is a non-issue.

 

I trust Wellesley Toyota, the dealer that did the frame inspection. They’ve been honest in all my other dealings with them. I’ve also been underneath the truck a few times myself (albeit not in the last 2 years). I would expect any prospective buyer to make their own assessment and perhaps get a professional opinion before making a decision.