What the appraiser looks at, what each thing does to the number, and what to do before you go. Last checked 2026-10-26.
Short answer: the appraiser runs a history report on the VIN (title brands, accidents, odometer), walks around the car, checks tires, glass and the interior, drives it, and asks for the keys and paperwork. Then they price it against what similar cars sell for, minus what they'll spend getting yours ready. Damage a buyer can't easily fix (frame or flood damage, a branded title, missing keys) costs the most; small dents and worn tires cost less. If the appraiser rates your car one condition step lower than you did, our estimate of the offer drops by about $500 to $1,600.
| What | What they're looking for |
|---|---|
| History report (run on the VIN) | Title brands such as salvage, flood or rebuilt; insurance total-loss records; reported accidents; number of owners; odometer readings over time |
| Body and paint | Dents, scratches, rust, mismatched paint or uneven panel gaps that point to a past repair, hail damage |
| Glass and wheels | Windshield chips and cracks, curb-rashed or bent wheels |
| Tires | Tread depth on all four, and whether they match |
| Interior | Stains, tears, burns, worn seats and wheel, smoke or pet odor |
| Mechanical and test drive | Warning lights, how it starts, idles and shifts, noises, leaks, brakes, alignment |
| Features | Screen, camera, climate, power windows and seats, anything that doesn't work |
| Keys and paperwork | Every key and fob, the title or loan details, service records |
Then they price it: what cars like yours are listed for nearby (the same kind of listings Tradein uses) and what they bring at a wholesale auto auction if the dealer decides not to keep it, minus the dealer's margin and the reconditioning your car needs.
Dealers don't publish their appraisal sheets, but the big wholesale auctions publish how they grade condition, and a trade-in that doesn't fit a dealer's lot is sold through them. Manheim's AutoGrade (Cox Automotive) sorts what it finds by how much it lowers a car's grade (AutoGrade guide):
| Effect | What it finds |
|---|---|
| Major | Structural damage; fire, flood or biohazard damage; hail damage; panels needing replacement; poor previous body repairs; mechanical or engine damage; no keys or not drivable |
| Moderate | Glass or windshield damage, wheel damage, body damage needing repair, tires that need replacing, interior damage, damaged or missing parts |
| Minor | Cosmetic dents and scratches, partial bumper damage, tire wear, acceptable previous repairs |
On tires, the guide counts a tire at 3/32 of an inch of tread or less as needing replacement, and 4/32 to 7/32 as minor wear. Tires have wear bars molded in at 2/32 of an inch (NHTSA); if the tread is level with them, the tires are done.
A branded title (salvage, rebuilt, flood, junk) follows the car for life and shows on every history report. It usually matters more than any dent.
Our trade-in value takes off a reconditioning amount for the condition you pick. If the appraiser sees your car one step differently, the offer moves by about the difference:
| You picked → appraiser says | Our repair estimate | Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent → Good | $400 → $900 | −$500 |
| Good → Fair | $900 → $1,900 | −$1,000 |
| Fair → Rough | $1,900 → $3,500 | −$1,600 |
These reconditioning amounts are our estimate; there is no public per-car data for them. The dealer margin doesn't change with condition. Every step of the math.
Skip the big repairs. The dealer fixes things at its own cost, and our number already takes that cost off. Paying more than that before you trade won't come back to you in the offer.
What do dealers look at when appraising a trade-in? A history report on the VIN (title brands, accidents, owners, odometer), the body, paint, glass, wheels and tires, the interior, a short test drive for warning lights and mechanical problems, whether the features work, and whether you have every key and the paperwork. Then they price it against what similar cars sell for, minus the cost of getting yours ready to resell.
What lowers a trade-in value the most? Damage that is expensive or impossible to undo: frame or structural damage, flood or fire damage, a branded title (salvage, rebuilt, flood), engine or transmission problems, and missing keys. Manheim's published AutoGrade, used at wholesale auctions where dealers sell trade-ins they don't keep, counts all of these as major. Small dents, scratches and some tire wear count as minor.
Should I fix my car before trading it in? Usually not for big repairs. The dealer does reconditioning at its own cost, and that cost is already part of the offer. Cheap things are worth doing: clean the car, find every key, and get free recall repairs done.
Do worn tires lower a trade-in offer? Yes. The auction grading guide treats a tire at 3/32 of an inch of tread or less as needing replacement, and 4/32 to 7/32 as minor wear. Tires level with the 2/32-inch wear bars molded into the tread are worn out.
How much does the condition rating change a trade-in offer? In our estimate, one condition step is worth about $500 to $1,600: $500 from excellent to good, $1,000 from good to fair, $1,600 from fair to rough. The amounts are our estimate of reconditioning cost, not measured dealer data.
Each dealer appraises its own way; this is what's commonly checked, not any one dealer's checklist. How we estimate your trade-in value.
How we calculate it · Trade-in tax by state · What dealers make · Trade in or sell? · What dealers check · Owe more than it's worth? · When to sell · Selling a car by state · Stop calls & texts