Looking to offload your aging vehicle? You might be wondering if Carvana – the online car buying platform – will take that dusty ride off your hands. While they advertise buying “any car,” the reality for older vehicles isn’t quite so straightforward. I’ve dug into the details to help you understand what to expect when trying to sell an older car to Carvana.
Yes, Carvana Does Buy Old Cars (With Major Limitations)
Carvana technically buys old cars, but don’t expect the same experience as someone selling a newer model. Here’s the quick truth: Carvana accepts vehicles from 1992 and newer but strongly prefers cars under 10 years old.
They’ll take your older vehicle, but there’s a catch – they’re likely sending it straight to auction rather than reselling it on their platform. This directly impacts how much they’ll offer you (spoiler alert: it’s usually not much).
Age Requirements: How Old is Too Old?
Carvana draws a hard line at 1992 model years. Anything manufactured before then is automatically rejected from their system. They’ve recently updated their system to include 2024 models, with 2025 vehicles being phased in.
Why the 1992 cutoff? It’s simple business. As Exotic Car Trader explains: “Carvana only sells used cars from 1992 and newer (with a lean towards vehicles that are about ten years old or less).”
Even within this acceptable range, your car’s age significantly impacts their offer:
| Car Age | Typical Carvana Response |
|---|---|
| 0-5 years | Competitive offers, likely to be resold on platform |
| 5-10 years | Lower offers, may still be resold on platform |
| 10+ years | Very low offers, almost certainly headed to auction |
| Pre-1992 | Not accepted |
The Mileage Factor: High-Mile Cars Need Not Apply (For Retail)
While Carvana doesn’t publicly state a maximum mileage limit, they have clear internal thresholds:
- Under 100,000 miles: May qualify for retail sale on their platform
- Over 100,000-120,000 miles: Almost certainly destined for wholesale auction
During high-demand periods, Carvana occasionally sells vehicles with up to 120,000 miles on their platform. However, when sales slow, this threshold often drops to 90,000-100,000 miles.
As one Reddit user with inside knowledge shared: “95% of cars older than 10 years and over 100k miles automatically go to wholesale.”
What Happens to Your Old Car After Carvana Buys It
Curious what happens after Carvana takes possession of your aging vehicle? For most older cars, the journey is short and predictable:
- Carvana purchases your vehicle
- Basic inspection and processing
- Direct transfer to wholesale auction
- Sale to dealers or other wholesale buyers
A former Carvana employee explained on Reddit: “They will buy any car, no matter the age or condition, and sell them at auction if they aren’t nice enough to sell on their site.”
This auction strategy actually makes good business sense for Carvana. They recently acquired ADESA auction company for $2.2 billion, giving them more control over the wholesale process. Your old car helps feed this profitable side of their business.
The Hard Truth About Pricing for Older Vehicles
Here’s where things get painful for sellers of older cars. Carvana’s offers for aging vehicles are consistently well below market value. Here are some real-world examples:
- A 20-year-old truck: Offered just $350
- A 2006 Volvo with 120,000 miles: Offered $100 (owner later sold privately for over $1,000)
- An 18-year-old Audi A4 convertible with only 45,000 miles: Offered $3,500 (significantly below private sale value)
Key Savvy research found that “on average, selling to a private party will get you 46% more money for your car compared to trading in to Carvana.” This gap widens to 68% for cars older than five model years.
Why such low offers? Carvana knows these vehicles are headed straight to wholesale, where they’ll fetch modest prices. They build in their profit margin and operational costs, leaving little for the seller.
Condition Requirements: What Carvana Will and Won’t Accept
Despite their willingness to buy older vehicles, Carvana does maintain some basic requirements:
✅ Will Accept:
- Must be drivable
- Working odometer
- Minor cosmetic damage
- Moderate mechanical issues
- Salvage titles (with significant price reduction)
❌ Won’t Accept:
- Non-running vehicles
- Flood or fire damage
- Frame damage
- Non-functioning odometer
- Pre-1992 model years
Interestingly, their inspection process isn’t particularly rigorous. As one Carvana representative admitted on Ship Your Car Now: “We aren’t gonna inspect it like a hawk and decide if we are gonna take it, we’re just gonna show up, scan the VIN, take some pictures and hand you the check.”
Why Carvana’s Business Model Works This Way
You might wonder why Carvana bothers buying old cars just to auction them off. It’s actually a smart strategy serving multiple purposes:
- Customer acquisition – Every seller interaction is a potential future buyer
- Trade-in facilitation – Many sellers are also buying another vehicle
- Wholesale volume – Even with thin margins, high volume creates profit
- Financing opportunities – Carvana’s financing arm (with minimum income requirements of just $5,100 annually) benefits from all transactions
For Carvana, the small profit from your old car is just one piece of a larger ecosystem. They’re playing the long game, even if individual sellers of older vehicles don’t get great deals.
Better Alternatives for Selling Your Old Car
If you own an older vehicle, you’ll almost certainly do better exploring these alternatives:
| Selling Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Private Sale | Highest potential return | Requires time and effort |
| CarMax | Often better offers than Carvana | Still below private sale value |
| Local Dealers | May value popular older models | Results vary widely by dealer |
| Specialty Dealers | Best for classics or collectibles | Limited to special interest vehicles |
As one automotive professional noted in a YouTube review: “The probably the best thing to do is get bids in multiple places so that you have something to compare.”
Recent Market Changes Affecting Old Car Values
The used car market has experienced significant volatility in recent years. During the pandemic, increased demand led to higher offers for all vehicles, including older ones. However, as markets normalize, the gap between offers for newer and older vehicles has widened.
Carvana’s acquisition of ADESA auction company signals their commitment to the wholesale market. This vertical integration may eventually lead to slightly better offers for older vehicles, but the fundamental pricing gap between retail-ready and auction-bound vehicles will persist.
What to Expect When Selling an Old Car to Carvana
If you decide to proceed with Carvana despite the potential for lower offers, here’s what to expect:
- Online valuation – Enter your vehicle details on their website
- Digital inspection – Upload photos of your vehicle
- Offer generation – Typically within minutes
- Scheduling pickup – If you accept their offer
- Brief in-person inspection – To verify vehicle condition
- Payment – Direct deposit or check at pickup
The entire process is designed to be simple and convenient, which is Carvana’s main selling point for those with older vehicles. You sacrifice maximum value for a quick, hassle-free transaction.
Is Carvana Right for Your Old Car?
The answer depends entirely on your priorities. If getting the absolute highest dollar amount matters most, Carvana probably isn’t your best option for an older vehicle. However, if convenience trumps price, their streamlined process might be worth the financial hit.
For vehicles over 10 years old or with high mileage, expect offers that are 50-70% below what you might get through private sale. That’s the convenience tax you’re paying for a quick, guaranteed transaction.
Remember that there’s no harm in getting an offer from Carvana, even if you ultimately decide to sell elsewhere. Their online valuation tool is quick and commitment-free, giving you a baseline to compare against other options.
Always get multiple quotes before selling your older vehicle. The few extra minutes spent submitting information to different buyers could translate to hundreds or even thousands of additional dollars in your pocket.
