11 Best Times To Donate Your Car

Sure, it sounds nice to help a charity by donating your car. It's not always the right time to donate, but if any of these 11 things happen to you it might be time to seriously consider it. You'd be surprised how many situations are perfect times to donate your car!

1. Your car has issues and you're more clueless about maintenance than this dog.

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When the odometer hits 100,000 miles, you can look forward to lots of fun trips to the mechanic in the next 50 to 100 thousand miles. This will probably include replacing the transmission, brake pads, the fuel pump and water pump at some point. Or you could just buy a new car.

2. You just paid off your car and can't wait to get a new one.

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It's okay to get new car fever. Get a little money for your new car payments by donating the old car (it's tax deductible).

3. Your car is falling apart.

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There's no fixing that. If your car looks like this, it might be time to cut your losses and move on.

4. You don't want to pay for those car repairs.

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The bill to get that fixed will hurt more than the crash. Some repairs just aren't worth making. Instead, put that hard-earned money towards a car you do want.

5. The car is 90% rust.

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Anyone who lives in a state that uses road salt knows there's no going back once the rust damage starts.

6. Your car left you stranded.

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Being left stranded is the last straw. Think of it as the universe telling you it's time to move on and get rid of your car.

7. Your trade-in is worthless.

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You finally made the leap and decided to get a new car, but you know you'll be short changed on your trade-in. Dealers are known to offer a much lower value for trade-ins than they're worth, especially if the buyer wants to jump on a deal.

8. Your car just got major hail damage.

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On the subject of worthless trade-ins, nothing makes your car's value plummet faster than a hail storm. That tax deduction might sound pretty nice after something like this happens.

9. Your car won't start anymore.

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Unless you actually want to drive like Fred Flintstone, it's time to move on.

10. You inherited your grandpa's old car and don't know what to do with it.

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Some old cars are classics. Others, not so much. You might want to donate a car like that.

11. You just realized it's almost the end of the year.

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You don't have forever to make a donation. Only things you donate before midnight on December 31 can give you a tax deduction for this year. If you put it off a minute too late, you won't get a tax deduction until the following year. Bummer.