Describe a non-running or damaged car for a Spokane offer

Describe the car as it sits today

An accurate condition description lets the buyer assess the car and plan collection. Start with what happens when you turn the key, whether the vehicle moves under its own power, which wheels are attached and where it is parked. Do not replace those observations with a diagnosis you have not confirmed. A mechanic's actual diagnosis can be supplied as additional information.

The buyer's published instructions use categories that sometimes differ from everyday shorthand. A car that briefly starts and then stalls is not reported the same way as one that starts and drives normally. Check the actual question and its help page when an answer could change the offer.

The buyer says an offer may change if the car's actual condition differs from the information supplied. Correct an inaccurate answer before collection instead of hoping the driver will overlook it. A photo or a conversation can help explain a problem, but neither removes the need for the correct ownership documents.

Source: Buyer: condition categories; Buyer: changes at pickup.

It will not start, or it starts but cannot drive

The buyer puts a car needing a jump in its does-not-start category. Its examples also place a car that starts then stalls, a failed starter, an inoperable alternator and an engine that knocks in that category. The question is about its condition for the offer, not a declaration that every such car has the same repair problem.

A car with transmission trouble or problems shifting into gear belongs in the starts-but-does-not-drive category under the published examples. The same list includes limp mode, inoperable brakes, oil or coolant leaks and overheating. Do not attempt an unsafe road test merely to complete an online question.

A warning light alone is treated differently in the examples. A check-engine light does not, by itself, make the stated answer cannot drive. Describe the light and any actual running fault together; the list is not a safety inspection or a promise that driving is advisable.

Source: Buyer: starting, driving and fault examples.

A flat tire is different from a missing wheel

Check each corner of the car. The metal wheel can still be attached even when the tire has no air. If an entire wheel is missing, say so; the collection equipment may need to be different. The buyer's wheel question is intended to help it choose equipment as well as assess the car.

Do not remove wheels or other parts after describing the vehicle without updating the buyer. A car resting on supports, one with locked wheels and one with merely a flat tire are not interchangeable pickup situations. Tell the assigned carrier about anything that prevents rolling or steering so it can confirm the collection arrangement.

Source: Buyer: attached wheels, tires and equipment; Buyer: confirming access.

Buyer: attached wheels, tires and equipment; Buyer: confirming access.

Keys, battery and missing parts

The buyer asks whether the key and battery are present. Its help page distinguishes an available key from a missing one and a battery that is present from one that has been removed. Report what is physically there. If you cannot find a key, do not schedule on the assumption that a key you previously reported will appear before pickup.

Its under-hood question asks about the engine, transmission and associated parts. Mention removed equipment instead of describing only the body condition. For water or fire damage, use the separate history question: the published examples include a flooded or submerged car, fire affecting the interior or exterior, and visible mold or mildew.

These offer questions do not decide the Washington title brand. A car can have damage without a cancelled title, and a repaired car can retain a brand. Use the salvage and rebuilt guide if there has been an insurer total loss or a state title cancellation.

Source: Buyer: keys and battery; Buyer: under-hood parts; Buyer: water and fire history; DOL: salvage status.

Where the carrier can reach it

Tell the carrier whether the car is in a home garage, an underground space or behind a narrow entrance. The buyer's garage guidance asks for restrictions such as clearance height, tight access and the car's location. The assigned carrier must confirm it has suitable equipment; collection from every garage is not guaranteed.

Give the actual parking level or access instructions directly to the carrier through the confirmed transaction contact. Do not publish a gate code in a public listing. If the assigned equipment cannot reach the vehicle, the buyer says it can look at alternate arrangements. Agree on those before anyone assumes the car will be moved.

Source: Buyer: garage access and carrier confirmation.

Spokane no longer has the old emissions test

Washington's vehicle emissions-check program ended on 1 January 2020, according to Ecology. The former renewal test is therefore not another inspection a Spokane seller must book to finish this sale. That does not make smoke, emissions tampering or a mechanical fault disappear; Ecology says emissions requirements other than the test remain.

Expired registration is also separate from mechanical condition. DOL allows an expired-registration vehicle to be sold, but the car still needs the proper ownership documents and lawful transportation. For a nearly worthless car whose title is unavailable, the licensed junk-vehicle section distinguishes a recorded-owner document route from an abandoned-junk landowner procedure. Never assume a dead engine makes somebody else's vehicle yours to dispose of.

Source: Washington Ecology: test program ended; DOL: expired registration and sale; Washington: licensed-hauler documents; Washington: abandoned-junk procedure.