How long does it take to transfer ownership when replacing a car at a 4S store?
4 Answers
Under normal circumstances, the transfer cycle for replacing an old car at a 4S store is generally around 30 days; of course, if it is a local car, the time may be shorter. However, some 4S stores may need to sell the old car before they can process the transfer procedures, in which case you can only wait patiently for the old car to be sold. The required procedures for replacement and transfer: 1. Vehicle evaluation: Before replacing the vehicle, you should first check the price of your car based on its configuration, model year, and other information through online or other channels. 2. Complete documentation: You should also pay attention to the documentation during the replacement process. The transfer procedures must be complete, and you should carefully review the terms and agreements signed with the 4S store dealer. During the transfer stage after the official transaction, the owner can request the dealer to provide copies of the transaction receipt after the transfer, the registration certificate, and copies of the road tax and insurance transfer. 3. New car license plate: After the replacement is completed, if you still want to use the original license plate for the new car, the dealer can handle the license plate return procedures. It is important to note that there is usually a replacement subsidy when replacing a car at a 4S store, and the amount of the subsidy varies depending on the model.
Last time when I traded in my old car at the 4S dealership, the transfer process took five days to complete, mainly because they had to inspect my car's condition first and then handle various procedures at the vehicle management office. I made copies of my driver's license and ID card in advance to save some time. Remember to ask the sales consultant for daily progress updates—some dealerships with higher efficiency can finish within a week, but if they encounter issues like system upgrades, it might drag on for up to ten days. During the trade-in period, make sure to confirm with the 4S dealership in advance whether a temporary license plate is needed. My car couldn't be driven away during the transfer process, so I had to rely on a friend's car for commuting—this is something you should plan ahead for.
Typically, the vehicle transfer process takes three to seven working days. The fastest case I've seen was completed in just two days, but that requires all documents to be complete and the DMV being able to process it on the same day. The main time-consuming steps are: half a day for the 4S store's vehicle inspection and evaluation, one day for preparing the transaction contract and submitting documents, and the DMV's file review being the most time-consuming part. It's recommended to handle the procedures on weekday mornings and avoid the end-of-month rush. Don't forget to remove the ETC device before the transfer—a friend of mine had to make an extra trip to the DMV because they forgot this step.
I've gone through the vehicle replacement transfer process several times, with an average duration of about four days. Many factors can affect the speed, such as the distance to the DMV that the 4S dealership partners with, or whether your old car has outstanding loans. Remember to keep an eye on the dealer to promptly update the vehicle status. Once, I encountered a situation where they forgot to sync with the traffic management system, causing me to wait two days for nothing. Handling the process on weekdays can help avoid weekend backlogs. I recommend using the Traffic Management 12123 APP to check the progress, which is much more reassuring than just waiting around.
