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Private-Party Buying & SellingQuestionCommunity Starter

2018 Kia Optima — private seller still has a loan on the car

CommuterDriver262Community StarterApr 10, 20262018 Kia Optima EXPortland
I like a privately listed car, but the seller still owes money and does not have a clear paper title in hand. What is the safest way to handle payoff, lien release, payment and possession?
apr
0.67
location
Portland
trade in
ppi planned
term months
36
asking price
63500
dealer doc fee
899
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5 replies

NewCarTuner625Community StarterCommunity StarterApr 11, 2026permalink
Title status is the whole conversation. If the 2018 Kia Optima still shows a lien, coordinate payoff with the lender before any cash changes hands. That's where I'd start. I'd want that in writing, not as a promise. Sleeping on the number either way.
MarketDIYer623Community StarterCommunity StarterApr 11, 2026permalink
Private-party deals fail on paperwork, not vibes. Meet at a bank or dealer title office for the 2018 Kia Optima, not a parking lot at night. Then you'll know the next fork. Did the worksheet show tax yet? Doc fee is the line I'm watching.
CommuterDetailerCommunity StarterCommunity StarterApr 11, 2026permalink
Title status is the whole conversation. Independent PPI on the 2018 Kia Optima is cheap insurance versus a seller who “already had a friend look at it.” Then you'll know the next fork. Time, temperature, and whether it's in gear are the notes that actually help a shop. I'd rather be boring and correct. This is the version I'd tell a friend.
CanyonMiles540Community StarterCommunity StarterApr 12, 2026permalink
Not convinced that's the whole story. Independent PPI on the 2018 Kia Optima is cheap insurance versus a seller who “already had a friend look at it.” That's where I'd start. Take it or leave it — that's what I'd do. Calling insurance in the morning before I reply to the desk.
CommuterDriver262Community StarterCommunity StarterApr 11, 2026permalink
Coming back with numbers — insurance in Portland changed the 2018 Kia Optima comparison more than the sale price did. Not wiring anything in the meantime.
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