Short answer: yes. It's more common than you think.

When you sell a car that still has a loan on it, the process is called selling with a lien. Your lender technically holds the title until the loan is paid off, but that doesn't mean you're stuck.

Here's how it works:

When you get an offer and accept it, the buyer pays off your remaining loan balance directly to the lender. If your car is worth more than what you owe, you pocket the difference. If you owe more than the car is worth, you'll need to cover that gap — this is called being "upside down" on your loan.

Example:

• Car value: $12,000

• Loan balance: $8,000

• You walk away with: $4,000

  
  

What you'll need: Your lender's 10-day payoff quote. This is the exact amount needed to close out your loan within a 10-day window, including any remaining interest. You can get this by calling your lender or logging into your account online.

At Crooza, we handle the payoff process for you. Just let us know there's a loan on the vehicle and we'll take it from there.