how to sell a financed car without paying it off

Short answer: you can sell a financed car in Australia, but the loan must be cleared at or before settlement—no keys until the debt’s gone.

Call your lender for a written payout figure and ask how they’ll accept funds from a buyer or dealer; you’ll need a release of security once it’s paid.

For a private sale, the usual play is buyer pays your lender (and any remainder to you), you cover any shortfall if you’re in negative equity, then hand over the car after the PPSR shows it unencumbered.

Dealers often handle pay-out on trade-ins, which is tidier but not always top dollar—convenience tax and all that.

Never advertise or deliver the car without disclosing the encumbrance; show a current PPSR and include the payout method in the contract of sale.

If you want to “not pay it off” personally, your options are basically settlement using the buyer’s money or refinancing the shortfall; transferring the loan to the buyer is rarely allowed.