The new way to
buy and sell a car

We aren’t just any car buying and selling event. We’re for local, private sellers only — no dealerships. Buyers walk the lot and contact sellers directly. Think swap meet, but for cars.

October 10 & 11, 2026

Saturday 9am–6pm  ·  Sunday 9am–4pm

North County Mall · 272 E. Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido

Free admission · Free parking

40 of 40 display spots left

Register to sell — from $49 Plan your visit
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Sunset with palms and a row of cars
October 10 & 11North County Mall, EscondidoBuyers free admissionNo middlemen, no commission

3 simple steps

How it works

A car beside a registration form
01

Register online

Fill out the quick form with your basic vehicle information and VIN number. It will only take a couple minutes. Pay the $69 display fee — you keep 100% of your sale price. We only accept clean-title and no-salvage vehicles, no exceptions.

One hand passing a car key to another
02

Drop off your car

Pull in October 10th between 7am-9am and we’ll direct you to your parking space. Hand off your keys to our staff (optional), and go enjoy your weekend. Your car remains locked at all times except when SD Auto Fair staff accompanies an interested buyer for a viewing.

A phone showing an incoming call
03

Take calls from local buyers

200+ buyers walk the lot and can reach out to you directly using the contact information on the window sticker. No more meeting strangers at your home or getting ghosted on Facebook Marketplace. You set your price and keep every dollar.

A car arriving toward the sunset
01

Just show up

Come by October 10th, 9am-6pm, or October 11th, 9am-4pm, and browse local, private seller cars at your own pace. It’s free! No dealerships, no salespeople, no pressure.

A staff member holding keys beside a car
02

See a car you like

Flag down a SD Auto Fair staff member who’ll unlock the car for you so you can check out the interior. Each car will have a clear window sticker with basic vehicle information, the asking price set by the seller, and their phone number.

Two people shaking hands over a car hood
03

Contact the seller

You chat directly with the seller. No middlemen, no wasted time, and no dealership markup. The deal is made between you and the seller, and we’ll have DMV documents on-site to help make the process easier (and celebrate with you, of course).

Want the lot map before you drive out?

We’ll send the lot map and a reminder the week of.

Why sell your car at the San Diego Auto Fair?

Selling your car privately doesn’t have to be frustrating. Trust us, we’ve been there. You keep 100% of your sale price — we don’t take any commission. No more “is this available?” messages and no-shows. No strangers coming to your home or driving all over to meet buyers. We’ll bring the buyers, you just drop off your car.

Aerial view of the North County Mall parking lot<\!-- TEMPORARY stand-in: replace with the photo Melissa supplies for this spot -->

Sell your car

One flat fee. Get more for your car.

Local buyers walk the lot and reach out to you directly.

Seller registration opens September 10th

Inaugural Seller

$49

First 20 cars

  • Be one of the first 20 sellers to register
  • Both days, Saturday and Sunday
  • Your car displayed for 200+ buyers
  • Printed window sign with your vehicle information
  • Staffed lot, overnight security
  • You keep 100% of your sale amount

Classic Seller

$69

After the first 20 cars

  • Everything in Inaugural Seller
  • Our final 20 reserved parking spaces

40 of 40 spots left.

Register to sell — from $49

Our Values

Trust & Safety

We’re committed to providing an organized and safe environment to buy and sell your car privately. No more flaky buyers and having to meet strangers at your home.

Aerial view of a palm-lined San Diego freeway at dusk

Dedicated overnight security

Your car will never be left unattended. Staff is on site during the event, and dedicated overnight security will take over afterwards.

Keys securely stored

Keys are tagged and securely stored at check in. You can also keep your keys with you if you choose.

Supervised viewings

When a buyer wants to take a closer look, a SD Auto Fair staffer always accompanies them. Your car remains locked at all other times.

Clean titles only & no salvage

No exceptions. VIN checks are part of the registration process.

No strangers at your home

We provide the venue and staff is on-site. No more Facebook Marketplace meetups and no-shows.

Let’s fill in the details

FAQs

Is it really free for buyers to attend?
Yes! Just come by October 10, 9am-6pm, or October 11, 9am-4pm. Browse at your own pace.
How many buyers will see my car?
We can’t guarantee an exact number, but we anticipate 200+ buyers throughout the weekend. Pre-event marketing and the event being located within the North County Mall parking lot will provide significant visibility. If you cross post on other platforms like Facebook Marketplace, we encourage you to let people know they can view your car at the San Diego Auto Fair.
What kinds of vehicles will be there?
A variety of clean-title, no-salvage vehicles from local, private sellers.
Will I be able to look inside a car I’m interested in?
Yes — all viewings are accompanied by a SD Auto Fair staff member. Flag us down and we’ll unlock the car for you.
Does the San Diego Auto Fair facilitate the sale?
No — the San Diego Auto Fair does not have any part in the sale. Sale price, terms, title checks, and title transfers are between the seller and the buyer. We’re simply the event that brings buyers and private sellers together. We’ll have DMV documents on-site for convenience (and cheer you on along the way!).
Do I have to stay with my car during the event?
No — drop off your car October 10th between 7am-9am, hand your keys to the SD Auto Fair check-in staff (optional), and enjoy your weekend. SD Auto Fair staff accompanies all buyers for viewings; your car stays locked the rest of the time.
View all FAQs

October 10th and 11th. Seller spots are limited.

Drop off your car October 10, 7am-9am, and go enjoy your weekend. We’ll bring the buyers. We’ll see you there!

Register to sell — from $49