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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Some Seattle-area Tesla owners are trading in their cars amid backlash over Elon Musk, while others are keeping them. The choice is personal, but the reported cases point to two practical questions: what keeping the car means for you and your family, and what selling would cost compared with what you still owe. The figures below come from a March 25, 2025, GeekWire report, not a current market survey.
What the Seattle-area trade-in reports show
GeekWire reported that Tesla vehicles from model year 2017 or newer accounted for 1.4% of all vehicles traded in through March 16, 2025, compared with 0.4% a year earlier. The story attributed the figures to Edmunds, as reported by The Washington Post; GeekWire is the available source for that attribution, and the underlying data was not independently reviewed here. GeekWire’s March 25, 2025 report also quoted a representative at one Seattle-area Toyota dealership who said Tesla trade-ins had increased from roughly one or two a month to five to eight a month. That is one dealership’s observation, not a count for the region.
The report also relayed two broader Seattle-area figures through Seattle Times reporting: households in the area were 130% more likely to have a Tesla than the national average, and new Tesla registrations in King County were down 33% in February 2025. GeekWire cited Washington Department of Licensing data for the registration figure. The underlying Seattle Times reporting and dataset were not separately available, so these should be read as figures reported through that attribution chain, not as independently verified measurements.
Why some owners traded their Teslas
Safety and family concerns
Carter Rabasa, a technology executive who owned a 2020 Model Y, said the optics of driving a Tesla had become a concern for his family. He told GeekWire: “I’ve got a wife and family. I don’t want to wait for something to happen. I don’t want my kids to be traumatized. I don’t want my property to be damaged. It felt like it was irresponsible to hold onto it.” The report also described hostile encounters that contributed to his concerns.
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Opposition to Musk’s actions
Matt McCain, a Seattle-area ad-agency founder, said he had experienced hostile verbal encounters while driving his Tesla. He had bought one partly for environmental reasons, but later decided he did not want to financially support Musk. “He’s just doing such awful stuff that I can’t be any part of supporting him economically,” he told GeekWire.
What the reported trades meant financially
The examples show why a decision driven by values or safety can still have a substantial financial consequence. They are individual transactions and offers, not typical valuations or current prices.
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| Owner | Reported transaction or offer | Financial context |
|---|---|---|
| Carter Rabasa | Received an $18,000 quote from Carvana and a $23,000 offer from Rivian for his 2020 Model Y; he chose Rivian and leased an R1S. | Reported offers for his vehicle at that time; not a current or representative value. |
| Matt McCain | Traded his Model 3 for a plug-in hybrid Prius. | The story reported a $15,000 trade-in value and $19,000 still owed. He had bought the Tesla for $48,000. |
Rabasa had previously owned a Model S and said he expected to keep the Model Y for 10 or 15 years. He believed its resale value had fallen and chose the higher Rivian offer over Carvana’s quote. The report does not give the cars’ mileage, condition, loan details, or offer dates, so these numbers cannot establish what another owner should expect.
McCain’s reported trade-in value was $4,000 below his outstanding balance. That gap illustrates a key check before accepting an offer: compare the net amount you would receive after settling the loan with what you owe. A trade-in offer is not the same as equity in the vehicle.
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Why some owners are holding on
Cybertruck owner Javier Luraschi said Tesla’s broader mission mattered to him beyond Musk. He used the truck for commuting, family pickups, and ski trips, and planned to keep it despite hostile gestures and a mark written on the vehicle. He told GeekWire: “The easy path for me would be to say, ‘It’s just a car, sell it.’ But I don’t believe in that. I stand by my decisions and my values and I’m going to keep it.” He also argued that selling would not resolve the political divide and described concern for his family’s safety.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to weigh a trade-in decision
The report does not determine what is right for other owners. A practical decision starts with your own circumstances rather than treating a local anecdote or a national trade-in share as a forecast for your car.
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- Separate the reasons. Identify whether your main concern is personal safety, family comfort, political values, vehicle ownership costs, or some combination. Those considerations can point in different directions.
- Work out the loan position. Compare a written offer with the lender’s payoff amount, not just the car’s original purchase price. If the payoff exceeds the offer, account for the shortfall before committing to another vehicle.
- Compare actual offers. Rabasa’s two offers differed by $5,000, but they applied to his specific Model Y at that time. Get offers for your own vehicle and compare their terms and timing.
- Consider the alternative’s full cost. McCain switched to a plug-in hybrid Prius; Rabasa leased an R1S. Their choices illustrate different paths, but the report does not provide enough information to compare total ownership costs or recommend a replacement.
- Decide what you can live with. Luraschi’s choice shows that owners may separate their view of a company’s mission from their view of its leader. Others may see continued ownership as inconsistent with their values or too stressful for their household.
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