Buying a car in Fort Wayne: straight answers.

Who is Dee Abendeh?

Dee Abendeh — full name Wajdey Abendeh — is a Toyota Product Specialist at Fort Wayne Toyota, 6162 Illinois Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804. He works a text-first process: customers text what they want and their budget, he locates the vehicle, arranges financing, and has the paperwork ready before they arrive. He speaks English and Arabic. Reach him at 260-280-0082.

Do I have to be at the dealership all day?

No. Most of a car deal is paperwork and numbers, and both can be done before you show up. The process: you text me the vehicle and your budget, I pull options and send them, we agree on numbers over text, the credit application goes out by link, and you come in to look at the car and sign.

RAV4 or Highlander — what’s the difference?

The RAV4 is a two-row compact SUV. The Highlander is a three-row midsize SUV. If you need a third row, the RAV4 doesn’t have one at any trim. If you don’t, the RAV4 is smaller, cheaper and easier to park. The Grand Highlander sits above the Highlander with more third-row room.

Can I get financed with bad credit?

Sometimes, and it depends on more than the score. Lenders look at income, time on the job, down payment, and how recent any derogatory marks are.

The honest version: I can usually tell you in about fifteen minutes whether a bank is likely to say yes, and I would rather tell you no early than run your credit six times and tank your score for nothing. Text me the situation before you drive anywhere.

Should I trade in or sell it myself?

Selling privately usually gets you more money. Trading in is faster, carries no stranger-in-your-driveway risk, and it lowers your tax bill.

Indiana charges 7% state sales tax on a vehicle purchase, and there is no county or city sales tax added on top of it anywhere in the state. When you trade a vehicle in at the same dealer, the tax is calculated on the difference, not the full price.

On a $30,000 vehicle with a $10,000 trade, you are taxed on $20,000 — that is $1,400 instead of $2,100. You keep $700. The shortcut: your savings is always 7% of whatever the trade is worth. Indiana puts no cap on that credit.

Three things that kill the credit, so you know before you plan around it: the trade has to be titled in your name, it has to be like for like (a vehicle for a vehicle — trading a motorcycle toward a car does not count), and it has to be one transaction at one dealer. Selling your car to one store and buying at another gets you nothing.

Whether that closes the gap against a private sale depends on your car. Text me the VIN and mileage and I will give you a real number.

When’s the best time to buy?

End of month and end of quarter are real — sales targets get measured then. Beyond that, the bigger variable is inventory on the specific vehicle you want, not the calendar.

If the exact trim and color you want is sitting on the lot in week two, waiting until the 30th to save a few hundred can cost you the car.

What fees should I actually expect?

Indiana caps the dealer documentation fee. As of July 1, 2026, the Secretary of State’s Auto Dealer Services Division will not take enforcement action on doc fees at or below $261.72. That number is adjusted for inflation every July, so it moves a little each year.

Two things the state requires that work in your favor: the doc fee has to be included in the advertised price, and it has to show up as its own line item on your bill of sale. If a dealer anywhere quotes you a price and then adds a doc fee on top at the desk, that is not how it is supposed to work.

The doc fee is taxable — it is part of the sale, so the 7% applies to it. On top of that you will have title, registration and plates through the BMV.

What will plates and registration cost me?

Separate from sales tax, Indiana charges an annual vehicle excise tax through the BMV every year you register. It is based on the vehicle’s age and its class — and class comes from the original manufacturer’s suggested retail price, not what the car is worth today. That surprises people: a ten-year-old car that stickered high still sits in a higher class than a new economy car.

Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne also levy their own vehicle surtax and wheel tax at registration. Those amounts change, so I am not going to print a number here that might be wrong when you read it. Run your exact vehicle through the BMV excise tax tool, or text me and I will look it up with you.

Do you only sell Toyotas?

New vehicles are Toyota — that’s the store I work at. Used inventory comes in every make: trades, auction, off-lease. If you want a specific non-Toyota used vehicle, text me and I’ll tell you honestly whether I can get it or whether you’re better off somewhere else.

What areas do you serve?

Fort Wayne and the surrounding Northeast Indiana area: New Haven, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Auburn, Columbia City, Huntington, Warsaw, Decatur, Bluffton, Angola and Kendallville. Customers regularly drive in from an hour out.

How do I reach you?

Text 260-280-0082. Text is fastest — I answer texts during the day between customers, and calls sometimes go to voicemail while I’m with somebody.