Junk car guides
Straight answers to the questions people ask before selling a junk car - value, process, paperwork, and how to get the most for it.
Not sure what your car is worth yet? Start with the junk car value calculator - see your scrap floor and full estimate, then pick the guide you need.
How much is my junk car worth?
Most non-running junk cars are worth about $205 to $520 by our estimate: a compact car near the bottom, a large SUV or pickup near the top. A car that still runs is worth somewhat more. Below: typical values by car type, what each factor is worth in dollars, and how to work out your own number.
Read the guide →How to sell a junk car: a step-by-step guide
Selling a junk car is straightforward once you know the steps. Here's the whole process, from estimate to cash, and how to avoid the common traps.
Read the guide →Junk car paperwork: what you need to sell
The right paperwork makes a junk car sale fast and protects you afterward. Here's what you typically need and what to do if something is missing.
Read the guide →Scrap car value explained
Scrap value is the floor under every junk car - what a recycler pays for the metal. Here's exactly how that number is built.
Read the guide →Should you repair or junk your car?
When a big repair bill lands, the question is whether to fix the car or let it go. A simple rule and a quick value check make the call clear.
Read the guide →How to get the most for your junk car
A few simple moves can meaningfully raise what you get for a junk car. Here's how to leave nothing on the table.
Read the guide →Junk car removal and free towing: how it works
Wondering how a junk car actually gets hauled away - and whether towing is really free? Here's how removal and pickup work.
Read the guide →Should you donate or sell your junk car?
Donating a junk car feels good and can earn a tax deduction, while selling puts cash in your pocket now. Here's how to compare them honestly. Start by checking what the car is worth as a cash sale, then compare.
Read the guide →How much do junkyards pay for junk cars?
Junkyards price a car mostly on its weight in recyclable steel plus the catalytic converter - a transparent but bare-bones number. Here's how a junkyard builds its offer, what's typical, and when you can do better than scrap.
Read the guide →Salvage value of a car: what it means and how to find it
The term salvage value gets used two ways: what an insurer assigns a totaled car, and what that car is actually worth sold for parts and scrap. Here's what each means and how to pin down a real number for your car.
Read the guide →Need cash fast? Selling your car vs. borrowing against your home
A junk car sale can put cash in your hand within days and leaves you owing nothing, but our estimate for a non-running junk car is about $205 to $520, depending on its size. Borrowing against your home can raise far more. It also takes longer, costs interest and fees, and makes the house the collateral.
Read the guide →See what your car is worth
Get a real offer in about 2 minutes - any car, running or not. Free towing, paid at pickup. No phone number needed.
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