How we calculate your offer
No black box. Here is every input that goes into your estimated value range - and why each one moves the number.
Last updated 2026-06
Our junk car value calculator builds the estimate in two layers: a physical floor a recycler will always pay, and a premium on top for cars that are worth more than their metal. Showing both is the point - you can see exactly where your number comes from.
Layer 1: the scrap floor
Recyclers pay for the recoverable metal in your car. A junk car is roughly 70% recyclable steel by weight, so we start from your car's typical curb weight and apply the current scrap-steel estimate of about $165 per ton (as of 2026-06). We deliberately use a maintained weight table by year, make, and model rather than a vehicle database that often reports the wrong weight.
Then we add two things to the floor:
- A regional adjustment. Industrial metros pay more for scrap; remote areas net less after the cost of a tow.
- The catalytic converter - if it is still on the car. It is often the single most valuable part, worth roughly $90 to $200 depending on engine size. If it has already been removed, that value is zero.
Layer 2: the parts-and-demand premium
A car that runs and has a clean title is worth far more than its scrap weight, because it can be resold whole or parted out. We apply a premium on top of the floor that grows with:
- Whether it runs. Runs and drives, starts but will not drive, or dead - this is the single biggest lever on the premium.
- Title status. A clean title keeps the premium intact; salvage or no title narrows the pool of buyers and lowers it.
- Damage. Clean, minor, or major body damage scales the premium down.
- Flood or fire history, which sharply reduces resale-parts value.
Importantly, only the premium shrinks with condition - the scrap floor is always paid. That is why our estimate never drops below what a recycler would give you for the metal.
Why it is a range, not a promise
The final number depends on the car's real condition and current local demand for that vehicle and its parts - things only an in-person buyer can confirm. So we publish a range: the low end is close to pure scrap, the high end reflects a clean, running, in-demand car. It is an estimate, not a final offer. For the step-by-step path from estimate to cash, see how it works.
Frequently asked questions
No. It is an estimate based on what you tell us. The low end sits near pure scrap value; the high end reflects a running, in-demand car. A firm offer comes from a buyer after they verify the car's condition, history, and paperwork.
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