PRICE CHECK
How much is my junk car worth?
What a junk car is worth depends on its weight, whether it runs, the parts still on it, the title and the price of scrap this week. Here is how buyers work out a number, and the fastest way to get a real one for your car.
How a buyer works out an offer
Every junk car offer starts from roughly the same sum, though each buyer fills it in differently. That is why offers on one car can be far apart, and why the buyer who can do the most with your car can pay the most for it.
- The metalWhat the car weighs, times what a scrap yard pays per ton this week.
- The partsWhat the buyer can sell from it: the engine, the transmission, the catalytic converter, body panels and wheels.
- The towWhat it costs the buyer to send a truck to you and haul the car back.
- Their marginWhat the buyer keeps for the work. A middleman takes a cut on top.
What moves the number
Whether it runs
A car that starts and drives can be resold whole or driven onto the truck, so it is worth more.
The title
Most buyers pay more when you have it, and some cannot take a car without one. Selling without a title lists each state's rules.
What is still on it
Every missing part comes off the offer.
Weight and the scrap market
Heavier cars hold more metal, and the price a yard is paid for it moves every week, so the same car can fetch a different offer a month from now.
Parts that sell
The engine, the transmission, the catalytic converter, alloy wheels and the body panels of a popular model all have buyers of their own, so a car that still has them is worth more than its weight.
Age and mileage
A newer car, or one with low miles, has parts that are worth more to the yards that sell them, so it can fetch more even when it no longer runs.
Why online junk car calculators lowball you
An instant quote from an online calculator is made in seconds from the year, make and model and a few boxes you tick. It cannot see your car. It does not know whether the engine is all there, whether the wheels are alloy, how much rust is on the body or whether the car starts, and it does not know which buyers near you need its parts this week.
So a calculator prices for the worst case. Whoever is behind the number has to cover anything that might turn up when the truck arrives, and nobody is bidding against it, so there is no reason to start high. That is why instant quotes usually come in low, and why a quote that does sound high can still be cut at the curb once someone finally looks at the car.
What gets you a higher offer
Show buyers the car, then give them a little time. A buyer who has seen your photos, the dashboard and the VIN does not have to leave room for surprises, and a buyer who has had a day to look can work out what the parts are worth to them. When several buyers do that at once, the offers are generally higher than any instant quote.
- All four sidesRust, dents and whether the panels a yard could sell are straight.
- The dashboard, engine onThe mileage and any warning lights, and with the engine running it shows the car starts, so it can be priced as one that runs.
- The VINThe exact model, engine and trim, which tells a buyer which parts it has and what they sell for.
- Under the hoodWhether the engine and everything around it is still there.
- Wheels and tiresAlloy wheels and good tires carry value of their own.
- Any damage, up closeA buyer who has seen the damage has already priced it, so it cannot be a reason to cut the price at pickup.
On BeaterBoss some buyers send an offer the moment you list, from their own price sheet, and once they have seen your photos they can raise it. Others look the car over and make their offer by hand. Offers stay open for several days and can only go up while you compare, so giving buyers time costs you nothing, and the price you pick is the price you get at pickup. For which buyers tend to pay more, read who pays the most for junk cars, and for everything you can do before and after you list, how to get the most cash for your junk car.
Questions sellers ask
How much is my junk car worth?
It depends on the car's weight, whether it runs, the parts still on it, the title and the price of scrap that week. The only exact number is an offer on your car, and the fastest way to get one is to let several buyers make offers at once.
How much do junkyards pay per ton?
It moves with the scrap metal market, so it changes from week to week and from one area to another. A yard that sells used parts may pay more than the weight alone is worth, and a yard that does not tow will take the cost of getting the car there into account.
Is my junk car worth more if it runs?
Usually, yes, because a buyer can resell it whole or drive it onto the truck. A cheap repair that gets it running can be worth doing; a big one rarely is.
Is a junk car worth less without a title?
Usually, and some buyers cannot take a car without one at all. Each state has its own rules for selling without a title, and some let a licensed yard buy an older car with other proof that it is yours.
Are online junk car calculators accurate?
They get you in the neighborhood at best. A calculator only knows the year, make, model and a few boxes you tick, so it prices for the worst case, and instant quotes usually come in low. Buyers who see photos of the car, the dashboard and the VIN, and have time to look, generally offer more.
Do missing parts lower the price?
Yes. Buyers price the whole car, so a missing catalytic converter, engine, battery or set of wheels comes off the offer. Say what is gone when you describe the car, so the offer holds at pickup.
Find out what yours is worth today
Describe your car once and the buyers near you send real offers to your own page. Free, and your number stays private.