PICK YOUR PATH

Ways to sell a junk car, compared

There are 9 common ways to get rid of a junk car, and they differ in what they pay, how fast they happen and how much work they take. Here is each one, with its catch, so you can pick the one that fits your car and your week.

Which way fits you

Most sellers care about one thing more than the rest: the money, the speed or the hassle. Start from whichever matters most to you.

You want the most money and can wait a few daysLet several buyers compete for it, or part it out if you have the time and the tools.Read more
It has to be gone todayA tow company that buys cars, or competing offers with the soonest pickups first.Read more
You are buying another car anywayTrade it in, but get an offer first so you know what it is worth.Read more
You want to help a causeDonate it, and check what the deduction will really be.Read more
It still runs, or has fansSell it yourself online, if you have time for the messages.Read more
There is nothing left worth sellingA scrap yard, or a buyer who tows it for free.Read more

The 9 ways side by side

Way to sellWhat it paysHow fastYour effort

Call local junkyards Can be high Often a day or two Medium

Take it to a scrap yard By weight Same day if you can get it there Medium to high

Sell to a tow company Fair Often the same day Low

Use a national instant-offer website One fixed price A few days Low

Sell it yourself online Can be the most Days to weeks High

Trade it in at a dealership Usually low The day you buy Low

Donate it to charity A tax deduction A week or two Low

Part it out yourself Can be the most, slowly Weeks to months Very high

Get competing offers on BeaterBoss The top of several Your choice, same day possible Low

These are what each way is usually like. Your car, your area and the buyer all change the picture.

Each way, and its catch

Call local junkyards

You ring salvage yards near you, describe the car to each one and take the best price you hear. Many yards that sell used parts will tow the car away themselves.

Good for
A car with parts that are in demand, such as a popular pickup or a newer model, because a yard that sells parts can pay more for it.

Watch out for
Every call starts from scratch, and each price arrives on its own, so you never see them side by side. A price given over the phone can drop when the truck arrives.
Take it to a scrap yard

A scrap yard buys the car for its metal, weighs it and pays by the ton. Some send a truck, and some expect you to bring the car in.

Good for
A car with nothing left worth selling, or one you can drive or tow there yourself.

Watch out for
You are paid for weight alone, so any value in the parts is lost. If the yard does not tow, getting the car there can cost you.
Sell to a tow company

Many tow companies buy junk cars outright, often haul them the same day, and sell them on to a salvage or scrap yard.

Good for
A car that has to be gone today.

Watch out for
A buyer who sells the car on keeps a cut, so the price can be lower than the yard at the end of the line would pay.
Use a national instant-offer website

You enter the car's details online, get a price at once and book a pickup by a driver the company sends.

Good for
A seller who wants a quick number without talking to anyone.

Watch out for
You get one company's price with nobody bidding against it, and the price can change after the driver inspects the car.
Sell it yourself online

You list the car on a classifieds site or a marketplace app and sell it to a person, often someone who wants to fix it or use its parts.

Good for
A car that still runs, or a model with a following, when you have time to answer messages.

Watch out for
You deal with strangers, no-shows and haggling in your driveway, you arrange the title transfer yourself, and you carry the risk of a bad payment.
Trade it in at a dealership

If you are buying another car, the dealer takes the old one as part of the deal.

Good for
A seller already buying a car who wants one trip and no extra steps.

Watch out for
A dealer has little use for a junk car, so its trade-in value is usually small, and it is easy to lose track of inside the price of the new car.
Donate it to charity

A charity picks the car up and usually sells it, and you may be able to deduct the gift on your taxes.

Good for
A seller who itemizes deductions and wants the car to help a cause.

Watch out for
If you claim more than $500 and the charity sells the car, the IRS generally limits your deduction to what the charity sold it for, which for a junk car can be very little. See IRS Publication 4303.
Part it out yourself

You take the car apart and sell the parts one by one, then sell what is left for scrap.

Good for
Someone with tools, space, mechanical skill and time.

Watch out for
It takes a long time, you are left with a shell to get rid of, some towns limit keeping a car that does not run on your property, and some states limit who may buy parts like catalytic converters.
Get competing offers on BeaterBoss

You describe the car once, and the local buyers who cover your ZIP send offers to your own offers page, each with the earliest time they can pick up. You choose the biggest, the soonest or one near the top of both.

Good for
A seller who wants local buyers to compete without calling around or giving out a phone number.

Watch out for
It only works where buyers near you make offers here. If none cover your ZIP yet, the form tells you so.

Get offers

Before you choose any of them

Whichever way you sell, the same few things decide the price: an honest description with photos, the mileage and the VIN, the title, and how many buyers get a chance to make an offer. How to get the most cash for your junk car walks through them step by step, and who pays the most for junk cars explains which buyers tend to pay more.

If the title is lost, selling a junk car without a title lists what each state allows.

Questions sellers ask

What is the easiest way to sell a junk car?

The easiest ways are usually the ones where the buyer comes to you and tows the car away: a tow company that buys cars, a national instant-offer website, or competing offers from local buyers on a site like this one. Selling it yourself or parting it out pays more for some cars, but takes far more of your time.

Will someone pick up my junk car for free?

Usually, yes. Most junkyards, tow companies and instant-offer websites that buy junk cars tow them away as part of the price. Some scrap yards expect you to bring the car in, and if you sell it yourself, the buyer arranges the tow.

Can I sell a junk car that does not run?

Yes. Junkyards, scrap yards, tow companies and instant-offer websites all buy cars that do not run and tow them away. It is harder to sell one yourself online or to trade it in, because most of those buyers want a car they can drive.

Is it better to donate or sell a junk car?

For most junk cars, selling puts more in your pocket. If you claim a deduction of more than $500 and the charity sells the car, the IRS generally limits it to what the charity sold the car for, and a deduction is only worth part of its value in saved tax.

How fast can I sell a junk car?

Often the same day. Tow companies that buy cars can come quickly, and on this site every offer says the earliest time that buyer can pick up, with the soonest shown first when you need the car gone today.

Let the buyers near you compete

Describe your car once and see every offer side by side on your own page. Free, and your number stays private.

Get offers