Sell a Junked Car
While junk cars might no longer be functional or barely running, they can still fetch a decent price depending on their condition, weight, and the features that the vehicle possesses. You can either donate your car to a non profit for tax deduction and free towing or sell it for a small sum to an online buyer, local junkyard or dealership. Here is how to sell your junk car.
Steps
- Call a mechanic to receive a second opinion in order to make sure that your car is not affordably repairable.
- If economically feasible, get your car in running condition; running vehicles can fetch exponentially more than cars that are not.
- Secure the title of your junk car.
- Individuals and companies will only buy junk cars if the title is secured by the owner.
- If the title is misplaced, you may acquire one from your local DMV as the title is on record.
- Find out the year, make and model of your broken car.
- This can be found in your owner's manual.
- Buyers will need to know the above including what is wrong with the car.
- Research the Internet for local junkyards, online businesses, local individual buyers and Craigslist buyers who are interested in purchasing junk cars.
- Be thorough in your research as certain offers from buyers can be twice as much as others.
- Secure an offer after shopping around for as many options and price quotes as possible.
- Clean out your junk car, removing all valuables and trash.
- Ask the scrap-metal dealer what is required of the condition of the vehicle before they will buy it. Some dealers want all the windows removed, along with the tires, seats, and even plastic molding. Most aren't that tedious, but that's why you must ask.
- Make sure to remove anything that might pose an identity theft problem. Remove all your personal belongings, namely anything that may have personal information on it.
- Read over all the required paperwork before you agree to sign over the key and title to the buyer.
Tips
- The junk car selling process can be long and protracted if you intend to get the best deal for your car. It might require some time to secure a good offer, and occasionally, donating it for a tax deduction can sometimes be more economically sound.
- Make sure to include the words junk yard in your search as this will bring up results other than online businesses.
- If the offers received are too low, selling your car for scrap metal can occasionally be a lucrative decision. Nevertheless, you should research current rates for scrap metal as the prices are dependent on the market and are constantly changing.
- If you can't get a reasonable offer from a dealer to buy your salvaged car, search the Yellow Pages for junk dealers, salvage yards, or anywhere that buys scrap metal and ask for a price quote on scrap metal per pound. It's best to contact every place you can find so you can learn the average and then go with the highest bidder.
Warnings
- When dealing with buyers who will pick up on site, always ask if their offer includes towing or whether said service will be deducted from their price quote.
- Try to avoid calling the myriads of Google advertisements. Most of the time, their offers are paltry and not worth the effort. Local businesses often pay more for junked cars.
Things You'll Need
- Junk car
- Physical car title in your name and in your possession
