If it’s time for you to move on from your old or damaged car, you have a number of options available to you to get rid of it. Some important things to consider are how drivable your car still is, how much work you’re willing to put into getting rid of it, and your own mechanical know-how.
When it’s time to sell, get your car cleaned out, cleaned up and have your title ready.
- Finding an Individual Buyer Online: With tools like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, finding an individual buyer for your car is easier than it’s ever been. Selling your car to another individual gives you maximum control in the pricing of your vehicle, and FaceBook has the added bonus of showing you who you’ll be talking to about your car before you meet up. Negotiating with another average person is also a lot less intimidating than debating your car’s value with professionals.
The only downside to consider with selling online is that you’ll be doing a lot of work legwork yourself. You’ll need to research your car’s value, get it cleaned up, take photos, and create your listing. It’ll be up to you to answer questions or provide information about your car’s history and mechanical health, as well as handle any costs associated with title transfer or towing.
- Trading In at a Dealership: If your first priority is to get rid of your junk car and get back on the road with your new vehicle, trading your car in may be a strong option. This is particularly the case if your car is still in drivable condition.
Trading in at a dealership does, however, essentially guarantee you’ll be making less than the fair market value for your car. If your car can’t be driven to the dealership, you may also be liable for towing fees to get it there.
- Parting Your Car Out and Selling the Parts: A method that is nearly the opposite of trading your car in would be parting it out. This method is by far the most profitable for cars that are ready to be sold for scrap since it allows you to individually make the profit that the scrapyard would make after parting the car up themselves.
However, this method is also time-consuming and requires a good deal of mechanical knowledge. For the average car, 90 percent of it is recyclable in some fashion. So, even if you aren’t particularly knowledgeable, tools and an Internet connection should be enough to get you some extra cash.
Parts that are particularly valuable and/or accessible include the tires, radio, GPS system, battery, bumpers or side mirrors. Things like airbags or catalytic converters may be harder to remove but worth the extra effort. After you’ve parted out what you can, the remaining frame of the car can still be sold to a junk or scrap yard for some cash.
- Selling to a Junkyard or Scrapyard: If you’ve already pulled whatever you can from the car and are ready to scrap the rest, or if you’re not able to or interested in parting out your car yourself, a junkyard is a good next step. Licensed junk or scrap yards are a convenient and environmentally conscious way to dispose of old vehicles, as long as you’re aware of what to look for in the facility you choose.
You should always be able to get a quote over the phone, no in-person valuation needed. Quotes should be guaranteed and towing should be included in the quote you’re given. Never let a junkyard tell you your car has no value, buy without title, or offer to defer your payment. Selling from a junkyard should mean you leave with cash or a check in hand.
- Selling to an Online Car Buyer: The auto industry has been making some major shifts to operate online, and that means the options for selling your car to a third-party online buyer are more plentiful and convenient than they’ve ever been. You should expect the same treatment from a reputable online car buying service that you’d expect from a junkyard, meaning guaranteed quotes and towing included.
While selling your car to an online buyer requires photographs in the same way selling to an individual online does, the listing process is often less complicated and many sites will work with you to determine pricing or local values for similar vehicles.
Some of these services specialize in older or damaged cars and can have your car towed away and payment in your hand within a week, making it a convenient and safe way to get rid of your car quickly and for a fair market price.
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