How to Sell Your Car to a Junkyard

There are many reasons why you might need to sell your car to a junkyard, such as a broken rod that isn’t worth fixing or a catalytic converter that costs half of your car’s Blue Book value.

No matter how your car got to this point, selling it to a junkyard can be stressful if you don’t know what to expect, especially if it’s your first time doing it.

Here is a step-by-step guide to helping you sell your car to a junkyard.

Make sure to have a copy of the title.
You’ll need the car’s title before you can sell it to anyone, including a junkyard. If you’ve lost or misplaced your title, you can get a new one by calling the DMV or BMV in your state and asking for it to be sent to you by mail. The exact process may be very different from one state to the next, but you can expect to have to show proof of who you are and pay a small fee.

If your car has a lien on it, you can only sell it to a state-licensed dealership or a junkyard. Chances are, no dealership will want to buy your junk car. Considering this, you have a few choices.

First, if you get into an accident and damage your car, your auto insurance company may write it off as a total loss. In this case, the car should be paid for by your insurance company. Still, you may still owe a small amount of money in some situations. But if a driver has gap insurance, it should cover the rest of the bill.

The good news is that all you need for a junkyard sale is a clean title. Since the vehicle is no longer registered to be driven on the road, it will not need a safety inspection, emissions inspection, or any other procedure required by the state before it can be sold to a private buyer. A clean title that shows you are the legal owner of the car should be all the proof you need to sell it.

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Call a few scrap yards.
If you want to find a junkyard to buy your car, don’t just look in one or two places. You can look for junkyards online or in your local phone book. If you look online, pay attention to reviews on Google and other search engines. Any business will get at least one or two bad reviews. But if there are more bad reviews than good ones, this is something to worry about.

Make a list of five or six places and reach out to them. Tell them you want to sell your car and tell them everything they need to know. Most junkyards will want to know your car’s make, model, and year, as well as what kind of damage it has. If they are interested, they will then make you an offer based on how you answer these questions.

No matter which junkyard you go to, you should never have to pay to have your car towed. Any company you can trust will come to you to lock up the car. If a junkyard insists on charging you for a tow or taking it out of your payment, it’s best to do business with someone else.

Compare your bids.
Try to wait until you have more than one offer before you decide where to sell your car. Check to see which offer is the best, and once you’ve chosen one, call the junkyard to let them know you’re ready to sell. Once everyone is happy, the junkyard will set up a time to pick up the car.

One thing to remember is that they will expect you to return the car if it can still be driven. It’s a common request, so don’t be put off by it in the same way you would be if they asked you to tow the car (as mentioned above). Most of the time, junkyards will not tow your car unless it is no longer safe or legal to drive.

Get the car ready to be picked up.
Make sure to take out any personal items from the car before being picked up. This is not the same as when someone buys a car from a private party or a dealership. In those cases, the new owner will find anything and (hopefully) return it. Anything left inside will never be seen again.

GPS units and backup cameras should be taken out with extra care. It can be easy to forget all the stress of selling your car.

Finish the Sale
When your car gets to the junkyard, it usually needs to be checked out. If it’s being towed by a junkyard, the car will usually be checked out there before the tow.

As long as nothing comes up at the last minute, the junkyard will give you cash and you and the mechanic will sign the title. The title will then be given to the junkyard by the seller.

Even though you’ve officially sold the car, you’ll still need to keep the license plates. These are yours to keep; they do not come with the car when you sell it. Most states allow them to be transferred to a new car. If they won’t be re-registered, you’ll need to give the plates back to your state’s motor vehicle agency.

Contact your state’s DMV or BMV.
Depending on where you live, you might have to tell the state that you sold your car. In many states, there is a deadline for doing this, so you will need to look into your state’s rules to make sure you are following them. Just to be safe, you should try to finish this process in a day or two.

Reporting a sale not only helps you follow the law but also protects you from being sued. If the car is taken apart and sold again, you won’t be held responsible for any accidents or damage it causes.

Think about a private sale.
In many instances, junkyard sales are quick and painless transactions. But they cost something.

One big problem with selling your car to a junkyard is that you won’t get much money for it. Most of the time, you only get what the raw materials are worth, which is usually only a few hundred dollars.

Even though it takes a bit more work, private sales can often bring in more money. Depending on your state, you may have to transfer the registration and pay for inspections and other costs to make sure the vehicle is legal. But if you can find a buyer who is interested, it may be well worth the money.

Most people who buy junk cars are gearheads or car fans who want specific parts from certain cars. Because of their knowledge and taste, they often meet very specific needs. Expect them to ask a lot of questions, some of which may seem unrelated. For example, don’t be surprised if you’re selling a car with a busted transmission, but all the buyer wants to know is if the engine and A/C compressor still work. Again, these buyers have specific needs that may go beyond what is practical when buying a car, so don’t be surprised by these questions.

For the same reason, keep in mind that finding a buyer can take some time. Depending on the make, model, and year, there may not be much of a parts market for your car, making it hard to sell on the private market. If you want to get the most money for your car, you’ll need to be patient and wait for the right buyer to come along.

Summary
Before deciding to sell their car to a junkyard, people who want to sell their cars should look into other options. If you really want to sell your car, this should be your last option.

Dealing with a junkyard is without a doubt the worst and least profitable way to sell a car. You should only do business with a junkyard if the car has little to no hope. Selling a car to a junkyard may be a good idea for people who just want to get rid of an old beater or a car that doesn’t run and is just taking up space.

Junk Car Jungle is a good place to go if you want to find a junkyard you can trust. They will offer you the best price possible for your car.

Junk Car Jungle has been in business since 1995. It is owned and run by a family. They work hard to give their customers good services at prices they can afford. People from all over Indiana and Illinois sell them their cars.

Junk Car Jungle will take care of everything from start to finish, so you don’t have to worry about anything. They will tow your car away for free and pay you cash on the spot!