How Much Money To Scrap A Car

Multiple factors can go into determining the value of a junk car and how much money you can get for one. Where your junk car falls in each of these categories will determine its value.

Let's use this article to highlight the 7 factors that impact the value of scrap cars:

1. The Demand and Value of Your Cars Parts

This kind of goes hand in hand with the year, make, and model, but the demand for car parts in your area can impact the price. If similar vehicles to yours are still all over the road, there is a much higher chance a scrapyard can resell various parts.

The automotive recycling yards that sell these parts will catalog and store them, then offer them for sale on the internet to buyers across the nation. Car parts can be shipped to just about anywhere they are needed, with high levels of efficiency.

Who buys these parts? Repair shops, body shops, budget-conscious owners of older vehicles, and anyone else trying to save some money by buying used parts instead of new ones.

Every vehicle's parts are not necessarily of high value in the used parts market. The cars with the highest value parts have these qualities:

- They are popular models made in large quantities.
- They were produced fairly recently, so many of them are still on the road.
- The parts are in sellable condition

If your car qualifies on all three counts, there should be a robust demand for parts from it. Both body parts and mechanical parts will be sought out for various types of repairs being made to these vehicles. Having desirable parts will yield the highest junk car prices.

Some of these automotive recycling facilities will also set themselves up as a "pick and pull," in which vehicles are parked in rows, and local customers can enter the grounds with their tools, browse through the vehicles on display, and remove the pieces they need. This provides a self-service approach that saves consumers money since they are performing their own labor to dismantle and remove the parts they need.

On the other hand, the value of your car's parts may not be worth much if there are not many of that model still registered and running around on the roads. There's just too little demand.

The only exception to this is if you have a rare and desirable vehicle. If so, you may be able to sell it directly to a collector as a parts car.

Depending on the year, make, and model of your vehicle, the price may go up or down a little bit based on your geographic location.

2. Scrap Metal Prices Greatly Impacts Your Car's Value

After the scrap car's reusable parts have been removed, the shell that is left will be flattened or crushed and taken to the steelyard. (Did you know more than 60% of your car is made of metal?)

It is then fed into a giant shredding machine, which breaks it down into small chunks of metal.

Additional processing separates these chunks of mixed metal into ferrous metals (iron and steel) and non-ferrous metals (aluminum and copper). All these metals will be recycled into new raw materials, which will then be used in the manufacture of new cars and other products.

The price of scrap metal fluctuates regularly and greatly impacts scrap car prices. The market is influenced by supply and demand, the economic conditions in major trading nations, and the complicated international trade policies that have affected the production, sales, and purchases of these commodities.

If the market values of the various scrap metals in your car are low, then your junk car will be worth less money compared to when scrap metal prices are higher. Scrap car prices are heavily impacted by scrap metal prices. You can check metals prices online to get a general idea of the current values of each.

3. The Weight of Your Vehicle

Just like your car's worth is our #1 question, the weight of your vehicle is the #1 factor.

This means that barring anything else a scrapyard or junkyard should be able to make some factor of this number off of your car at the minimum.

Larger vehicles tend to weigh more, which means that they contain more metal. At a given point in time, this will usually make more of a difference in your car's scrap value than anything else. Here are some weights of various vehicle categories:

Cars Example Avg. Class Weight
Subcompact car Hyundai Accent 2,505 lbs.
Compact car Toyota Corolla 2,919 lbs.
Midsize car Honda Accord 3,361 lbs.
Large car Dodge Charger 3,883 lbs.
Minivan Chrysler Pacifica 4,437 lbs.

SUVs
Subcompact SUV Buick Encore 3,145 lbs.
Compact SUV Mazda CX-5 3,590 lbs.
Midsize SUV Ford Explorer 4,404 lbs.
Large SUV Chevrolet Tahoe 5,603 lbs.

Pickup Trucks
Midsize Pickup GMC Canyon 3,977 lbs.
Large Pickup RAM 1500 4,951 lbs.

4. The Condition of Your Vehicle

The condition of your vehicle matters because we need to know if it's truly a scrap car or if it can possibly be resold. If the vehicle is in good condition it may be able to be sold at a car auction. If it starts and drives that will really help the value.

5. The Year Make and Model of Your Vehicle

If your vehicle is newer, there may be a chance to fix it up. Plus, there surely will be more of a demand for its parts than there would have if it's 15 years old or older. Scrap yards can do a lot more with newer cars even if they are totaled.

6. Your Geographic Location

Depending on the year, make, and model of your vehicle, the price may go up or down a little bit.

Where you are located can determine the type of cars that are generally on the road in your area. A 2020 study of the most popular cars in America conducted by Insurify revealed that the coastal states tended to have a preference for Honda, while Midwestern states love Chevrolet models like the Impala and Malibu.

Up north there are fewer Mustangs than in the south simply because they are tough to drive in the winter months. So your location can highly impact the demand for certain parts in your area.

The same can be said for the scrap metal markets. The prices can and do vary by region, so you may get a few dollars more or less depending on your location.

Other factors that affect scrap car prices

7. Business Expenses Get Factored Into What You'll Get Paid For a Junk Car

Then these minor business factors may impact prices from various buyers:

Towing: You may have to pay a fee or have a towing company transport the vehicle to the scrapyard if you cannot drive it. While many companies advertise free pickup as part of their services, they do, in fact, subtract the towing cost from the estimate they give you.
Driver's wage: Factored into the towing cost is the driver's hourly wage. The driver will be paid to pick up and transport the car, handling the collection of the title and paperwork.
Cost of gas:Also included in towing fees is the cost of gas the tow truck needs to make the trip between the salvage yard and the pickup location.
Time spent on paperwork:Before scrapping the car, staff must complete the purchase and transfer the title.
Dismantling and crushing the car: Pulling useful parts from the car and dismantling it for crushing is very arduous work. So, cash-for-car businesses also consider the wages for the staff who scrap the car.

Once these additional costs are factored in, you should have an estimate that accurately reflects the offers you will get from junk car buyers.