Junk car questions and answers

Junkyards, scrap metal recyclers, salvage auctions, local tow companies and online car buyers. A local yard pays by weight and usually wants you to bring the car. Cash For Junk Cars 500 sends your request to our buyer partner, who makes the offer and includes towing with it.

Yes. Our buyer partner buys cars in any condition. A car with a dead engine or transmission still has metal and parts value, and the tow truck doesn't need it to move.

Yes. Our buyer partner buys cars with any amount of damage, up to totaled cars that can't be driven. If parts are missing, the engine and transmission still need to be in the car. The condition mostly affects the price.

No. Towing is included with every offer from our buyer partner. Before you accept, ask the buyer to confirm nothing else comes out of the price, and be wary of buyers who quote a high price and then subtract a towing fee when they arrive.

The year, make and model, whether it runs, whether it has major damage or missing parts, whether you have the title, and the ZIP code where it's parked. A VIN and mileage help but aren't required.

Most junk cars bring a few hundred dollars. The price depends on the car's weight, the current scrap price per ton, its age and which parts still work. Running cars and newer cars can bring more than scrap value, because their parts can be resold. The junk car value calculator gives you a range for your exact car in about two minutes.

Start with scrap value: curb weight in tons times the price per ton for complete cars. A 3,300 lb sedan at $186 a ton is about $310. Then add value for parts that can be resold. Missing parts, especially the catalytic converter, lower the number. Current values are on the scrap car prices page.

It shouldn't if you described the car accurately, but the offer comes from our buyer partner, so ask it to confirm that before you accept. Be exact about the basics: whether it starts, whether the major parts are there and whether the title is in your name. If something is different and the price changes, you're free to say no.

At pickup. The buyer's driver pays the agreed amount when picking up the car, by check or cash. Ask which one when the pickup is scheduled.

No. The 500 is part of our name. What a car brings depends on the car, and the offer comes from our buyer partner. The value calculator gives a rough figure for yours.

Often, yes, depending on your state and the car's age: some states don't title older cars at all, and elsewhere a duplicate from the DMV usually takes a short form and a small fee. Our title guide covers each state's rules.

Usually the title in your name and a photo ID. Some states also ask for a bill of sale, a lien release if the car was financed, or a notarized signature (Ohio requires one). After the sale, file your state's notice of sale or release of liability (California's is due within 5 calendar days) and remove the plates if your state keeps them with the owner. The pre-pickup checklist covers the rest.

You can still sell it. The lender has to release the lien, either by you paying it off or by the payoff coming out of the sale. In California, for example, the lienholder releases its interest on the title itself or on a separate lien release form (CA DMV). Tell our buyer partner about the loan when they contact you so it's part of the paperwork from the start.

Only the person on the title, or someone with legal authority such as an executor or a power of attorney, can sell the car. If you inherited it, the estate paperwork usually covers it. Ask us and we'll tell you what your state needs.

Our buyer partner gives you the pickup time when they schedule the tow. Same-day pickup is possible in some cases. Otherwise the timing depends on where the car is and the tow schedule.

Someone has to hand over the signed title and receive the payment, so usually yes. If that's hard, ask the buyer about other arrangements when they schedule the pickup.

Remove personal items and toll tags, take off the license plates if your state keeps them with the owner, and have the title and your ID ready. Cancel insurance only after the car has been picked up.