How to Junk Your Car for Cash and Get the Most Money

Like most people, you might want to get rid of your junk car even though it's not worth much. Selling a junk car can net you in some cases a few thousand dollars, but if it's old and broken down, you can expect a few hundred dollars. You could try selling your junk car for parts, but then there's no guarantee that you'll get good money, and you will have to spend a lot of time selling those parts to many people.

That's why you need to consider how you can junk your car for cash today. Many people would pay good money for a scrap car like yours, and some people pay you a lot of money for junk cars. Companies like our junkyards will give you an instant quote today, honor our offer, come pick up your junk car, and pay you cash on the spot. But we will often give less money, but it’s a fair offer and we guarantee the sale. Check out the following tips on how to get the most money when trying to sell your junk car for more money, when you decide to not use a junkyard like Pull-A-Part:

1. DETERMINE THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF YOUR CAR

Before you sell your junk car, you need to figure out exactly how much your car is worth. While you might think that your car is worth a lot more than it is, this will only lead you to get less money for your vehicle. You can use the Internet to get a better idea of the cars that are selling for top dollar, and it will help you get a feel for what your car is worth. You can also contact Pull-A-Part and we will tell you how much your car is worth to us. You can use that as a gauge of fair market value for sure!

2. PREPARE FOR THE SELLING PROCESS

One of the last things that you need to do before you can sell your vehicle is to do an analysis of your car and identify any safety issues, including recalls that there is a fixation need. Once you have begun the selling process of your car, you will be dealing with people who may not be wholly honest with you. As a result, you should do your best to protect yourself, including taking photos of the vehicle's condition before you attempt to sell it.

3. GET AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION

One of the most important parts of this process is getting an independent evaluation of the vehicle. It will help you better understand how much money you can get for your car and its value. You should be able to negotiate for a price as close as possible to this valuation.

4. GET A WRITTEN ESTIMATE

Another part of this whole process is getting a written estimate on the amount you can expect to receive based on the condition of your car and its final worth. It would help if you always got an appraisal done by a professional on the condition of your car.

5. BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE

Just because the company has set prices on what they are willing to pay for your vehicle does not mean that you cannot negotiate with them. You want to try and get as much money as possible for your car, and there is no reason you cannot get a little more for it. We don’t do this at Pull-A-Part, largely because we don’t even look under the hood. We don’t care if your car runs or not. You can sell it as-is at any time. 

6. HIRE A LICENSED COMPANY TO SELL YOUR VEHICLE

If you are having trouble selling your vehicle on your own, then there is no reason that you cannot hire an expert to do it for you. They will be able to sell your car on your behalf and offer more money than if you tried selling it yourself. The best places to find these companies are based online, although there may be some legitimate companies in the newspaper in the classifieds section.

7. FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL BUY YOUR VEHICLE AND DISMANTLE IT FOR PARTS

Many people, like dealerships and junkyards, pay top dollar for vehicles to dismantle them. These types of deals are negotiable as well. You may be able to get a little more money from these companies, but this will depend on the condition of your vehicle and how much work it will take to dismantle it.

8. USE A CAR AUCTION WEBSITE

Many car auction websites online can help you sell your car for top dollar. You will have to show proof that you own it and then describe what you want to sell it for. If interested buyers express a serious interest in the vehicle, the website will help you negotiate a good deal for your car.

Think twice about how you want to sell your junk car.  Weigh your options to determine if  it is worth the time and effort in trying to get more or less money for your old junk car. You can wait until you have seen a good amount of interest in the vehicle before trying to sell it. If not enough people are willing to pay a high price for the car, then it’s better to junk your car for cash and get the most money you can for it, with the least amount of effort required. 

If you are not sure whether you can sell your car, then you should consider following these tips and doing some research on how to sell your car. You may find that it is a lot harder than you thought it would be to get top dollar for your vehicle and that you may even lose money selling it. The best thing is to consult an expert who may be willing to buy your vehicle for a higher price than what he will pay at a junkyard or auto recycling center.

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For a car to be complete, the following criteria must be met:

  • No major mechanical components are missing, including the catalytic converter, engine or transmission
  • All wheels are included
  • All major body parts are intact, including all doors, hood and trunk