How To Dispose Of A Junk Car That No Longer Runs?

If your car has decided to call it quits and stop working, chances are that you have contemplated the idea of selling it to spare yourself the frustration of paying expensive repair fees. The good news is that there is a huge market for junk cars out there, with a vast number of car owners selling their old vehicles every day for one reason or another.

In most cases, the most straightforward solution to getting rid of it is to simply find a salvage yard near you, but there are a number of other alternatives worth considering as well. So, we decided to help you explore the options available to you, which should ensure that you are able to make the best possible decision for yourself and your old car.

How To Properly Estimate Your Junk Car’s Value?

Before we dive into the options that are available to you, the first step that you need to take is to determine the car’s true value. The good news is that in the process of trying to find junkyards in California via USCarJunker, such junk-car removal sites can provide you with instant quotes on your vehicle.

From there, you will be able to take those estimates and compare them with the price of repair. This will allow you to effectively determine if it is worth spending some extra money to get your vehicle up and running again or if you are simply better off selling the vehicle as is.

Once you have made the firm decision to sell the car, you can then start to consider the options available to you.

Best Ways To Get Rid Of A Junk Car That Stopped Working

There are a few main ways that you can go about disposing of your old vehicle, with each option coming with its own benefits and drawbacks, depending on your personal preference.

#1. Junk-car removal services

There are a number of online junk car services, like USCarJunker, that make it easy for you to sell used and damaged cars with minimal effort or investment required. All you will usually need to do is input your car’s information, e.g., make, model, and year, as well as answer a few questions about its current condition.

As mentioned before, such sites will usually send you a free, no-obligation cash offer. If you decide to accept, they will send a representative to inspect the car, and if everything is in order, you will receive your payment before they tow the car away.

In this respect, these services are best suited to sellers looking to quickly get rid of their vehicles with almost speed and minimal effort. However, the downside of this option is that the amount of money you will usually be able to receive is often less than if you tried selling it yourself.

#2. Trade it in at a dealership

Another option that you can consider is trading in the car at a used car dealership for a new one. In most cases, you would need to drive or tow the vehicle there, at which point they would determine its value. If they are unable to resell it, they may decide to scrap it for its parts, which can provide you with some trade-in value.

The benefit of this option is that you won’t need to haggle with so many people, as the dealer will normally give you a standardized price based on the current market value. Plus, they will usually end up doing all the necessary paperwork on your behalf.

However, the problem with using a dealership is that there is no guarantee that they will be willing to take the vehicle off your hands, especially if the car is severely damaged. You may also need to take less money than you would normally get if you sold the car privately.

#3. Sell it privately

Selling the vehicle privately is usually your best bet if you are looking to maximize the most amount of money out of your car. In this case, you will need to get the car back into working condition, which means taking it to a mechanic to determine how much you will need to repair it.

After all, nobody is going to want to buy a junk car that can’t be driven. However, unless the car is a coveted model, going down this route is often pointless. The next best option is to part out the car, which means removing any valuable parts and selling them individually.

The benefit of this option is that there are a number of car enthusiasts online that will pay a pretty penny for spare parts to fix their cars, especially if your car happens to be a unique model. As a result, you can often get a tidy sum for them.

The problem is that finding these buyers can often take weeks, if not months, and can be quite tedious, especially if you are selling multiple parts. You may also end up having to haggle with numerous prospective buyers, which can often be a pain to deal with.

Top Rules To Follow When Selling A Junk Car

If you decide to sell the junker privately, you will need to make sure that you do not hand over the car until they have paid you the agreed-upon sum, preferably in cash. You should also make sure that you take multiple photos and list every detail about the car and its issues online to ensure that the buyer doesn’t protest when they come to inspect the car in person.

If you don’t plan on selling it to a private buyer, it is important that you always conduct business with a licensed junk-car removal service like USCarJunker. This is because they will usually purchase your car and make sure that it is recycled in an environmentally responsible way, which is preferable to it being abandoned at a landfill.

On top of that, you won’t have to deal with a middleman that will eat away at your profit margin. Plus, they are less likely to scam you and can help you deal with all the relevant paperwork accordingly.

Another important rule to abide by is to make sure that you gather as many quotes from different junk car services as you can. This will ensure that you are able to maximize the potential payout and it also allows you to find the service with the most benefits to offer, eg. free towing, same-day pick-up, etc.

One more key rule to keep in mind is that you need to make sure that you have all the necessary paperwork ready, most importantly the car title, before you try selling the vehicle. Most states consider the car title as proof of ownership, which means that you cannot legally transfer the car to another individual or entity without it.

If you are unable to find the car title, then you will need to head over to the local DMV to get a replacement for a small fee.