Should I Sell My Old Junk Car to a Junkyard?

When it comes time to sell your old car, you have a lot of options to choose from - especially these days, when demand (and prices) for used cars is higher than ever. You probably know most of these options already, but let’s review a few of the most common groups of people you can sell your old car to in 2022, you can…

• Sell your old car to a stranger - you never know who might be in the market for a reliable used car like yours
• Sell it to a friend or family member - especially teens or new drivers who might be looking for a good deal on a new ride
• Sell it to a local mechanic who also sells used cars - particularly older makes and models
• Sell it to a local car dealership that has a used car lot
• Sell it online through a service like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay

One choice people overlook, especially when it comes to selling an old car, is selling to a junkyard - often referred to as a salvage yard or even a vehicle recycling facility. A junkyard could be a great place to sell your old car to, because they rely on older model vehicles to refresh their inventory of “parts cars” for consumers who visit their yards to find, pull, and save on used auto parts they need for do-it-yourself (DIY) repairs or other car projects they may be working on.

If you have an old car to sell and you are looking for an easier, faster way to put some extra cash in your pocket than the options we listed above, here are a few reasons we think you should consider selling your old car to a junkyard:

SPEED AND CONVENIENCE ARE AMONG THE TOP REASONS

The price a salvage yard will offer you for your car is based on factors like the vehicle’s age, and mileage, but really it comes down to the value of the metal in your old car - which is determined by the weight of your vehicle and is the same from one junkyard to the next.

When you sell an old car to other places, they will base the price on things like what they think they can sell your vehicle for. Junkyards work differently - they aren’t concerned about what your car looks like, how it sounds, whether or not it runs, or if you have trash all over the place. This all boils down to speed in terms of selling your car fast. A junkyard isn’t going to haggle with you. They will offer you a fair price based on the value of the materials your car is made of. For this reason, selling to a junkyard is one of the fastest options available for you.

Now let’s talk about convenience. If you can still drive your vehicle, you can drive it over to your local junkyard or salvage yard for them to make you a cash offer on the spot. Most junkyards also buy vehicles over the phone or through their website - some, like Pull-A-Part, will even give you a free online quote for your car without having to speak to anybody. You’re not obligated to sell your car, but if you like the price they offer and want to accept it, the process is usually very convenient.

And here’s the best part…most junkyards will come get your car and haul it away for free. You don’t even need to leave your place to sell your old car to a junkyard - and they’ll pay you cash on the spot when they pick it up. You’ll need to have your paperwork in order - and most junkyards require proof of ownership (as they should) before they will pay you and haul your car away. But as long as you’re the legal owner of the vehicle, you can likely complete the transaction in a couple of hours.

If these speed and convenience factors aren’t enough reason for you to consider selling your old car to a junkyard, let’s talk about what you don’t have to do when you sell your car to a junkyard.

NO TEDIOUS ADVERTISING

This may be obvious, but when you sell your car to a junkyard, you don’t need to advertise or market your vehicle. Even if you were planning on selling your vehicle to somebody you know, that would still require some effort on your part to get the word out and find a buyer ready to buy your car.

And let’s be honest, if you’re selling an old car, you don’t want to spend any unnecessary time or money on advertising and marketing. Even listing fees for some online services can take money out of your pocket that you could put towards something else. If you’ve ever sold anything online, you know that taking pictures, creating the listing, updating your information, and other steps in the process can be time consuming too.

Your time is likely more valuable than the fees you might pay to sell your car online. Which makes the simplicity of selling your car to a junkyard even more attractive than selling it to somebody you will need to find, meet with, negotiate with, and possibly deal with after the fact if there are any issues with the car afterward. Why bother?

If you’ve been driving your old car for a while, you’ve probably spent more than enough of your time dealing with repairs and maintenance - or worse, being late to work or stranded when there are problems. The last thing you need is to spend more of your time dealing with all the ins and outs of selling your car through some of the more common ways most people sell their cars.

DEALING WITH PEOPLE

We’ve hit on some of these issues already, but NOT having to deal with people is a big reason a lot of people choose to sell their old cars to the junkyard. While there are people you’ll have to deal with at the junkyard, the interaction is different. If you like the price you’re offered, the process is simple. The people at your local junkyard buy old cars from consumers like you all the time. You’ll be surprised how easy the process is after you try it for the first time.

Consider the alternative - or should we say “less predictable” things that can happen when you try to sell your car to some random person off the street (or more likely, off the Internet). You might set a time to meet somebody with your car for them to check it out, only to have them call you 15 minutes after your scheduled time to say they are still an hour away - or worse, you sit there for an hour and they never show up.

Safety is always a factor to consider when engaging in any transaction with somebody you don’t know - so while we’re not trying to use fear as an argument for why you should sell your car to a junkyard, we do want to at least mention that if you are going to meet somebody you don’t know, you should pick a safe, well-lit, and public place for the transaction. Many local police departments encourage residents to use the parking lot at the police station for this reason.

There are plenty of people that manage to sell their cars with no issues, we’re not saying it’s always a difficult process - but you really never know how things are going to go when you’re selling a high-value item like a car in a person-to-person transaction.

NO MORE HAGGLING

All prices are negotiable, right? While junkyards don’t haggle on price (most are very firm on their offers - again, because they do this all the time and know what the vehicle is worth without any emotions involved). When you attempt to sell your car out in the world, you are going to encounter the haggler. This person wants to buy your car, but doesn't want to pay what you're asking for. In other words, they don’t want to pay you a fair price - they want you to sell it to them at an unfair price. You might be tempted to accept, especially if you've been trying to sell this car for some time. The only person that wins in this scenario is the haggler.

Would the local junkyard like to get your old car at a better price? Sure. But they need your car to meet the needs of other customers and their business. Most junkyards also rely on word-of-mouth to find other people to sell their old cars to them. They know if you have a good experience selling your car to the junkyard, you’re more likely to recommend them to a friend looking to sell their car. You’ll find that the price a junkyard offers you for your car is fair - for both you and the junkyard. That’s the best outcome of a negotiation for both parties involved.

So not having to haggle is another reason to sell your car to a junkyard. Note we didn’t say it’s one of the best ways to get the most money possible for your car. If YOU are the haggler, and you enjoy negotiating and all that process entails, then you might want to try a different option before calling your local junkyard.

AN OLD CAR IS AN OLD CAR

We touched on this point a little above, but to a junkyard, an old car is an old car. It’s supposed to have some dings and dents. Junkyards know that some parts might not work or your seats and arm rests might be worn out. That’s normal for an old car. If it’s not completely obvious by this point of the article, junkyards don’t care what condition your vehicle is in - for the most part. There are some exceptions, like if your vehicle has fire or water damage - because the junkyard doesn’t want to sell bad parts to its customers.

When you sell your car on the open market, the buyer - haggler or not - is going to want to pay less for every little thing they find wrong with the car. Some will want to run a CarFax report or want to know how often you changed the oil. Even a minor fender-bender can reduce the amount of money you would have gotten for your car otherwise. When you sell to a junkyard, there are set prices for vehicles based on type, age, mileage, and weight (as mentioned above). Don’t believe us? Call or complete online quotes with a few different salvage yards before you agree to sell to one of them - don’t be surprised if they all offer you about the same for your car. They aren’t working together, that’s just how the salvage business works.

WOULD YOU SELL YOUR OLD CAR TO A JUNKYARD?

Had you considered selling your old car to a junkyard before finding this article? Did you even know that was an option? Hopefully at least one of these reasons we shared would at least convince you to get a free online quote to see what your car is worth. We hope you’ll consider Pull-A-Part as an option if you do decide to sell your old car to a junkyard.