Should I Sell or Scrap My Car?

When a car begins to outlive its usefulness, or is replaced, the hard questions begin to arise. In the end, should you decide not to keep your old vehicle, there are really only two options: sell the car or just scrap the entire thing.

In today’s economy, cars have a value dependent on many different factors. When trying to decide what to do with your old car, consider some points before making a decision.

One reason you may want to try and aggressively sell your automobile would be the make, year and model. If your car happens to be of a certain year, from a certain maker, and of the correct model- you may have something that a collector would want no matter the condition (short of totally smashed to pieces).

You should check online for your cars information and see if you have something a collector might want to pay for.

Another great reason to go all out trying to sell would be excellent fuel efficiency. Everyone wants to save money filling the tank, and just because a car is not new does not mean it has poor efficiency (the first mass produced Ford automobile back in the early 20th century had similar gas mileage to most cars being built today!).

You may also want to try selling the car if it is in good running condition. Even though you might not like that the seats are ripped or that the paint is peeling or that the trunk doesn’t quite close- someone else may not care at all. Many people just need a reliable form of transportation regardless of how it looks.

There are also some reasons that you may not want to try and sell your vehicle. Selling a car with a lot of problems can in-turn cause its own problems later. In those cases, it is more economical to scrap the car. Here are some obvious reasons you may want to avoid selling.

If the car was totaled in an accident and your insurance did not keep the car, it is probably beyond the scope of repair. In this case, definitely scrap it. It will do no one any good anymore.

Similarly, if the car is unfixable at a reasonable price, it is time to get rid of it. Especially if the price of repairs exceeds the value of the car. It might seem like common sense, but some car owners are very attached to their vehicles.

If your vehicle gets abysmal gas mileage, or has not been fitted for your local emission standards, then depending on where you live- you may have to get rid of it. Vehicles that incur costs like gas-guzzlers will almost certainly never sell outside of their novelty value.

A big consideration in just scrapping your car is if it has been rendered totally immobile. If your car has died and cannot be moved under its own power, then short of it being a collectable, few buyers will want to pay to tow it to a station and have it repaired.

There is another option for a car that doesn’t run, but is not completely wrecked. That is to donate the car to a local charity. There may be a charity in your area that will pick the car up, repair it, and then distribute it to a needy family for use. It usually costs you nothing and they will come and tow the car away. In some places, you can actually get tax breaks or vouchers for doing this.

Finally, with the internet and all its auction and selling sites, it never hurts to try selling a car first. Be upfront and honest about its condition, give it a week or two, and then take down the ad if no one replies. You just might get lucky with a person or institution that needs a broken down car.