How to sell Broken Car
The only thing that’s a bigger pain than selling a car in working condition is get a cash for wrecked cars.
Do you fix it up and sell it on Craigslist or eBay?
Do you sell it as-is and let buyers know about the damage?
Should you contact car buyers like Junk Car Medics to come to pick your damaged car up and write you a check?
If you’re wondering “how do I sell a broken car?” we’ll run through every situation below to get you started on the right path!
DON’T WAIT TO SELL A BROKEN CAR – DO IT NOW
If you have a broken down car or you’re not driving it regularly, it needs to move – now.
You’ve heard that sitting behind a desk all day is bad for your health? Well, it’s not good for your car to sit for weeks or months either – especially if it’s old.
- Tires: Dry rot and permanent flat spots
- Battery: Loses its charge
- Brakes: Corrosion and loss of traction
- Fluids: Go bad and break down
- Engine: Belts and wires corrode
- Weather changes aren’t friendly to idle or non-running cars either.
Sub-freezing temps will drain the battery faster. If the rubber seals start leaking around the doors or windows, you won’t notice because you’re not driving the car. Pooled water can wreak serious havoc with mold, rust, electrical damage, and much more.
ASSESS THE DAMAGE BEFORE SELLING A BROKEN CAR
Before you try to sell your broken car, you’ll have to nail down exactly what’s wrong with it.
Maybe you’ve been putting this off because there are so many broken parts you don’t even want to think about it. (We won’t judge!)
Either way, put a list together. Transmission, brakes, belts – everything.
If you’re not exactly sure what’s wrong or you suspect that other parts may go bad soon, you should probably spend the money on a quick used car inspection from a trustworthy mechanic (yes, they exist).
Is your car completely dead and not running? Even if you’re wondering how to sell a broken car as scrap, you still need to know what’s wrong with it so you can negotiate a proper quote.
DECIDE IF YOU CAN MAKE REPAIRS ON YOUR BROKEN CAR
Now that you have an idea of what’s wrong with your car, you’ll need to do a little math (don’t worry, not much).
First, head over to Kelley Blue Book to get the general value of a working condition version of your vehicle so you have a starting point for selling or scrapping.
Now, ask yourself how much it will cost to fix everything wrong with your car. If you expect new problems to arise within the next few months, include those repairs as well.
If the cost of the repairs will cost more than the value of the car (or close to it), you may want to consider selling the car as scrap to Junk Car Medics, and we'll give you a fair price for it.
HOW DO I SELL A BROKEN CAR ONLINE?
If the repairs will only set you back a couple hundred bucks, you may want to fix the car and sell it to private buyers on Craigslist and Facebook, or even to a used car dealership.
Honesty is the best policy here.
Many states have Lemon Laws that protect people from buying used cars that require a bunch of hidden (and expensive) repairs.
If you can’t afford to fix something or you expect something else to go bad soon, let potential buyers know in the advert right away. A Carfax report and used car inspection paperwork can come in handy for protecting you – and buyers – as well.
STRIP THE BEST PARTS OF YOUR BROKEN CAR TO SELL
If your outlook for selling the car isn’t looking good, your next step is to consider scrapping it.
An average car has about 30,000 parts. You don’t need to take the entire car apart yourself and shouldn’t unless you own a cutting torch and know what you’re doing.
However, you CAN easily remove some of the big-ticket items and sell them individually before selling it to IV Auto. Batteries, brakes and calipers, tires, hub caps, GPS, stereos – these car parts can all earn you some fast cash online.
Just keep in mind that removing these parts may also reduce the amount you get for your car sold as scrap.
HOW DO I SELL A BROKEN CAR AS-IS?
If it will cost you more than the value of your car to repair it, or you expect future problems to pop up, you should probably just sell your car as-is to Junk Car Medics.
Just get all of your details in order (like your car’s make, model, and condition) and fill out a quick form for a no-hassle online quote. We’ll send you an instant offer and you can decide if you want to sell us your car. In most cases, we can come pick up your car and hand you a check the same day!
At IV Auto, we process over 8,000 cars a month in major cities across the continental United States, so we always offer the best rate. After receiving your quote from us, we even encourage you to explore different options. That’s how confident we are that Junk Car Medics will offer you the best price and the friendliest service – no scams here!