Junk cars are often thought of as inoperable vehicles that sit in someone’s driveway or front yard, creating an eyesore. In many cases this description is accurate, but a junk car can also be a vehicle that still operates but has lost its value as a mode of transportation for one reason or another. Do you have a junk car on your hands? Sometimes it’s hard to tell, but if the vehicle fits into any of the following categories, the answer is probably yes.
Inoperable or Unsafe Lemon Vehicle
In most states, consumers are entitled to a replacement vehicle if a lemon vehicle achieves lemon status within a certain number of miles. Federal lemon law, on the other hand, entitles consumers to a cash payout and lets them keep the vehicle. If you aren’t entitled to a replacement for a lemon vehicle, and the vehicle continues to be inoperable or unsafe despite continued repairs, you should consider selling the car to a junkyard that pays cash for junk cars.
Worth More as Scrap Than as an Automobile
After a certain number of miles, some vehicles are worth more as scrap metal than they are as automobiles. If you have an old car that would sell for a pittance, you should see how much a salvage yard that has a cash for cars program would pay for the vehicle. You may discover that the value of the metals in the vehicle exceed its sale price.
Still Runs But Needs Frequent Repairs
Frugal people often drive an automobile for a decade or longer, but there comes a time when an old car becomes more of a money pit than a money saver. A few $150 repairs aren’t so bad, but when face paying thousands of dollars to replace an alternator or a drivetrain, selling the vehicle to a salvage yard that pays cash for junk cars, and putting the money toward a new vehicle is a smart idea.
Totaled in an Accident
The most obvious sign that you should sell your car to a salvage yard that has a cash for cars program is if the vehicle is totaled in an accident. Although your vehicle may cost more to fix than it would sell for, there may be plenty of good parts under the hood and on the body that a junkyard could sell for a profit.
Old Vehicle That Will Never Be Used Again
This doesn’t apply to a classic Corvette that you’ve lent to the Smithsonian, but a non-classic vehicle like Chevy Cavalier that sits in the driveway with half flat tires. When someone buys new vehicles faster than he sells old ones, he often ends up two or three vehicles that clog the driveway, and gradually deteriorate from disuse. If you have cars like this, why not sell them to a salvage yard that has a cash for cars program instead of letting them rust away?
Conclusion
If you have an automobile that is an inoperable or unsafe lemon vehicle, is worth more as scrap than as a vehicle, still runs but needs frequent repairs, was totaled in an accident, or is simply old and will never be used again, taking it to a salvage yard that offers cash for junk cars is a great way to get money out of machinery that is otherwise almost worthless.
