Should You Junk or Sell Your Unusable Car? 8 Considerations

If you have an old, unusable car on your hands that you’re trying to decide what to do with, don’t worry: plenty of options are available. For example, you can sell your car in San Jose now and get cash for your junk car. Of course, whether you should junk or sell your car is up to the individual, but it’s often a good idea to weigh various considerations before making a final decision.

1. The Condition of Your Car

First, evaluate the condition of your car. For example, if you have an old, rusty heap that’s still on the road only because it’s so old that people will think you’re crazy if you try to sell it, and they won’t buy it if they know the truth, then you might want to consider getting rid of it.

2. Your Options for Selling Your Car

The fact of the matter is that many of us have a choice in whether to sell our car or scrap it. Of course, you may be able to turn your old car into a pile of scrap metal, but there are other options that you can consider. For example, you may get ten dollars for it on Craigslist or similar sites if you choose this route.

3. The Cost of Selling Your Car

Consider junking it if you must pay someone one hundred dollars or more to sell it. That’s a lot of money on top of the costs already associated with getting rid of

your old car. However, you might find that, in this case, you should get rid of your car and save yourself the hassle.

4. The Value of Your Car (Utility)

If you’ve been lucky enough to have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on a good car you no longer use, you might get a few hundred dollars for it on Craigslist or similar sites. You might also be able to find a buyer willing to pay more than the scrap metal price if they can get everything they need out of it.

5. The Cost of Scrap Metal or Salvage

On the other hand, you might be OK with getting rid of your old beat-up car for scrap metal or salvage. If so, set a price and ask for it.

6. How Much You Would Get for Your Old Car in a Trade-in

If you plan to get a new car, it might be relatively painless to trade in your old one. In this case, you won’t have to deal with the hassle of selling it on your own, and you won’t have to pay someone to take care of it. On the other hand, if your old car is worth $500 – $1000 or more on its own without considering that you will be trading it in, it might make sense to sell the old car and not simply trade it in.

7. The Mileage of Your Old Car

If you’ve put a lot of mileage on your car, you might want to consider selling it or scrapping it. However, it may be worth more to you to get rid of it and put the money toward something new, like a truck or SUV, than salvage the parts from your old car.

8. The Age of Your Old Car

If your old car is an antique that could be valuable someday, consider selling it rather than getting rid of it while the scrap metal value is low. Otherwise, your antique car is worth more than you think, and you would be better off getting rid of it for scrap metal.

The Bottom Line

Remember that you have some options when deciding what to do with an old car in your hands. If you want to get rid of it, consider selling it for scrap metal value or simply junking it. You might also want to consider trading in your old car for a new one if you’re trading in something more unique. Sometimes putting off getting a new car until the right time is the best option.

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