How to Get the Most Cash for Your Used Car

Maybe you’ve driven your car into the ground, and you’d like to figure out how to extract some value (and cash!) from it, if that’s at all possible. Or maybe an accident damaged your car to the point that the cost of repairs needed to fix the vehicle might be beyond your budget. What options do you have? Here’s a smart idea: consider selling it to a salvage yard to get money for used auto parts.

First, check California’s laws regarding junking your make/model of car. You can’t always simply hand your car to a junkyard for scrap. Junkyards have their own rules, and they must abide by state and local laws and regulations. Some junkyards won’t accept anything that isn’t metal, for instance, so you will be responsible for removing and disposing of the tires and plastic materials attached to the frame.

Junkyards may try to negotiate with you and possibly even “play hardball.” To shield yourself in negotiations, learn basic facts, like the market resell value of your car, whether or not the car can run, and whether important used auto parts might be considered salvageable. Gather that key information first, and then approach a few yards to get quotes, so you can “bargain shop” wisely.

Depending on circumstances, you may want to tow the vehicle yourself to the yard or hire a towing service. If the junkyard needs to pick up your car, the towing fee will likely be debited against what you’ll be offered. After the completion of the sale, check the California DMV to ensure that the title was properly transferred. Once the car is out of your hands, you don’t want to maintain an uninsured liability. If you’re in the Bay Area, we recommend contacting Santa Rita Tow to bring your car directly to our auto recycling center.

Rock & Roll Auto Recycling Wants to Buy Your Used Car!

Our experienced, respected Bay Area salvage yard buys used and junked vehicles for their auto parts. If you have used cars for sale, give us call today at (888) 550-9944 for a free estimate!