How Much is a Non Running Car Worth

A broken down car is probably the last thing any of us want to deal with, especially if we have busy schedules and perhaps are on a budget.

The first step in dealing with this problem is to find the value of your vehicle:

Find the same make and model of your car with similar mileage to know its selling price.
Compare several different cars for sale to find the average price.
After you have an average price, you will want to reduce that by 50-60% depending on the condition of your vehicle, and the fact that it is not running.

The harsh reality is that most buyers are not looking for non-running vehicles and if they are, they are going to pay as little as possible for the vehicle since it is not drive-able.

If you recently had a broken down car or have been holding on to a non-running vehicle and are not sure what to do next, we would love to give you some answers!

How to Sell a Non Running Car

You are most likely being faced with a few decisions:

Do I fix my non running car?
Do I sell my non running car?
Or do I scrap my non running car?

Find the Cars Value

As mentioned above, you need to find the value of your non-running vehicle.

Without an accurate valuation, you won’t really know which option is best given your situation and if you overvalue your car, you could really be shooting yourself in the foot investing in expensive repairs.

To assess your vehicles value and receive an unbiased valuation, you will want to use KBB.com.

It’s super simple, you just put your cars information and condition into their forms and they will give you a pretty good estimate of the value of your car.

Repair Estimate

If you feel like your car still has some value left, you may want to get a repair estimate to see if the repair cost still gives you some value or not.

You can bring your car to a local mechanic so they can diagnose and give you an estimate.

With an estimate in hand you can make a decision based on a few factors:

If the repair cost is higher than or very close to the value of the car, it is most likely not worth repairing. You are better off selling the car as is or junk it. If you fix it, there is no guarantee it will run as it did before and could end up being a big money pit that you will never recover any sort of return from.
If the repair costs are significantly lower than the value of the car, and you feel that your car is still reliable, then investing in the repairs may be your option here.
If your car broke down and you don’t have enough money to fix it, the answer is pretty clear, sell the car for cash and don’t waste anymore time or money on it.

Challenges of Getting Rid of a Non Running Car

If you choose not to repair your vehicle, then you need to somehow get rid of your broken down car.

This can be quite a challenge if the vehicle is not actually running and even more-so if you have a loan balance on that car.

When you finance a vehicle (more commonly a used vehicle), especially for long amortization terms, there is a chance your car could break down before you’ve paid it off.

If this is the case and your car broke down before you finished paying it off, you can either scrape together the money to fix it and continue driving your car or you can sell your car as is.

Unfortunately, because the car isn’t running, you may need to sell it for less than what you owe.

Selling to a dealer will be challenging in this scenario because the car is not running.

Most dealerships will not take a trade-in car that is not running and if they do, they wont give you much for it.

Here are a few options for selling your broken down car:

Sell privately as-is online via sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. There may be a chance someone is looking for a car like yours. Just remember this process can take weeks, months or more and you need to commit to meeting with potential buyers.
See if any dealers in your area accept non-working cars as trade-ins. Unfortunately, you may be calling a lot of dealerships because most of them only want running vehicles.
Sell it to a junkyard or scrap yard. If you decide to do this, they will only pay you for the parts that they feel they can re-sell. Usually they pay very little and will haggle you.
Sell the car for parts – basically dismantle your car and sell it piece by piece. You can make more money this way but it will take a lot of time and effort.
Sell your car as-is, for Cash and walk away from the problem quickly.

It doesn’t hurt to try the above options, but if you are needing a solution quickly, your next step is to get a Free quote from a company that buys cars or “clunkers” in any condition, working or not.

How to Get a Cash Offer on Your Non Running Vehicle

Rather than dealing with the hassles of options 1-4 above, choosing option 5 may be the way to get the most Cash with the least amount of effort.

At Cash4Clunkers.org, we buy cars in ANY condition for Cash!

We have a large connection with local buyers looking for cars, trucks, vans and vehicles just like yours and our mission is to help you sell your car fast and easily and here is how:

Instant offers for your broken down car simply by filling out our no obligation Quote Form and we’ll get you an offer FAST.
We Offer the Most competitive rates for Any Vehicle that you are not interested in Keeping – we will reach out with our offer.
After you’ve Received an Offer for your vehicle, You’ll Have the Opportunity to Get Cash Quickly by setting up a pickup or drop-off time. Yes, we pickup for FREE which is ideal if your car is broken down.
Get Paid in CASH for the Vehicle

Benefits of Using Cash4Clunkers.org:

Quick, easy online or phone quote
Easy transport – FREE towing or you drop off (your choice)
Get rid of your broken down car for Cash!