If you’ve got a car that doesn’t run, you may want to try and repair it rather than fix it. However, depending on the severity of your car’s problems and its age, that may not be worthwhile.
For instance, if your engine is blown, the cost of replacing the engine may very well exceed the cost of replacing the entire vehicle. The same is true for replacing a non-functioning transmission.
If you have a brand new vehicle that has suddenly encountered a major mechanical issue, repairing it may make more financial sense. For instance, if your car is worth $15,000 and you have a mechanical issue that would cost $3,000 to repair, it may be worth taking it to a shop.
However, if you have a vehicle worth $4,000 and you have a mechanical issue that would cost $3,000 to repair, you might need to think twice. The money you invest into the repair will likely not significantly raise the price of the vehicle.
Instead, you could sell it and take the profits plus the money you would have spent on repairs to purchase a replacement vehicle in better shape.
If you’ve decided that you aren’t going to hold on to your sitting duck of a car, you have a few options in front of you. You can:
Donate the car to a charity.
Sell the car to a junkyard.
Sell the car privately.
Sell the car to CarBrain!
Selling your non-running car to CarBrain is the easiest solution on the table. You can get a quote in under 90 seconds and decide if you like the price. If you do, we can arrange a tow truck to pick it up in under 48 hours for FREE.
When the tow truck arrives, the driver will hand you your check. The sale is done and you can buy a new car and avoid the headaches.
If you want to donate a car that doesn’t run to a charitable organization, you need to do your research first. Some organizations may pose as charities while actually operating as scams.
Still other organizations actually are designed to be charities, but divert the majority of their funds to overhead expenses rather than their cause of choice. You don’t want your donation to primarily go towards advertisements to get more donations — you want it to go to the cause you donated for.
You can research a charity on a website like Charity Navigator to learn more about how it spends its funds. Make sure the organization asks you to sign your title before handing it over. If you don’t sign it, you could face serious legal repercussions down the line.
If you have a car that won’t run and you want to sell it fast, you can start by calling junkyards in your area. Many junkyards will take cars in any condition and sell them for parts or scrap metal.
You must call multiple different junkyards and request multiple quotes before making a decision. You can get a wide variety of quotes from junkyards, and the first one you call may not necessarily give you the best price.
When you’re calling for quotes, you must also ask whether the cost of towing the vehicle is included. If a towing company wants to charge you for the cost of the tow, pick another place.
If you’ve got a junk car that won’t run sitting in your driveway, you may be able to sell it yourself on the private market. However, this involves a bit of legwork.
First you must photograph the car and prepare a listing describing what shape it’s in, how old it is and what kind of work must be done to repair it. Then you need to communicate with potential buyers.
Buyers may have questions about the shape of the car, request additional pictures or ask to come see it in person. You must vet the clients to determine if they’re serious about the car and if they will pay your asking price.
Many buyers will attempt to negotiate you down once they see the car in person, pointing to real or imagined flaws. It might take multiple viewings to finally sell your junk vehicle. Even after you close the sale, you will have to figure out how to transport the vehicle away.
If you have a car that doesn’t run and you want to get rid of it and get paid fast, CarBrain is the easiest solution. We’ll take your car no matter what shape it’s in.
To get started, all you have to do is fill out the form. In under 90 seconds, you could have a quote from CarBrain. We guarantee that we offer fair prices in line with market rates for your vehicle. If you like the price, you can schedule a FREE tow in under 48 hours.
Once the tow truck comes to pick up your car, the driver will deliver the check to you. You could have cash in your hands in under 48 hours without even leaving your house.
Choosing CarBrain is the fast, simple and logical way to get rid of a car that doesn’t run.