Junk car value
Junk car value calculator
Fill in year, make, model, mileage, ZIP, and how the car sits. Optional curb weight prints dated complete-car metal math. The rest is what a buyer still weighs. It is not a purchase offer, and we do not send the form to anyone.
Free to use. We do not collect email or phone, and we do not send this form to a buyer.
Step 1 of 4
Vehicle
How this calculator works
Year, make, model, and ZIP are the usual start. Optional curb weight is what turns the dated complete-car rate into metal math. We also ask whether the car runs, what you know about the engine and transmission, collision, flood, fire, whether the catalytic converter is still on it, missing parts, and title.
The result leads with that metal math, then a list of what might hold value and what still has to be checked in the driveway.
The form does not ask if a truck can reach the car, or if someone already cut the converter. Rolling and steering show up at pickup. If the car does not match the form, the bid can move.
We do not send this to a buyer. Partner links appear after the worksheet if you want a written bid. Read that buyer's current terms for this car and ZIP.
What you can calculate yourself
A scrap-metal floor is paid weight times a local complete-car or steel rate. Curb weight from a spec sheet is not the scale ticket. Fluids, tires, missing parts, and how the yard weighs the car all sit in between.
On 27 August 2026, iScrap displayed $193.20 per ton as a complete-car reference. Yard-reported entries on that page were not the same number in every city. A 3,300-pound sedan is about 1.65 tons. At that posted rate the metal math is about $319. Treat that as a dated reference, not a check.
iScrap describes a complete car as one that still has the main pieces a yard expects, including the engine, transmission, and catalytic converter. Missing those drops you off that reference rate. A dismantler who can still use those parts may bid above the metal math. Mileage matters less for scrap than for a car someone might still drive.
How junk car value is calculated writes this out as a method. This page is the form. The weight page is the same metal math with a scale ticket and a local rate. The junk car value guide covers scrap versus a whole-car bid in more depth.
How accurate is an online calculator?
It can only use what you typed. If you mark the car as running and the driver finds a dead battery and a missing converter, the quote moves.
Kelley Blue Book and CARFAX price a similar running car for trade-in or private sale. A junk buyer is pricing metal, leftover parts, towing, and title risk. Using a retail number as a junk-car target usually leaves a gap you will see at the first real bid.
A VIN helps a dealer or an insurer pull history. It is not required here. Year, make, and model are enough to start. Trim and the exact engine still matter once a buyer looks the car up.
Two buyers can quote the same car differently because pickup cost and what they can resell are not the same job.
Estimate and cash offer
This page organizes facts. A cash offer is a buyer's bid after they check the car, the title, and whether they can load it.
Used-car estimators sometimes show a range, then a button for a guaranteed offer. Those are different products. The range is software. The offer is a person looking at your car, and it can change if the description was wrong.
Compare more than one written bid, and keep the condition notes identical. When you want current buyer terms, compare selling options.
If the car does not run
You can still fill this out. Say that it does not run, and say what you know about the engine and transmission. A complete car that will not start is a different job from a car missing wheels or a converter. A dead battery is a different sale from a confirmed blown engine.
If you are not sure why it will not start, pick unknown rather than guessing that the engine is blown. Guessing a failed engine can send you to the wrong kind of buyer. The non-running car value guide covers that split.
Frequently asked questions
How much is my junk car worth?
There is no single national price. This calculator prints dated metal math plus the factors a buyer still weighs. On 27 August 2026, iScrap posted $193.20 per short ton for a complete car. A 3,300-pound sedan is about $319 of metal math. A written bid can sit above or below that.
How accurate is a junk car value calculator, and what can it not know?
The metal floor uses the curb weight you entered, or a 3,300-pound sedan example, times iScrap $193.20 per short ton on 27 August 2026. The rest of the worksheet is what you typed. It cannot see the converter or the title stamp. It is not a purchase offer.
Does a running car always bring more than a non-running car?
No. A complete non-runner with a wanted drivetrain can beat a stripped runner. A running car can still price as parts or metal. Say whether it starts, rolls, and steers, and why it will not run if it does not.
Do I need a VIN to get an estimate?
No. Year, make, and model are enough to start. A VIN helps later if a buyer or an insurer wants history. Trim and the exact engine still matter once someone looks the car up.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. There is no email wall and no phone field. We do not send the form to a buyer.
Can I use it for a non-running or wrecked car?
Yes. The form covers running status, engine, transmission, collision, flood, and fire. Use the closest honest answer. If you do not know, say unknown rather than guessing a blown engine.
What paperwork do I need to sell a junk car?
Most buyers want a title in your name. A lien, a salvage brand, or a missing title is a state-specific problem. Ask the buyer and your DMV before you schedule pickup. This site does not process title work.
Does filling this out mean I have to sell?
No. Nothing is submitted to a buyer. Partner links after the worksheet are optional.
How is salvage value calculated?
In insurance, salvage is often the leftover value of a damaged car after a total-loss decision. A junk buyer is not running that formula. They are bidding on metal, leftover parts, towing, and paperwork for this car. The calculation page on this site covers the method, without a universal payout number.
How much does scrap metal pay per pound for cars?
Yards usually quote a complete car by the ton, not a posted cents-per-pound price for a whole vehicle. On 27 August 2026, iScrap showed $193.20 per ton as a complete-car reference. Divide by 2,000 and the metal math is about 10 cents a pound. That is not what you receive after towing, fluids, and missing parts.
Sources and references
- [S16] · valuation · United StatesMy Car's Value FAQ, Kelley Blue Book, accessed August 2026Used-car valuation inputs; not a junk-buyer pricing source.
- [S20] · valuation · United StatesInstant Used Car Value / Appraisal, Edmunds, accessed August 2026Used-car valuation inputs and estimate-versus-offer distinction.
- [S1] · government · United StatesProcessing End-of-Life Vehicles, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed August 2026Dismantling and materials-recovery context; not a payout source.
- [S45] · market-signal · United States and CanadaComplete Car Metal Weights & Values, iScrapApp, accessed August 27, 2026On access day the page displayed $193.20/ton as a complete-car reference, with yard-reported entries that differed by location. Local, time-sensitive market context only; never a national owner payout.
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