Junk Car Worth Methodology

Every number on Junk Car Worth comes from a published source we name or from arithmetic we show you. This page explains both, with dates, so you can check our work. Prices below were checked in September 2026, and the scrap, converter and rating figures were refreshed on October 23, 2026.

The scrap value formula

Scrap value is curb weight in pounds, divided by 2,000, times the yard price per ton for a complete car. A US ton is 2,000 pounds.

A 3,000 lb compact at $183.63 per ton works out to about $275. The junk car value calculator runs the same math with a low and a high price ($140 and $200 per ton), rounds to the nearest $5, and shows you the range.

These are our calculations, not published payouts. Yards weigh the car as delivered, and many deduct or refuse for missing parts, fluids left in the car or a missing catalytic converter.

Where the weights come from

We use curb weight: the empty vehicle with standard equipment and full fluids. We do not use gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which includes payload and would inflate every estimate.

The EPA’s 2025 Automotive Trends Report puts the average new vehicle at 4,354 lb for model year 2024. We do not use that number, for two reasons. EPA weights are inertia weights, which are curb weight plus 300 lb. And junk cars are older and often lighter than new ones.

Instead we group cars into ten classes and use a default weight for each. The defaults are our own judgment, set close to the middle of the models in the table. No source publishes an official average for these classes, so treat each as a starting point. One model can vary by 300 to 500 lb depending on drivetrain, cab, engine and battery.

Most manufacturer sites blocked our fetcher. The model figures come from cars.com and The Car Connection, which republish manufacturer specs, plus Honda’s own newsroom for the Civic. If you pick “missing big parts” in the calculator, we take 20 percent off the class weight. For more weights, see how much a car weighs.

Where the yard price comes from

We use about $140 to $200 per ton for a complete car at most US yards, with a national average near $184, as of October 2026. Two sources feed that:

• iScrap publishes crowd-sourced yard reports. Its complete-car headline was $183.63 per ton when we checked, and its newest yard report was dated October 22, 2026. Its reports from June to mid-September ran from $150 to $250.
• ScrapMonster lists yards that report prices and says it updates bi-weekly. Its September 29, 2026 entry was $140 per ton at a yard in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

We also checked the top of the range against two aggregator sites: clunqr (June 2026) lists $150 to $200 per ton, and reapmyride (February 2026) lists $146 to $206. They are secondary sources, so we use them only as a cross-check.

Over the past year, single-yard reports have ranged from about $105 to $250, so your yard can land outside our range. iScrap defines a complete car as one with the engine, transmission, catalytic converter, battery, radiator, rims and tires, and wiring harness. The headline number is a blend of user reports rather than an index, so we use it as a center point and always show a range.

We do not use mill prices. Recycling Today’s September 2026 report (RMDAS data) shows mills paying about $418 to $422 per ton for shredded scrap, but mills buy processed material. A junk-car yard buys a whole hulk and bears the cost of pulling fluids, hauling and shredding.

How we handle the catalytic converter

Converter values come from recycler price lists. The rrcats list showed a national average of $90.15 per converter on October 23, 2026, with ranges by type: Regular Domestic $20 to $128, Small Domestic $30 to $184, Small Foreign $30 to $225, Large GM $80 to $280. ScrapMonster’s report dated September 22, 2026 shows point prices such as GM Large $180 and Domestic High Grade $166. The rrcats list calls its prices guidelines only, and says final quotes depend on serial numbers, condition and market.

For hybrids, the calculator uses $300 to $700. That is the Prius range (2004 to 2015 models) from the blog of a salvage-yard inventory site, dated May 21, 2026, so it is older than the other prices and covers one model.

If you tell the calculator the converter is gone, it takes your class’s converter range off the estimate (the top of the range from the low end, the bottom from the high end) and caps the cut: the low end never falls below half, and the high end never below 60 percent. If you answer yes or not sure, it assumes the converter is on the car. Our catalytic converter scrap price guide has more on what drives the range.

How we read company policies

For Peddle and CarBrain we start with the company’s own help center, FAQ and terms, then check BBB and Trustpilot. Our rules:

• We attribute claims. “Peddle says” and “CarBrain’s FAQ says” mean the company wrote it.
• When a marketing page and the fine print disagree, we report both. CarBrain’s How It Works page says an accepted offer will not change, while BBB complaints describe offers lowered at pickup and CarBrain’s replies say the vehicle did not match the description. Peddle’s terms let it recalculate or refuse pickup if the car differs from what you reported.
• We show ratings with the complaint themes next to them, in our Peddle review and CarBrain review. Both companies invite customer reviews, and each profile shows a paid Trustpilot subscription, so the scores are self-selected.
• We do not claim first-hand tests. We have not sold a car through these companies for these pages.

How often we update

We aim to recheck scrap prices monthly and company policies quarterly. Each guide shows the date it was last updated, and the last full fact check was September 30, 2026, with scrap, converter and rating figures refreshed on October 23, 2026. If a price or policy changes before our next pass, we may be behind. Tell us.

What our numbers are not

An estimate is not an offer. Real offers depend on the buyer, your ZIP code, the car’s condition, the title and the catalytic converter. A car that runs and drives can be worth more than its scrap weight. Offers from Peddle and CarBrain can change before you accept, and can be revised at pickup if the car does not match your description.

For more, see our scrap car prices guide and how much junkyards pay for cars. Corrections go to hello@junkcarworth.com or the contact page.