The used car industry does a brisk trade in the US with around 40 million used cars sold in any given year. If nothing else, it’s one way of extending the useful life of high-cost consumer products. Even with the automotive industry playing its part in making parts available for those used cars, they don’t last forever.
At some point, vehicle ownership of a used car turns into ownership of a junk car. If have one of those junk cars or a wrecked car in your driveway, how do you get rid of it? Keep reading for some of the best ways you can offload that car.
Junk Car Buyers
You can almost always find a junk car buyer near your location. These businesses will routinely offer you a few hundred dollars for your junk car. If your car is particularly rare or still in working order, they may offer a little more.
In most cases, they retrieve the vehicle from your property for you.
Recycle
It might sound strange, but there are services out there that will recycle your vehicle. Cars contain a lot of recyclable materials, including:
- Copper
- Precious metals
- Steel
Just as importantly, most cars also contain computer components. If not properly recycled, they can become a hazard to soil and groundwater.
Donate
If you’re not looking to sell and your car still runs fairly well, you can always donate the vehicle. Many charitable causes will accept vehicles as a donation. They will sell the vehicles at auction as a way of raising money for their organizations.
In other cases, they may sell the vehicles to a scrapyard to make something from the value of the scrap metal in the vehicles. In either case, you help support a cause you feel makes a difference in the world.
Take It Back
Not every junk car is actually junk. Sometimes, you buy a used car in good faith from another owner or dealership. You get it home, drive it for a week or two, and it just dies on you.
In cases like that, you don’t have a junk car. What you have is an old lemon car. Most states maintain lemon laws on their books that require a seller to refund your money if a car dies within a certain period of time. If you think you’ve got a lemon, head over here for some common lemon law questions.
Ditching that Old Junk Car
Most people don’t want an old junk car taking up space on their property. Junk cars are often an eyesore and soak up space you’d prefer to use for something else.
Fortunately, you can offload a junk car in several ways. You can sell it to a junk car buyer or recycle it. If you’re so inclined, you can also donate a vehicle to a charity.
If you have a lemon on your hand, taking it back may prove an option.
Looking to fix up an old junk car? Check out our Auto Maintenance section.