Should you be in possession of a car in bad condition, you are allowed to sell it. It is not illegal for individuals to sell damaged cars or cars with mechanical issues. There are entire industries, in fact, that specialize in broken vehicles.
That said, it IS illegal to sell a car in bad condition without disclosing that it is in such condition. Be fully transparent about your car’s issues and never attempt to mislead potential buyers by misrepresenting your car.
Always disclose the car’s mileage, accident history, and the damage and/or subsequent repairs. Providing a vehicle history report can also help you avoid any legal headaches later down the road.
While it might make sense that you’ll get a better offer by fixing your car before selling it, you’re likely to just end up losing money in the long run.
Minor problems that can be fixed for under $300 might benefit you to do with a reliable mechanic. These can improve your car’s perceived condition and, therefore, increase the price you can ask for its sale.
If the car needs major repairs to get it out of its bad condition, you’re likely to exceed the amount you’ll get back in its sale and take a loss overall.
Should your repair job cost $2,000, that won’t necessarily raise the value of your car by an additional $2,000. In that case, you are spending money on the car that you will not get back. If your car needs a lot of work done, skip it.
After deciding not to fix any damages on your car, it’s time to decide how to actually sell a faulty car. That, however, comes with its own complication: who actually wants a junk car?
Turns out, plenty of places and people are willing to buy a car, regardless of the condition it's in. When looking for where to sell a car that needs repairs, you’ve got several options:
Sell It To A Dealership — Any dealership that accepts cars “as is” will purchase your junk car. However, dealerships usually won’t trade junk cars for cash. The money offered is likely credit to be applied to buying another vehicle from them.
Additionally, they specialize in roadworthy cars, so a junk car that can’t run is likely to get lowballed.
Sell It To A Private Buyer — Private buyers aren’t restricted by pricing or any condition constraints. If your model is popular and in demand, someone will want it.
Finding that person, however, can be a massive hassle; vetting serious candidates and haggling being chief amongst the most annoying portions of the process.
Platforms like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are a couple examples of platforms to find buyers for your vehicle.
Donate It To Charity - The feel-good option of giving your car to a non-profit is also available. Do your due diligence about what kind of tax breaks you get (if any).
Sell It To A Junkyard — When looking for places that buy junk cars near you, local junkyards are the common choice. They will accept vehicles in virtually any condition. They purchase them quickly, but they make their profit by buying low and reselling the usable parts.
Sell It To An Online Dealership — Companies like CarMax and Carvana have taken advantage of the internet and made selling a car that’s been totaled online a possibility.
Keep in mind, these places still specialize in cars that can be resold quickly. A totaled car isn’t their ideal purchase, so they won’t be paying top dollar for it.
In all these situations though, you will likely get a low offer. If you still owe any money on your vehicle, your goal should be to sell it for as much as possible so you can pay off your remaining loan faster.
Let’s explore what you need to do in order to prepare your damaged vehicle for sale and what some of those selling options might look like further.
Selling an old car follows a similar path as selling a car that needs repairs. The same group of buyers on the list above will purchase an old car, but how quickly and how much they buy them for will vary drastically.
When figuring out how to sell a car with problems, it's in your best interest to weigh all of your options and figure out which one is the best fit for your situation.
Deciding how to sell a broken car shouldn't be rocket science. To effectively sell a car in bad condition, you should take the following steps:
Remove all personal belongings left in the vehicle.
Get a quote from a mechanic for how much it would take to repair your vehicle.
Find the title to your vehicle. If necessary, order a copy from your state DMV.
Clean up your car for showing, if you will be selling the vehicle privately.
Look for estimates by tracking damaged car sales in your area.
The steps above will help complete the sales process and arm you with the information required to get the quickest and best possible quote for your vehicle.
CarBrain buys cars in bad condition! We have been in the business of buying less-than-perfect cars nationwide since we first opened our doors in 2007.
Each of these options are interested in buying a damaged car and have their pros and cons depending upon how quickly you’re trying to sell your car, how much money you’re trying to make, and how much hassle you’re willing to put up with.
Junkyards — When looking for places that buy old cars in bad condition, junkyards are a common option. They will accept vehicles as they are.They purchase them quickly, but they make their profit by buying low and reselling the usable parts.
Dealerships — Any dealership that accepts cars “as is” will purchase your car. However, dealerships usually won’t trade cars for cash. The money offered is likely credit to be applied to buying another vehicle from them.
Additionally, they specialize in roadworthy cars, so a car in bad condition that can’t run is likely to get lowballed.
Private Buyers — Private buyers aren’t restricted by pricing or any condition constraints. If your model is popular and in demand, someone will want it.
Finding that person, however, can be a massive hassle; vetting serious candidates and haggling being chief amongst the most annoying portions of the process.
CarBrain has been in the business of buying cars in less-than-perfect condition since we first opened our doors in 2007.
We’ve evaluated well over a million cars since then, helping stressed car owners nationwide. Our car evaluators are experts in their field. If you have a damaged or crashed car, we will buy it.
CarBrain is a free service. There are no charges for evaluations and offers. If you sell a car with CarBrain, we cover the costs for pick up and towing.
We don’t like the practice of having hidden fees, so we don’t have any. When you sell your car to CarBrain, we pay you, not the other way around.
All CarBrain offers are guaranteed for seven days, so you have time to think it over. If you aren’t sure yet, you can find positive reviews of CarBrain all over the web, from Facebook to Google to the Better Business Bureau and more.
Find out what our customers have to say about us — we’re confident you’ll have a great experience.
CarBrain is the ideal “final home” for vehicles near the end of their road-life. Our top-tier customer service representatives make the entire process as easy as 1-2-3:
Get your free quote! Simply enter some basic information about your car on our website and you’ll receive a free and guaranteed quote within 90 seconds.
Towing is complementary, so you’ll never have to worry about hidden or additional fees taking away from the profits you take home.
Schedule your pickup within 24-48 hours! If you’re happy with your quote, you’ll be able to schedule your vehicle retrieval with one of our partners within your area. They’re trusted to come to you at a time that works best for you.
Complete your sale! After a quick inspection and transferring of your title, you’ll receive the amount you were quoted, no haggling or fuss. Your vehicle is taken off your hands and money is put in them!
Contact CarBrain today and sell your car quickly without leaving the comfort of your own home!
CarBrain specializes in buying damaged cars, including yours! We can purchase vehicles with the following types of damage:
Non-running vehicles
Salvage cars
Rebuilt cars
Cars with blown engines
Vehicles with transmission problems
Cars with mechanical damage
Vehicles with frame or body damage
Wrecked cars
Total loss cars
Old cars
Animal-damaged cars
We help sellers like you dispose of junk cars, unwanted clunkers, and broken vehicles every day. Get an offer in 90 seconds and find out what your car is worth now!
If your car is in bad condition, you have to consider the cost of repairing it versus its value to decide whether to fix it or not.
If the cost of repairing the vehicle exceeds 50 percent or more of the vehicle’s value, fixing it is not a good idea. Instead, you should consider your options for getting rid of it.
Yes. If you have a car in bad condition, you have the option to sell it rather than try to repair it. You can bring it to a junkyard or salvage yard, or sell it privately to an individual.
When you sell it to a junkyard or salvage yard, you may only receive the scrap metal value of the vehicle. Additionally, you will have to contact the yards in your area to determine if they will pick up your vehicle for no additional charges or fees.
If you choose to sell privately, you must negotiate a time for potential buyers to come look at the vehicle. Additionally, you and the buyer will have to discuss who pays to tow the vehicle if it does not run.
In some cases, parting out a car in bad condition may be a better choice than selling it. Theoretically, you can get more money for a car by parting it out.
However, this depends on numerous factors. You must be able to dismantle your vehicle. Additionally, it can take several months to sell all the parts. Finally, you must take into accounts that you may not be able to sell bad parts and may have to discard them instead.
In many cases, selling the car whole is easier and more profitable than trying to part it out.
In some cases, you can trade in a car in bad condition. You must find a dealership willing to accept a less-than-perfect car in order to do so.
Many dealerships will accept damaged cars, but not necessarily totaled or non-running vehicles. You must reach out to dealerships in your area to find out if they will take your vehicle and what they will offer you for it.
Keep in mind that when you trade your car into a dealership, you must purchase a vehicle from their selection. In most cases, a damaged car’s trade-in value will be significantly lower than the prices of vehicles offered by the dealership.
The easiest way to sell a car in bad condition is to go online. Services like CarBrain allow you to get quotes quickly so you can see your car’s value. Additionally, it is easier to determine whether a particular company services your area when you go online.
In most cases, to sell your car online you need to fill out a form and upload photos of your vehicle. Then you must schedule a time for a tow truck to pick up your vehicle. Once your vehicle is picked up, you will receive your payment.
At CarBrain, we have over a decade of experience buying less-than-perfect cars. We know how to determine the fair market value for your damaged vehicle. Additionally, our offers always include FREE towing and FREE title transfer. There are no hidden charges or fees for using our service.
CarBrain offers are guaranteed, so there are no bait-and-switches when it’s time to get paid. Additionally, we have a professional customer support team ready to help walk you through every step of the process. There’s no obligation, there’s no fuss. Selling to CarBrain is safe, fast and easy.
We can help you sell your car and get paid in under 48 business hours. Why wait? Get started now.