I often have customers ask me “what determines how much money I will get for my junk car?” There are a few factors that determine how much cash someone will get for their junk car, van, or truck. Depending on the type of business you are selling your old car to. If you are selling it to a junk yard that is going to scrap the car their main concern is the weight of the vehicle. The heavier the car, the more you will get for it. The other main factor is the current price of scrap metal. The price of steel and other scrap metals varies monthly depending on supply and demand. Other places that you can sell your junk car to are auto wrecking yards. Most of these yards sell used auto parts and their main priority is dismantling the cars and selling the parts. Many of these yards also sell the remaining scrap metal. Auto wrecking yards that sell used auto parts are looking for specific years, makes, and models of cars that they know they get parts requests for. They will determine the amount of money they give someone for their junk vehicle based on the year, make, model, and condition of the car.
Hopefully this helps you understand how different businesses determine the price that they will give you for your junk car.