When you live in a country where 88% of people own a car, you’re probably used to driving. Your car has given you a lot of good times, but now the bad outweighs the good.
Getting rid of a car doesn’t have to be difficult, and if you do it the right way you could earn money out of it.
If you’re putting the phrase junk yards near me into Google, you’re probably close to getting a new car. But how can you know for sure?
Junking a car can earn you money, but you need to make sure that you’re making the right choice first.
How can you know when your car is done? What will you do with your old car once you have a new one? Do you know all of your options?
We’re here to answer your most pressing car questions. After you read this post, you’ll know everything you need to know about getting rid of your car in a way that can benefit you.
Signs Your Car Needs To Be Replaced
Before you start looking for junk yards near me, let’s make sure your car is truly unable to be repaired.
You should also talk to a mechanic before you decide to junk your car. But if you notice any of these things, you should start Googling junk yards near me.
Repair Costs Exceed Car Value
This is the biggest and clearest sign that it’s time for you to junk your car.
We’ve all heard that cars lose their value as soon as they’re driven off of the lot. It’s normal for your car to lose a bit of value as the years go on, but sometimes it can go so low that it’s not worth keeping it.
Costly repairs aren’t worth it if they exceed the overall value of your car.
If you get a high estimate from your mechanic, take some time to research the value of your car. Ask their opinion on how much it’s worth, and also check out Kelley Blue Book to see the going rate for yourself.
Once you have an idea of what your car is worth in its current state, it can be easier to determine if going through repairs will be worth it.
You Have Safety Concerns
There’s nothing more stressful than having to drive a car that you don’t think is safe.
Safety has come a long way since cars were first invented. You may have seatbelts that work, but that doesn’t mean that your car is safe.
Do you know if your car is up to current factory standards? Have you done your best to stay up to date with recalls and repairs?
Can you say with certainty that all of your safety features are working? Are your driver and passenger side airbags work functioning?
If you have any kind of safety concerns, you should search for junk yards near me. A car that isn’t safe isn’t worth the money it could cost you.
Repair Needs Are Serious
A window that doesn’t roll down properly, a radio that no longer works, or an A/C that only blows out hot air can call for a trip to the mechanic. They’re annoying problems, but overall they’re small.
You can’t say the same for an engine that needs to be completely replaced or a transmission that needs to be overhauled.
This can play into cost issues as well. Big repairs are going to cost more, and at some point, it may not be worth the money.
Big repairs can be a big sign that there’s a more serious problem with your car. Going through with an extensive repair may not do more than delay the inevitable.
This month you’re paying for a new catalytic converter, then next month it’s the transmission. In three months you could have a car that can’t run that you’ve already sunk a lot of time and money into.
You Can’t Find a Buyer
You’ve posted the listening for your car nearly everywhere you can find. You’ve met with scores of “interested” buyers that end up walking away. The price has been lowered more times than you can count.
One of the surest signs that you should be searching for junk yards near me is the lack of a buyer.
If your car is in bad enough condition that you can’t find a single interested buyer, it’s time to give up on trying to sell it.
A car that can’t find a buyer is a car that belongs in a junk yard.
You Keep Repairing the Same Thing
It can be hard to keep track of every single auto repair you do, but when you take time to dive into your repair history you can learn a lot.
Think about how many repairs you’ve had to do on your current car. Then think about how many repairs seemed to be related to old problems.
Maybe you’ve found that your transmission seems to experience a major breakdown every 18 months. You could find that you’ve replaced nearly every moving part in your engine.
Repairs that keep occurring may not be a sign that you have a bad mechanic. Your car may simply be failing, and the multiple repairs to the same area are a big sign.
Picking the Right Junk Yards Near Me
Junking your car can solve the problem of getting rid of your old car, earn you money, and can even help the environment.
Searching for the phrase junk yards near me will pull up a lot of results, you need to make sure that you’re picking the right one.
When you find yourself searching for junk yards near me online, make sure whichever yard you pick meets the following criteria.
Ask About Payment Policies
When you’re searching for the phrase junk yards near me, you may want to add payment policies to the end of the search phrase.
Every junk yard has their own policies when it comes to paying people for their cars. Some yards will pay people as soon as they have the car in their lots, others will want to wait until they have time to inspect the vehicle.
Regardless of what their policies are, make sure that you’re familiar with them before you agree to anything.
Too many people have made the mistake of expecting a quick payday, then they learn that it can take weeks or months to get their check.
Ask About Fees
When you’re asking about payment policies, there’s no harm in asking about what kind of fees you’ll have to pay for their services.
It would be nice if you can drop off your car then get a check as soon as you leave. Plenty of places will charge people extra fees for certain things, you just have to make sure that you’re okay with paying for what they ask for.
It isn’t unusual to request a fee for towing your car, but before you agree to it you should ask how they price tows. Some may charge per mile right off the bat, others may only start to charge if you’re a certain amount of miles away from the yard.
Ask About Legal Paperwork
When people are searching for the phrase junk yards near me, it may not occur to them that giving their car to a junk yard will require some paperwork.
Your car may be a junker, but you still have to transfer the title to the junk yard. You also have to handle the registration.
Transferring over the title and registration makes the car legally the property of the junk yard. This may seem like a small thing, but not doing it can have serious and big consequences.
If you don’t transfer everything over to the junk yard, they could technically charge you for “storing your vehicle”. Not having the title and registration transferred over also makes you liable for anything that happens to the vehicle.
The junk yard by me you decided to sell your car to may leave it somewhere unaccounted for and your car could rack up parking tickets and other fines.
If you don’t pick a reputable junk yard, they may decide to fix up your car and re-sell it to someone for cheap.
That may seem harmless on the surface, but let’s say that the new driver gets into a bad accident. If paperwork wasn’t properly handled, the police could be looking for you because in the eyes of the law the car involved in the accident is yours.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming the junk yard owners will handle everything. Be sure to be 100% clear on how you’ll handle legal paperwork.
Ask Multiple Yards
When you’re searching for junk yards near me, you shouldn’t go with the first one you find or even the closest ones.
Remember, you’re not just doing this to get rid of your old car. You also want to make money, and you want to be sure that you’re getting the best deal possible.
Talk to different junk yards and get estimates from them. Keep a long list so you can compare and contrast as needed.
Don’t just ask them about the overall price of the car, don’t neglect the costly parts inside of it. If they’re in good condition, some of the parts in your car can be worth several hundred dollars by themselves.
Some places may give you a good deal on the entire car, but you could find that you can get a better price selling the parts to one yard and the body to another.
What To Do Before the Junk Yard
After doing countless searches for junk yards near me, you’ve finally found one that you want to use.
You may feel ready to drop your vehicle off, but you shouldn’t rush into it. Before you part ways with your car at the junk yard, make sure you do these crucial things.
Collect Your Personal Belongings
This may seem like an obvious step after you’ve been searching for junk yards near me, but you’d be surprised at how many things are left in the average car.
Cars can double as second homes for people. The more time you spend in it, the more of yourself and your possessions you can find in it.
Be sure to check every nook and cranny in your car. Flip your floormats, look under sun visors, and dig in the seat cushions. You never know what important things can wedge themselves into small spaces.
Remove any paperwork in your car, this includes old insurance cards, vehicle registrations, and other sensitive information. You may want to shred any documents that have identifying information.
Overall, you shouldn’t leave anything in your car. Valuables are a given, but your car should be as clean as possible before you drop it off. Afterall, you wouldn’t want junk yard employees to spend time cleaning up after you!
You don’t need to spend time cleaning the interior, but removing your things can make things easier for you and the junk yard crew.
Don’t forget about your license plates when you get to the junk yard. You don’t want any of your old important identifying information to get into the wrong hands.
Double Check Paperwork
We previously mentioned the importance of discussing legal paperwork with the junk yard of your choice.
Before you officially give them your car, it’s always a good idea to check in with the yard again. Make sure that they have the title and whatever other paperwork they may need, and that you have de-registration handled.
If they haven’t done something on their end, don’t be afraid to hold off on dropping off your car until issues are resolved. It’s better to deal with minor issues now than to discover them weeks or months later.
Know Your Next Move
When people search for junk yards near me, they’re usually focused on the goal of getting rid of their car. They don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what they’ll do when it’s gone.
If the money you earn from junking your car is supposed to go towards your new car, start looking for vehicles in your budget.
Seek out different forms of transportation if you’ll have to wait a bit before you buy your next car.
Moving Forward
When you search for junk yards near me, you’ll be fully prepared to find one that will give you the best deal.
If you want to make sure that you get your money’s worth, check our blog post on how to get the most value out of your junk car. We’ll share our insider knowledge to help you get the best deal on your car possible!
When you’re ready to get rid of your junk car, be sure to contact us. We have locations around the country, so look up the one closest to you today.
