How Can I Get Rid of a Car If It’s Undrivable?
Ways to offload a vehicle that won’t start or isn’t safe to drive
Your car has reached the end of the road. It’s been on its last leg for months, and it’s finally given in, collapsing on your driveway and refusing to move. Now that your vehicle won’t start and is unable to be driven safely, what are you supposed to do with it? How are you supposed to get rid of this undrivable heap of junk?
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Have it towed
If you can’t move the car on its own, someone else will need to haul it away. Call a local towing company or see if your AAA membership will cover the relocation expense. The tow truck will arrive at your house and hitch up the vehicle to take it where you want.
You should already have made arrangements where you’re taking the car. If you just want to get rid of it quickly, see if there’s a junkyard nearby accepting disposals. You might be able to make a couple of bucks off the arrangement to recoup the towing cost.
If you want to make some money off the car, you can make a deal with a nearby car dealership for credit toward a new car purchase. If you don’t plan on buying a car to replace it — if you already have a newer car you drive daily — you can find a local charity that accepts vehicle donations in any condition. You can write that donation off on your taxes.
Before you have the vehicle towed anywhere, communicate the condition of the vehicle to the recipient clearly and with pictures to ensure they know what they’re agreeing to.
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Call a junk removal service
Some scrapyards or other junk reclamation companies have the means to transport a car off your property to theirs, so you may be able to avoid paying for the removal yourself. But, this method means you’re more likely to not make any money like you would if you were bringing the automobile to them.
If you can’t find a junk removal service who will come and take the vehicle for free, you may have to pay a business to remove it for you.
Post about it online for pickup
Depending on how dilapidated it is, you may not be able to make money off the junker by selling it, but you may find someone who’s willing to take it off your hands for free.
There may be someone in your neighborhood who gathers broken machines and scrap to redeem for cash at their local scrapyard. That person might have a desire and a means to remove your car from your property if it means they’ll make some money. Or, they might be interested in refurbishing the car or acquiring it for parts. Either way, it’s a win-win!
If your car won’t budge from its spot, that doesn’t mean it’s stuck there forever. There are multiple ways you can remove the vehicle, no matter how long it’s been sitting there.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.