What is my scrap car worth?

There's no single price for a scrap car — it depends on what the car is, what's left on it, and what the metal market is doing that week. Here's what actually moves the figure, and how to make sure you get the most for yours.

What decides the price

Four things do most of the work:

• Weight and metal market — heavier cars hold more recoverable steel and aluminium, and the price tracks the live scrap-metal market, which moves daily.
• Parts value — a car worth more broken than crushed earns more; a healthy engine, gearbox or in-demand panels lift the figure.
• The catalytic converter — it contains precious metals, so a car with its original cat intact is worth noticeably more.
• Completeness — a whole car beats a stripped one; missing wheels, seats, electronics or the cat all reduce the offer.

Rough bands for Scotland

As a guide, a small hatchback tends to come in around £120–£280, a family car £160–£340, a 4x4 or SUV £220–£520, and vans, pickups and electric cars higher again. These are guide ranges for end-of-life cars — repairable write-offs (Cat S/N) are valued separately and usually fetch more. See our live price bands for the current picture.

How to get the top figure

Keep the car complete — especially the catalytic converter, wheels and battery. Get a firm quote against the reg rather than a guess. And if the car has genuine parts value or repairable damage, say so when you quote, because that can push the offer well above straight scrap weight.

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