Scrap car prices in Scotland for 2026
What cars are fetching across Scotland right now — and how to get the top figure for yours.
- Updated June 2026
- Firm price by reg
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Scrap car price bands
Scrap car prices move with the global metal market, so any figure is a guide until we price your exact car against its reg. As a rough steer, here's what cars are fetching across Scotland right now, by size and type.
| Vehicle type | Typical examples | Scrap price range |
|---|---|---|
| Small hatchback | Corsa, Fiesta, Polo, Aygo | £120–£280 |
| Family hatch / saloon | Focus, Astra, Golf, Octavia | £160–£340 |
| Estate / MPV | Passat Estate, Zafira, Touran | £180–£380 |
| 4x4 / SUV | Qashqai, Kuga, X-Trail, Freelander | £220–£520 |
| Large 4x4 / pickup | Discovery, Hilux, L200, Shogun | £300–£700 |
| Van (light commercial) | Transit, Vivaro, Sprinter, Berlingo | £220–£600 |
| Electric / hybrid | Leaf, Zoe, Prius, e-Golf | £300–£900 |
Figures are a guide for end-of-life cars in Scotland and move with the metal market. Salvage and repairable write-offs are valued separately and usually fetch more. Your reg gets you a firm number.
What moves your car's scrap value
Weight & metal market
Heavier cars contain more recoverable steel and aluminium, and the price tracks the live scrap-metal market — which is why quotes are only firm for a short window.
Parts value
A car worth more broken than crushed earns more. Clean panels, a healthy engine or gearbox, and in-demand parts on common models all lift the figure.
Catalytic converter
The cat contains precious metals. A car with its original cat intact is worth meaningfully more than one that's been removed or stolen.
Completeness
A complete car beats a stripped one. Missing wheels, seats, electronics or the cat will reduce the price.
EV & hybrid batteries
Traction batteries and motors hold real value, so end-of-life EVs and hybrids often top the table.
How a scrap price is actually built
Every quote starts from weight multiplied by the day's metal rate — a Fiesta simply contains less steel than a Discovery, which is why the bands above track size. On top of the base come the value-adds: an intact catalytic converter, a healthy battery, alloy wheels with legal tyres, and any drivetrain or panels with resale life. Missing pieces work the other way — a car with the cat cut out or the engine already gone prices noticeably below its band.
This is also why no honest yard publishes one fixed price list: two identical-looking Mondeos can be £100 apart once condition is counted. The reg plus a straight description gets you a firm figure rather than a guess — and the figure we confirm is the figure paid.
The parts that move the money
The catalytic converter matters most — the platinum, palladium and rhodium inside make it the single most valuable component on most older cars, which is sadly why cat theft exists. The battery, alloys and tyres with tread, and a working engine or gearbox on a common model all add real money. On diesels, a clean DPF has trade value of its own; on EVs and hybrids, the traction battery and motor dominate the price entirely.
None of this needs you to do anything except leave the car complete. Stripping parts to sell separately almost always nets less than letting us price the whole car — and a car missing its cat, wheels or battery can drop below the bottom of its band.
Why scrap prices move through the year
Scrap steel is a globally traded commodity: UK yard prices follow export demand, mill buying and shipping costs, and they genuinely move month to month. There's a mild seasonal rhythm too — demand often firms in spring and softens into winter — but market moves beat the calendar, which is why a quote is guaranteed for a short window rather than a season.
Practical upshot: if you have a firm figure you're happy with, take it. Waiting for the market rarely beats the cost of another month's insurance on a car you no longer want.
Vans, 4x4s and EVs price differently
Vans out-price cars of the same age: more metal, plus panels, doors and drivetrain parts that stay in demand on working models — the van page has the detail. Big 4x4s and pickups combine weight with strong parts demand, which is why they top the conventional bands. Electric cars are their own market: even a degraded pack has second-life and materials value, so a tired Leaf or Zoe routinely beats an equivalent petrol car at scrap.
Write-offs are the other exception — a repairable Cat S or Cat N is valued as salvage, not scrap, and usually lands above these bands.
Common questions
How much is my scrap car worth?
Most cars in Scotland fetch between £120 and £400, with 4x4s, vans, pickups and electric cars worth more. The exact figure depends on weight, the metal market and parts value — enter your reg for a firm price.
Why do scrap prices change?
Scrap value tracks the global metal market, which moves daily. That's why an online figure is a guide and a quote is only firm for a short window.
How do I get the top price for my car?
Keep the car complete — especially the catalytic converter, wheels and battery — have the V5C ready, and get a firm quote against the reg rather than a guess. We pay for what's there, so a whole car beats a stripped one.
Do you pay more for cars with good parts?
Yes. If a car is worth more broken than crushed — a clean engine, gearbox or in-demand panels — that lifts the offer above straight scrap weight.
Why won't anyone publish an exact price list?
Because the metal market moves daily and condition swings the figure — an intact catalytic converter alone can separate two otherwise identical cars. Bands are honest guidance; the reg gets you a firm number.
My catalytic converter was stolen — what does that do to the price?
It removes the single most valuable component, so expect a figure below the band for your car's size. Tell us up front and the quote will still be firm — it's condition, not a penalty.
Does age or colour matter?
Colour, no. Age only matters through what it correlates with: older cars weigh similar but carry fewer sellable parts, while genuinely old classics can flip the other way — a restorable classic is a different conversation, so mention it.
Do you pay per tonne?
The weight-times-market calculation underlies every quote, but you receive one firm all-in figure for the car — simpler to compare, and nothing changes at the kerb.
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