Most junkyards price a car mainly by its weight, so a heavy, complete car usually brings more than a light, stripped one. Pull-A-Part’s public estimate is that junkyards generally pay about $250 to $500, and that prices go up and down.
That range is a benchmark, not a promise from any yard. Your car’s actual number comes from a few things you can describe over the phone.
What sets the price
Weight comes first. A full-size truck or SUV has more metal than a compact sedan. Scrap prices change from month to month, so a per-ton figure printed today would be out of date soon. The yard’s quote on the day you call is the number to go by.
After weight, two things move the offer:
- Completeness. Pull-A-Part’s own quote form asks whether the engine, transmission, catalytic converter or wheels are missing. A car with all of them is worth more than one without.
- Damage. The same form asks about fire, flood or accident damage. A burned or flooded car is worth less to a buyer who wants parts.
Year, make and model matter too, since they tell the yard what the car weighs and which parts are in demand.
A simple worksheet
| Factor | Raises the offer | Lowers the offer |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Truck, SUV, van, full-size sedan | Small compact car |
| Engine and transmission | Both still in the car | Either one pulled |
| Catalytic converter | Still attached | Cut off or stolen |
| Wheels and tires | All four on the car | Missing or stripped |
| Body | Intact panels, glass, interior | Fire, flood or heavy collision damage |
| Parts | Recent model with parts people want | Old model with little parts demand |
Print this, fill it in for your car, and keep it by the phone. It’s the same list a yard will ask you about.
Flooded cars in Greater New Orleans
Flood damage is common here, and it changes the paperwork as well as the price. Under OMV’s water damage policy, any amount of water damage to the power train, computer or electrical system requires a water-damaged title brand when the car doesn’t meet the salvage or Certificate of Destruction criteria.
Louisiana also requires anyone selling a vehicle to disclose flood damage in writing. A private seller uses form DPSMV1637, signed by both parties. If it isn’t disclosed, the buyer can sue to rescind the sale within one year, according to the same policy. Tell the yard about any water in the car, even if it dried out.
Why online quotes get cut at pickup
National online buyers often quote fast and then change the number when the tow driver arrives. The reviews are national, not New Orleans specific. SmartCustomer and Automoblog both report that Peddle’s offers are “subject to change based on vehicle inspection.” Their most common complaint is a driver lowering the offer on the spot. One example is a $930 quote cut to $435 over a catalytic converter.
The lesson isn’t about one company. A quote is only as good as the description behind it. If the converter is gone and you didn’t say so, expect the number to drop.
What to tell the yard on the phone
Give the yard everything it needs to price the car right the first time:
- Year, make and model. This tells the yard the weight.
- Whether it runs. Say if it starts, if it drives, or if it was towed in.
- What’s missing. Engine, transmission, catalytic converter, wheels, battery, doors.
- What’s damaged. Fire, flood, accident, or just age.
- Title status. In hand, lost, or in someone else’s name. Our no-title guide covers the routes.
- Where it sits. Driveway, street, a lot, or a flooded garage. Access affects the pickup.
If something changes after you call, say so before the truck is sent.
Why some yards pay by check
Payment method isn’t a matter of taste in Louisiana. It depends on what kind of business the yard is.
Under the Scrap Metal Recyclers Law, an operator can’t make a cash transaction of more than $300 for metal other than copper. That’s in R.S. 37:1973. Above $300, the operator pays by check or loadable card made out to the seller’s name and address. It must also verify your ID and a current utility bill. Auto hulks count as scrap metal under that chapter, as quoted in the text of 2026 SB 496.
The chapter has a carve-out. R.S. 37:1964(2) says it doesn’t apply to wreckers or dismantlers of motor vehicles who are licensed under R.S. 32:783 and the sections after it.
So two yards down the road from each other can pay in different ways for legal reasons. If you want a certain payment method, ask what the yard pays with before you agree to anything.
How to compare offers
Get at least two quotes, and give each yard the same description. Ask each one:
- Is this price based on the details I gave you?
- What would change it at pickup?
- How will I be paid?
A lower quote that holds up beats a higher one that drops when the truck shows up.
Call or text us
Call or text us at (504) 708-5950. Tell us the year, make, model, condition, title status, and where the car is. The more you tell us up front, the better the quote fits your car.