Sell a car that doesn’t run
A car that will not start still has value as parts and metal. Dealers and private buyers rarely want it, and the online instant-offer sites often change their number once a driver sees it. A salvage yard is the buyer that expects a dead car. Describe it honestly on the call so the number you hear is the number that holds.
How selling a car that doesn’t run works
- Say what happens when you turn the key: nothing, clicking, cranks but will not start, starts then dies
- Say what you already know: blown engine, bad transmission, timing belt, overheated, sat too long
- Say whether the keys are there and whether the steering and wheels turn
- Say whether parts are missing: battery, catalytic converter, wheels, seats
- The yard gives you its number and plans the pickup
- After the sale, file your notice of sale and handle the plates
When does this fit?
- The engine or transmission is gone and the repair costs more than the car
- The car has sat so long the battery, tires and brakes are all shot
- You lost the keys
- Parts were stolen off it, like the catalytic converter
- You tried selling it as a project car and nobody showed up
Common questions
Will a yard buy a car with no engine or no keys?
Many yards will, because they are buying the metal and parts. Say exactly what is missing when you call, so the number takes it into account and does not change at pickup.
Why do online offers drop when the driver shows up?
An instant offer is usually based on what you typed into a form. When the car turns out to have problems the form did not ask about, the offer gets revised. Giving the yard the full story on the call is the best way to get a number that holds.
My car is on the street and does not run. Is that a problem?
It can be. Louisiana treats a car left inoperable on public property for more than 24 hours as abandoned, under R.S. 32:471. In New Orleans, an NOPD notice gives you 48 hours. Read the 48-hour notice guide and call the same day.
Which parts of Greater New Orleans?
Each part of the metro has its own junk and abandoned car rules. Pick yours.
Ready for selling a car that doesn’t run?
Call or text with the year, make, model and where the car sits. The yard gives you its number.