- Sell it to your insurance company
If you get into a major accident, your insurance company will likely write it off as a total loss (also known as a "totaled car.") This is because a vehicle that’s been in a major accident is less safe than a non-damaged car. A less safe car means that the insurance is taking a greater risk insuring it, so they will most likely cut their losses and say the car needs to be taken off the road and will offer you a cash settlement you can put towards a new car.
So yes, you can sell a wrecked car to your insurance company, but you have to keep in mind they will give you the lowest amount possible AND remove the cost of your deductible from your payment, meaning it might not be your best option for getting rid of it.
- Take it to a salvage car auction
This is another option on how to sell a wrecked car, but there are definitely a few things that make this not your best choice.
The first thing is: you have to get it to the auction site! There aren’t many auction sites, which means you may have to take it very far away from where you live. The cost of a tow truck is expensive enough just towing it to your local mechanic in town, but driving it long distances will quickly add up in costs. Beyond that, once you get it there, people will want to bid the lowest price possible for a car that isn’t in good shape at all. And even worse, you’re not guaranteed to sell the car! Imagine towing your car all the way there, then having to tow it all the way back home because no one wanted to buy it! You would spend hundreds of dollars for nothing!
- Sell it to a salvage yard
A salvage yard will take your damaged car and part it out themselves. They’re basically a middleman that gives you cash for junk cars and then sells the parts they can salvage to local mechanics to use as refurbished parts. This may seem like a good idea, but again, one of the highest costs you’ll have to pay for is the towing over to the yard. It’s unlikely you’ll get a price guarantee from the yard before you take it over there, so it’s definitely one of the more risky ways on how to sell a totaled vehicle because you may even pay more for the tow truck than the amount of cash you get!
- Sell it to a scrap metal yard
A scrap metal yard will buy metal from any source (not just cars but even old appliances) and resell it to a metal recycler. Often because they will have to part the car out and clean any fluids (motor oil, transmission fluid, etc.) before selling it to a recycler, that’s another step in the process that they will have to pay for. And because they’re paying for it, it means you’ll get less money for your junk car this way. And, again, you’ll have to tow it over there.
- Sell it to a junk car buyer like JunkCarsUS
Selling your totaled car to a junk car buyer is the best way on how to sell a totaled car for the most amount of money. Especially when you use JunkCarsUS, which will give you free towing and a top-dollar guarantee!
