Cash for Wrecked Cars – Who Will Buy My Damaged Car?

There are steps you’ll need to take after your accident so you can get the most money back out of your vehicle.

What Is a Wrecked Car?

There are vehicles that have been dented in a parking lot or have been involved in a fender bender. Some have been bashed with bricks or bats by angry exes. And then, there are vehicles that have been rolled into a ditch, hit head-on, or been otherwise damaged extensively. The last ones are wrecked cars.

The point where you can identify a vehicle as a wreck varies case by case. If you’re wondering if your car is a wreck, think about if you’re embarrassed being seen behind the driver’s wheel, or if you fear for your safety while you drive. Or, if you think you’d have a hard time giving your car away, you could unofficially call it a wrecked car.

My Wrecked Car Was Not My Fault

Accidents happen, often without being the party to blame. If that’s the case for you, that can help but it doesn’t always. You’re still stuck with a crashed car, and you’ll have to do something about it.

If you haven’t already done so, report the accident to your insurance company as well as the police in your jurisdiction. Start a claim as soon as possible – you might be eligible for a rental vehicle if yours isn’t totaled. If it’s deemed that you were not at fault, you shouldn’t have to pay your insurance deductible either.

Wrecked Car GAP Insurance

GAP insurance is a wonderful thing if you’re financing your vehicle. It’s short for Guaranteed Auto Protection insurance, meaning that it covers the spread between what you owe on your loan and your car’s actual cash value before it became wrecked.

It’s only effective if your car was damaged in an insurable incident, though, and only if you owe more than your car is worth. You won’t see any money coming your way – it all goes straight to the lienholder for your car’s title.

I Wrecked My Car, No Insurance

You shouldn’t be driving a car without insurance if you can avoid it. Whether your insurance lapsed accidentally, or you decided not to buy comprehensive car insurance, it’s possible to be caught in a predicament where you don’t have coverage.

Here’s the rub: you’re on your own. Insurance providers aren’t going to help you, so you’ll be stuck with a damaged car that’s nearly worthless. What’s more, you can be subject to litigation for any other property or cars that were damaged as well as for any injuries sustained, and not just for you.

Your choices for a broken car? You can drive it like it is (if that’s even possible), but you probably shouldn’t. You can drag it to the junkyard but you won’t get much for it in scrap value. Or, you can sell it for a fraction of what it used to be worth.

Can I Sell a Wrecked Car?

You can sell a sell a wrecked car,, but it’s not quite the silver lining you’d hoped for. After you’ve been in an accident, your car’s value is substantially less than it used to be. Not only will you get much less money for your car than before you wrecked it, but you could have trouble finding someone who buys totaled cars.

Wrecked Car Value

Are you wondering, “How much is my wrecked car worth? or “can I trade in a car with blown engine?” You’ll want the answer to that question before you try to sell it, but it’s not an answer you want to hear. Your car’s value has diminished a lot – like, A LOT – from being wrecked. There’s no wrecked car calculator that will give you an accurate appraisal since it’s based on the unique damage and vehicle details.

To get an approximate idea what you can expect to sell your wrecked car for, start by finding its pre-accident actual cash value on KBB.com or the NADA Guides website. From there, objectively trim the number according to the amount of damage on your car. If you’re reading about wrecked cars, you’re probably in the ballpark of 25 percent of the undamaged value you looked up – maybe less.

Who Buys Wrecked Cars?

Your options for selling a non running car are limited at best. If you were shopping for a used car, would your first choice be a vehicle that’s bashed up and undrivable? Probably not. However, there are a few ways to sell a wrecked car: 

• Sell your car privately. Put a ‘FOR SALE’ sign on the smashed windshield at the end of your driveway. Advertise it on Craigslist. Tell everyone you know that it’s for sale. Maybe you’ll get lucky and someone will want your car for parts, to fix up, or to drive like it is. Since it’s virtually uninsurable, undesirable, and unappealing, don’t expect that a private sale is going to be your best option unless you pay huge money to fix it up first.
• Trade it in. If you’re going to be buying a different car anyway, trading in your wrecked car may be an option. However, the offer you receive from the dealer is likely money that’s going to be tacked on somewhere else in the sales process. The benefit is that your car is off your hands quickly.
• Tow it away for scrap. You could hire a tow truck to bring your wrecked car to the junkyard. You’ll get paid cash for its value in scrap metal, but don’t jump for joy – it’s really not much. Plus, you’ll be paying for the tow truck, and that eats into the profits quickly.

We Buy Totaled Cars!

Another option to sell wrecked cars fast is with WeBuyTotaledCars. It’s extremely easy, it’s fast, and it’s free to use. It takes 90 seconds or less to get your no-obligation quote for your wrecked car, no matter where you are in the United States. If you like the offer, you’ll get paid quickly – usually within 24 to 48 hours. Only once you’ve been paid for your car will WeBuyTotaledCars pick up your vehicle from you, at no charge to you.