Blog → Scrap & Junk Cars
Four words, treated as one: "scrap," "junk," "salvage," "write-off." In casual conversation they're interchangeable. On paper in Ontario, they're not — and which one applies to your vehicle decides what you're legally allowed to do with it.
In everyday conversation "my car is basically junk" and "my car is salvage" sound interchangeable. In Ontario, they're not:
Why this matters: a "just old and not worth fixing" vehicle and an "irreparable" vehicle can both be worth cash — but the second one is only worth scrap/parts value, while the first one might still be worth real money to a buyer who just wants a cheap, functional car.
Yes — a private sale of a scrap or non-running vehicle in Ontario still requires the same Used Vehicle Information Package as any other used car sale. Condition doesn't exempt you from the paperwork. This trips a lot of people up, since it feels like extra hassle for a vehicle that's barely running.
If the vehicle doesn't run, that's usually the actual bottleneck — not the paperwork, not finding a buyer. Private buyers for non-running vehicles are a smaller pool to begin with, and most expect the seller to arrange and pay for a tow just to get it in front of them for a look. A buyer who arranges their own pickup (running or not) removes that entire problem.
"Scrap value" often gets treated as a single flat number, but it isn't — it depends on the vehicle's weight, what's actually salvageable (working parts, catalytic converter, battery, tires), and current metal prices, which move. A generic scrap-yard quote over the phone is usually a rough floor, not a real assessment of the specific vehicle.
CARME Auto accepts vehicles as-is — no reconditioning or repairs required before selling, high-mileage and non-running vehicles included. You get an actual number based on the specific vehicle, not a generic scrap-price guess, and we arrange pickup rather than asking you to figure out a tow.
Running or not, it's worth checking.
As-is condition accepted. No repairs, no cleaning, no hassle.
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