It is something that saddens all vehicle owners, but every car has a useful life, and when the time comes, we have to take it to a scrapyard for its withdrawal from circulation and destruction.
Now, did you know that scrapyards will pay you for your car? Yes, they are not only useful for finding bargains like second-hand engines at a good price — they will also pay you for your car when you want to take it off the road! How much will they give you and what documentation do you need to provide? Keep reading!
What are the requirements to sell a car to a scrapyard?
First of all, when should we take our vehicle to an Authorised Vehicle Treatment Centre (ATC), commonly known as a scrapyard?
As a general rule, when the car is in one of these situations:
Total loss
If the car has suffered a serious accident, or severe structural damage that compromises safety while driving, you will no longer be able to use it. You may be able to repair it, but the costs will undoubtedly exceed the market value of the vehicle (which is what is known as a total loss).
End of useful life
While it is true that with proper maintenance a car can be driven on the roads for decades, sometimes there is little more we can do for our vehicle.
When it is heavily worn, deteriorated or does not meet minimum safety standards, we will have to take it to the ATC for dismantling.
Fails MOT
If the vehicle has serious and withdrawn defects noted in the Vehicle Technical Inspection (MOT), making it unfit for use on the road, with a very high cost of repair, it will be more worthwhile to sell the car to a scrapyard than to take it to a garage and repair it.
Environmental restrictions
Low-emission zones (LEZs), areas with traffic restrictions due to emissions, are gradually spreading.
If your car does not comply with this regulation and you cannot adapt it, it will no longer be of any use and your only option will be to take the car to a scrapyard for appraisal.
Disassociation from the vehicle
Another reason to sell a car to a scrapyard is often not wanting to have any connection to the vehicle, whether because you cannot afford to drive it or you do not use it.
Instead of leaving it abandoned on public roads, which would result in a fine, the best thing to do is take it to the scrapyard so they can appraise it and dismantle it.
Do you have to pay to take a car to a scrapyard?
As a general rule, you do not always have to pay for this procedure, as most scrapyards offer a free vehicle collection service and take care of the permanent deregistration with the DGT.
However, this depends on the ATC, as some may charge a small fee for the transfer, especially when the vehicle is in poor condition or is a total loss.
Sometimes, what they do is deduct those costs from the total price they will give you for the purchase of your car. But this depends on each scrapyard.
Can I take a deceased person's car to a scrapyard?
The quick answer is: Yes, you can take a deceased person's car to a scrapyard.
However, before doing anything, you should know that specific documentation is required to handle it legally, to ensure that the person handing over the vehicle has the legal authority to do so:
- Photocopy of the deceased person's ID (DNI).
- Death certificate of the vehicle's registered owner (original and certified copy).
- Vehicle documentation: The original copy of the registration document and the original vehicle inspection (MOT) technical data sheet.
- In the event that there is a will, declaration of heirs — that is, the Certificate of Last Will and Testament and an authorised copy of the will.
- If there is no will, you will need a declaration of heirs ab intestato, a document obtained through a notarial act before a notary that designates the legal heirs.
- In some cases you will be asked for the document verifying that you accepted the inheritance.
- ID (DNI) of the person handing over the vehicle.
How much does a scrapyard pay for a car?
Let's answer the question you'll be most interested in: How much will you get for your car at a scrapyard? Well, the first thing you should know is that this depends on several factors.
How does a scrapyard appraise a car?
Authorised Treatment Centres (ATCs) have their own appraisal process, which differs from second-hand buying and selling centres, as their main interest is to assess which parts can be recovered and which materials can be recycled.
These are the criteria they typically follow to appraise a car:
Condition of the vehicle
The first step is to carry out a full appraisal of the vehicle. As you may have guessed, if the car is in a state of total loss, or if it has serious chassis damage, the value of the reusable parts decreases.
Secondly, they will assess the condition of the key components, evaluating parts such as the engine, the gearbox, the electrical systems... If the parts are in good condition and working correctly, they have a high recovery value.
Another key factor is mileage, since a vehicle that has covered few kilometres means less wear on the internal components. Finally, the age of the vehicle is taken into account, as modern cars tend to have more in-demand components.
Demand for parts
As we have already mentioned, the scrapyard will not only buy your car to take it off the road — it will then resell the parts that can be reused.
The price you are given for your car may vary depending on the model (it will be higher for uncommon models or those with greater demand) and whether they have specific parts.
Metal and other materials recycling value
When a car has no high-value reusable parts — that is, parts that can be resold — its price is based on the weight of the metal (iron, aluminium, copper...) that can be extracted and sold as scrap. A price that fluctuates on the market.
Management and processing costs
One of the great advantages of taking your car to a scrapyard is that they take on certain costs, such as the collection of the vehicle (if you cannot take it yourself), decontamination, dismantling of parts, storage, and the most important one: managing the permanent deregistration with the DGT.
How complete is the car?
The more complete the vehicle is — that is, having all its parts — the more valuable it will be.
What documentation is required to sell a car?
In addition to handing over the vehicle, you will need to have certain documentation in your possession for its sale:
If you are the registered owner of the vehicle:
- Original and photocopy of both sides of your identity document (DNI or NIE).
- Original vehicle registration document.
- The original vehicle technical data sheet, that is, the MOT card.
- Fill in the Permanent Vehicle Deregistration form that the scrapyard will provide you, with all your details and signed.
If the registered owner cannot be present:
- Photocopy of the registered owner's ID (DNI), both sides.
- Photocopy of the authorised person's ID (DNI), both sides.
- Completed authorisation form (provided by the scrapyard), signed by the registered owner and the authorised person.
If the car belongs to a company:
- Photocopy of the ID (DNI) of the company's administrator or authorised representative, both sides.
- Photocopy of the company's tax identification number (CIF).
- Deeds or documentation accrediting the representation of the legal entity.
- Deregistration request signed and stamped by the company.
How much does a scrapyard pay for a car? Here's the average!
As we mentioned in the previous point, the price depends on a great many factors such as the condition of the vehicle, the condition of its parts, etc.
So, what we are going to show you below is just an estimated price you could receive for your vehicle:
- Very old cars or those in poor condition: Between €100 – €200.
- Old cars in good condition: Between €200 – €500.
- Cars between 8–12 years old that are written off or have major faults: Between €500 – €1,000.
- Cars between 5 and 8 years old that are written off or have major faults: Between €1,000 – €2,000.
- Premium or high-demand cars that are written off or have major faults: Between €2,000 – €3,000.
How long will they take to pay?
Once they take your vehicle away, or you take it yourself, how long will it take to receive the money?
Well, the process carried out immediately on the same day is the permanent deregistration of the vehicle with the DGT and the issuing of the Certificate of Destruction. Most scrapyards process this electronically on the same day, or within less than 24 hours, after receiving the car and the documentation.
As for payment, as a general rule it tends to be within 24–48 hours. Bear in mind that the scrapyard will first verify that all the information is correct, and then proceed to carry out a thorough evaluation of the vehicle to check the condition of the parts that can be reused.
The payment method can be in cash (within legal limits) or by bank transfer. In the latter case, if your bank is different from theirs, the money could take between 24–48 hours to reach your account.