How Much Is My Junk Car Worth? (2026 Scrap Value Estimator)
A junk car sold for scrap is worth roughly $101 to $231 per ton of curb weight in late 2026: about $150–$345 for a 3,000-lb compact, $200–$460 for a 4,000-lb midsize SUV and $255–$580 for a 5,000-lb pickup. That's CarWhere's estimate, tied to the USGS scrap-steel benchmark of $318.77 per metric ton (December 2025).
Sources: U.S. EPA test-car weights, USGS scrap-steel prices, DOE vehicle materials · Prices checked November 2026 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
Junk car value estimator
Years appear only where the EPA tested that model. Missing year? Use a neighboring year of the same generation, or switch to curb weight (it's on the driver's door-jamb sticker or in the owner's manual).
Pick a make, model and year to see an estimate.
Scrap value by curb weight
Weight drives scrap value. This table applies the $101–$231 per-ton band to common curb weights. Look up your exact model below for weights by model year.
| Curb weight | Typical vehicle | Estimated scrap value |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 lb | Subcompact (Fit, Versa, Accent) | $125–$290 |
| 3,000 lb | Compact sedan (Civic, Corolla, Elantra) | $150–$345 |
| 3,500 lb | Midsize sedan or small SUV (Camry, Accord, CR-V) | $175–$405 |
| 4,000 lb | Midsize SUV or minivan (Explorer, Grand Cherokee) | $200–$460 |
| 4,500 lb | Large SUV or minivan (Pilot, Sienna, Odyssey) | $225–$520 |
| 5,000 lb | Full-size pickup (F-150, Silverado 1500) | $255–$580 |
| 5,500 lb | Full-size SUV (Tahoe, Expedition) | $280–$635 |
Heaviest models we track
More weight means more steel, so these bring the most as scrap.
- GMC Yukon XL · about 6,200 lb · $290–$715
- Toyota Sequoia · about 5,950 lb · $265–$715
- Lincoln Navigator · about 5,950 lb · $290–$715
- Chevrolet Suburban · about 5,950 lb · $265–$715
- Nissan Armada · about 5,900 lb · $265–$715
- Ford Expedition · about 5,700 lb · $255–$715
- Chevrolet Avalanche · about 5,700 lb · $290–$660
- GMC Yukon · about 5,700 lb · $265–$715
- Cadillac Escalade · about 5,700 lb · $265–$715
- Chevrolet Tahoe · about 5,550 lb · $255–$705
Lightest models we track
Small cars carry less steel. If one still runs, selling it as a car usually beats scrap.
- Toyota Yaris · about 2,300 lb · $115–$265
- Hyundai Accent · about 2,500 lb · $120–$310
- Kia Rio · about 2,500 lb · $115–$310
- Mazda MX-5 Miata · about 2,500 lb · $120–$295
- Honda Fit · about 2,550 lb · $125–$310
- Ford Fiesta · about 2,600 lb · $130–$300
- Chevrolet Aveo · about 2,600 lb · $125–$300
- Nissan Versa · about 2,650 lb · $120–$325
- Scion xD · about 2,700 lb · $135–$310
- Honda Insight · about 2,700 lb · $90–$350
What raises or lowers a junk car's value
Pushes the price up
- Weight. Trucks, full-size SUVs and vans carry the most steel.
- A complete car. Engine, transmission, aluminum wheels and the original catalytic converter all add value.
- It runs or has sellable parts. Self-service yards and parts resellers pay more for popular models with good parts.
- Clean paperwork. A title in your name opens up every buyer.
- You deliver it. Dropping it off saves the yard a tow, and that can show up in the offer.
- A strong scrap market. Scrap prices move monthly. The USGS benchmark peaked at $417.66/metric ton in 2021.
Pulls the price down
- Missing catalytic converter, engine or transmission. Yards price the hulk that's left.
- No title. Fewer buyers, more hassle, lower offers. Some yards will refuse the car.
- Towing needed. Free towing is usually priced into the offer.
- Distance from a shredder. Rural yards pay freight to move hulks.
- Trash, tires and fluids left in it. Some yards deduct for disposal.
- EVs and hybrids. High-voltage batteries need special handling, so this weight-based estimate doesn't cover EVs.
Selling a junk car: title and paperwork
Most yards and buyers ask for the title signed over to them. Licensed junk and salvage yards that handle five or more junk or salvage vehicles a year must report each vehicle they receive to the federal National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) every month (U.S. DOJ, NMVTIS). That reporting is one reason legitimate yards check paperwork.
- Lost the title? Get a duplicate from your state first. It usually costs less than the difference in offers. See duplicate title fees by state.
- Write a bill of sale with the date, price, VIN and odometer reading, and keep a copy: car bill of sale templates.
- Still have a loan on it? The lender holds the title until it's paid off: how lien releases work.
- No proof of ownership at all? Some states offer a bonded title.
- Cancel insurance and registration after the sale, and file your state's release-of-liability notice where one exists.
Lost-title guides by state
Who pays the most for a junk car?
It depends on the car. Scrap yards pay on weight. Self-service yards and parts buyers pay more for popular models with good parts. Instant-offer buyers and dealers pay used-car prices for cars that still run. Donating can be worth more if you itemize deductions. We compare each option in who pays the most for junk cars.
Scrap steel price trend
USGS composite delivered price for No. 1 heavy-melting steel scrap, the benchmark this estimate is tied to. Prices are in dollars per metric ton; a short ton is 0.907 metric tons.
| Year | Annual average |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $417.66 |
| 2022 | $381.72 |
| 2023 | $333.28 |
| 2024 | $314.85 |
| 2025 (est.) | $319.00 |
| Month | Composite |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | $312.60 |
| Feb 2025 | $342.41 |
| Mar 2025 | $366.26 |
| Apr 2025 | $351.74 |
| May 2025 | $316.43 |
| Jun 2025 | $306.75 |
| Jul 2025 | $306.75 |
| Aug 2025 | $306.75 |
| Sep 2025 | $306.75 |
| Oct 2025 | $304.18 |
| Nov 2025 | $303.46 |
| Dec 2025 | $318.77 |
Annual: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. Monthly: USGS Mineral Industry Surveys, Dec 2025, table 11 (USGS credits the series to Fastmarkets AMM). USGS publishes these with a lag; $318.77 is the latest month published as of November 2026.
Methodology
Estimated scrap value = curb weight (short tons) × per-ton band. The estimate covers the car as scrap. It doesn't price resale parts, a running car's used value or a separately sold catalytic converter.
Curb weight. The EPA publishes every vehicle it tests for fuel economy, with its Equivalent Test Weight (EPA Test Car List). For light-duty vehicles that figure is the curb weight plus 300 lb, rounded to a test-weight class. We subtract 300 lb and report the 10th–90th percentile of the distinct configurations EPA tested for each model year, rounded to 50 lb. That covers 205 models and 3,223 model years, 2000–2026. Because of the class rounding, expect about ±150 lb against a specific trim's published curb weight. The EPA doesn't retest every model every year, so some years are missing.
Scrap benchmark. The USGS composite delivered price for No. 1 heavy-melting steel scrap: $318.77 per metric ton in December 2025 (USGS), or about $289 per short ton. That's what steel mills pay for prepared scrap delivered to them. It isn't what a yard pays you for a whole car.
Per-ton band (CarWhere assumption). We set a seller's price at 35%–80% of the benchmark per ton of curb weight: $101–$231 per ton. Why it's lower than the mill price: only about 64% of an average vehicle's mass is iron or steel (54% iron or mild steel plus 10% high-strength steel, per the U.S. Department of Energy), and the yard pays to tow, drain, shred and ship it. The top of the band reflects yards that credit aluminum, copper and the catalytic converter in a complete car. Local prices fall outside this band, so enter a yard's posted price in the estimator if you have one.
Not a quote or an offer. CarWhere doesn't buy cars. Inputs live in one config and were last checked 2026-11-07.
Junk car value by make and model
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Dodge
Ford
Mercedes-Benz
Pontiac
Ram
Saturn
Toyota
Frequently asked questions
How much is my junk car worth?
For scrap alone, about $101–$231 per ton of curb weight under CarWhere's model: $150–$345 for a 3,000-lb car, $200–$460 at 4,000 lb, and $255–$580 at 5,000 lb. A complete car with its catalytic converter lands nearer the top; a stripped hulk that needs a tow lands nearer the bottom. If the car still runs, check its used-car value first. It may be worth more sold as a car.
How much do junkyards pay per ton for cars?
CarWhere's estimate is $101–$231 per ton of curb weight for a whole car. Mills paid an average of $318.77 per metric ton (about $289 per short ton) for prepared No. 1 heavy-melting scrap in December 2025, according to USGS. A yard pays less than that for a whole car because only about 64% of a car's weight is iron and steel (DOE), and the yard pays for towing, draining fluids, shredding and freight.
What is the price of scrap steel right now?
The latest USGS composite for No. 1 heavy-melting steel scrap is $318.77 per metric ton for December 2025, up from $303.46 in November. The 2025 annual average was about $319 (USGS estimate), down from $417.66 in 2021.
Can I junk a car without a title?
It depends on your state, and many yards will not take a car without proof of ownership. Junk and salvage yards that handle five or more such vehicles a year must report what they receive to the federal NMVTIS database every month. The simplest fix is usually a duplicate title from your state, so look up your state on the lost-title pages before you call yards.
Is it better to junk a car or sell it?
If the car runs, or a buyer could fix it cheaply, selling it as a used car usually pays more than scrap. Scrap value is the floor. Compare a used-car value and one or two instant offers against the scrap estimate before you call a yard.
How does CarWhere estimate junk car value?
Estimated value = curb weight in tons × a per-ton band. Curb weight comes from EPA test data: each tested car's Equivalent Test Weight minus 300 lb. The band is 35%–80% of the USGS heavy-melting scrap price per short ton, or $101–$231. The band is CarWhere's assumption, not a quote from any yard.
Sources
- USGS Mineral Industry Surveys: Iron and Steel Scrap, December 2025 (table 11, composite prices)
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Iron and Steel Scrap
- USGS National Minerals Information Center: iron and steel scrap statistics
- U.S. EPA: Data on Cars Used for Testing Fuel Economy (Test Car List, model years 2000–2026)
- U.S. Department of Energy, Quadrennial Technology Review 2015, Technology Assessment 8D: Lightweight Automotive Materials
- U.S. Department of Justice, NMVTIS: who must report (junk and salvage yards)
Accessed November 2026.