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What's your car worth as scrap?
An honest estimate based on what your car actually weighs and what scrap metal actually sells for this week. We show our working, and we don't buy cars.
How we work it out
Scrap value is simpler than the industry makes it look. A scrap car is bought by weight: the vehicle's weight multiplied by the current price per tonne for end-of-life vehicles. That is the whole formula. Enter your reg and we identify the car through the DVSA's official database, look up its typical kerb weight, and multiply by this week's price. A few things adjust the figure from there.
Identify the vehicle
Your reg is matched against the DVSA vehicle record for make, model, year and typical kerb weight.
Apply this week's metal price
Weight times the current per-tonne rate for end-of-life vehicles. The rate and its date appear in every result.
Adjust for condition
Whether it starts and drives, whether the engine and catalytic converter are still in it, and small extras like alloys.
Show a range
Because real offers move with the buyer and the collection distance. You get a floor and a ceiling to judge offers against.
Most scrap valuation sites are run by the people buying your car.
Their “valuation” is an opening offer from someone who profits by paying you less. We don't buy cars. We show you what the metal is worth so you can judge any offer you receive against reality.
If you decide to scrap, we can point you to a buyer for a firm quote, and if you accept we may earn a commission. That funds the site. It never changes the estimate, and you're free to take our number anywhere.
What actually moves your car's scrap value
Weight does most of the work
A Ford Ka is around 940 kg. A Range Rover is around 2.3 tonnes. That difference alone is worth a couple of hundred pounds.
The cat matters more than you'd think
Precious metals inside mean a present, original catalytic converter is a meaningful slice of the value. It's why quotes drop sharply when it's gone.
Complete cars beat stripped cars
Removing parts to sell separately usually costs you more off the scrap price than the parts fetch, unless you know exactly what you're doing.
Scrap prices move
Per-tonne rates follow the global steel market and shift month to month. A quote from last spring tells you nothing about today.
Typical ranges at £175 per tonne
| Car | Typical kerb weight | Runs and complete | Non-runner, cat missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 1,100 kg | £165 – £220 | £90 – £120 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 1,150 kg | £175 – £230 | £95 – £125 |
| Ford Focus | 1,300 kg | £200 – £255 | £110 – £145 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 1,350 kg | £205 – £265 | £110 – £150 |
| Nissan Qashqai | 1,450 kg | £220 – £285 | £120 – £160 |
| Ford Transit | 2,000 kg | £305 – £395 | £165 – £220 |
Scrapping a car legally, in four points
Whoever you sell to, these are the parts that protect you. None of them cost anything.
Use an Authorised Treatment Facility
Only an ATF can legally scrap a car, and only an ATF can issue the Certificate of Destruction that proves the car is off your hands.
Get the Certificate of Destruction
Keep it. It's your evidence that the vehicle was destroyed and that liability for it ended on that date.
Tell the DVLA the same day
Five minutes online. You'll be refunded any full months of road tax remaining.
Never take cash
Cash payment for scrap cars has been illegal in England and Wales since 2013. Legitimate buyers pay by bank transfer.