How much is my car worth for scrap?

Short answer: in the twelve months to October 2026, most cars scrapped through this network fetched somewhere between £180 and £430. Where a car lands in that range depends mostly on how much it weighs, so a small hatchback sits near the bottom and a big 4x4 or van near the top. The exact figure for your car comes from its registration, because that one number tells a yard the weight, age, fuel and model.

What cars were paid last year, by size

These are middle figures from the network's own completed collections, November 2025 to October 2026. Half the cars in each group were paid more than this, half less.

• Small cars, under 1,100 kg (a Corsa, Fiesta, Aygo or Micra): about £180.
• Medium cars, 1,100 to 1,400 kg (a Focus, Astra, Golf or Civic): about £221.
• Large cars, 1,400 to 1,700 kg (a Mondeo, Insignia, Passat or Superb): about £270.
• Heavy cars and people carriers, 1,700 to 2,100 kg: about £330.
• The heaviest, over 2,100 kg (large 4x4s, pick-ups and vans): about £430.

For a closer guide to one model, the prices by make and model show what each was paid, and the scrap car price index follows the national figure month by month.

The five things that decide the number

1. Weight. A car at the end of its life is mostly steel, and a yard is paid by the tonne for the metal it sends on to be shredded. That is why two cars of the same age can be £150 apart: one simply has more metal in it.

2. The metal market that week. Steel and aluminium prices move with world demand, so the same car can fetch a little more or a little less from one month to the next. A quote is based on what yards are paying when you ask.

3. Parts someone will buy. A newer car, or a common model with a good engine, gearbox, doors or lights, is worth more than its weight, because the yard can sell those parts before the shell goes for recycling. This is where a quote that looks only at weight leaves money behind.

4. Condition and completeness. A car that is missing its catalytic converter, engine or wheels is worth less, and one that will not roll has to be winched, which takes longer. Fire damage takes off the most. None of this stops a car being scrapped; it only moves the figure.

5. Where the car is. Yards in different parts of the country pay different rates, which is why every price asks for a postcode. Scotland's median last year was a little below the UK figure, for example.

Why two quotes for the same car can be far apart

Some websites show an "up to" figure that is cut when the driver arrives. Some quote on weight alone and ignore the parts. Some ask nothing about condition, so the number is a guess. A fixed price worked out from the registration, with honest answers about the car, is the only kind worth comparing. If anyone offers notes in hand, walk away: paying cash for scrap cars is illegal, and a cash offer tends to shrink on the doorstep.

Could it be worth more than scrap?

Possibly, if it is under about ten years old, has low mileage, or has one expensive fault rather than many. A car like that may sell for more as it stands, to a private buyer or to the salvage trade. Should I scrap, sell or repair it? walks through the sum, and the scrap car valuation page explains how a quote weighs parts against metal.

The figure for your car

Type the registration and postcode on the scrap my car page and the price appears in about thirty seconds, with free collection and payment by bank transfer within 24 hours of the car going.