Improving Your Automobile

When It's Time to Just Junk or Salvage That Old Car

10 June 2016

Addison Morris

If you have an old car that doesn't run or needs some major repairs, you may want to think about just junking it, or selling it to a salvage yard. Repairs for older cars that need a lot of work can be expensive, and it's not always a good idea to try to handle these on your own just to save some money. Note a few things to keep in mind if have an old car that needs a lot of repair work, and why junking the car can be better than making those repairs yourself.

When safety is at stake

If your old car needs a lot of repairs that may compromise its safety, you want to exercise caution about trying to handle those repairs on your own. If it's missing a bumper and has damage that makes it difficult to attach new bumpers, has major damage to the brake lines or steering column, or has damage to the airbag system or seatbelts, these all affect the overall safety of the car and its passengers. A poor repair job can mean that your safety is compromised, either when driving or in case of a collision. Rather than try to tackle a long list of safety-related repairs yourself, it may be best to simply get rid of the car altogether.

When parts are hard to come by

Keep in mind that, after so many years, manufacturers may simply stop making parts for certain models of cars. Off-brand parts might also get more expensive since they're rarely purchased. It may be costly to fix your older car now, and may get even more expensive to make additional repairs down the road. If your car's model can't be fixed with compatible parts still on the market, you might be simply putting money into a car that will just become even more expensive to keep in good condition the older it gets.

When you don't know what's wrong with it

It can be expensive to pay a mechanic to go over the car top to bottom and make a list of all the reasons why it's not running in the first place, and for older cars, this list can be quite long. Just getting your car diagnosed can be more money than you're willing to put into an older car that probably won't have much life left in it, even if you did repair it. A scrap yard will typically just pay you a flat fee for the car and you don't need to worry about figuring out its mechanical problems at all.

Share

Search