Many of us keep our vehicles for quite a long time. Some believe in driving a car “into the ground,” keeping it until it barely runs. Others won’t take it to such an extreme, but will still keep a car well past the average 6 years that Americans own one vehicle. In either case, many people find themselves with older cars that they may be unsure of what to do with.
If you have an old or older car and have decided that you don’t need or want it anymore, you have some options. You can get rid of your old car in any of the following six ways:
- Sell it yourself
There are plenty of places you can list your older vehicle for sale. Craigslist can be a great option for older vehicles, as is Facebook’s Marketplace. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to deal with low-ball offers, unreliable tire-kickers, and will probably have to spend a bit of time respond to messages and meeting up with people in person before someone actually buys.
- Donate it to a charity
A great way to get rid of an older car is to donate it to a charity that accepts vehicles as donations. Some of these charities employ underprivileged people to fix them and make them roadworthy, while others sell the vehicles and use the profits to fund their charitable giving. Look for a charity in your area that you’re comfortable with. Your donation can also be used as a tax deduction since it’s a charitable contribution.
- Give it to a friend or family member
Depending on how generous you are and how nice your family member or friend has been, you can always give your car away to a person that needs one. Many teenager’s first cars are old cars that their parents gave them. Just make sure the vehicle is in safe working condition before giving it away, or work with the recipient to make they fix any issues before they start driving the car.
- Dismantle it and sell the parts
There are very few people who are qualified to do this, but selling an older vehicle for parts can fetch a lot more money than selling the car itself. If you’re handy, have the right tools, and the patience and understanding to do it there are plenty of online outlets to sell your car parts, and plenty of buyers looking for cheap used parts to fix their own vehicles.
- Sell it to a junk removal service
This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get rid of an older car and get a little bit of cash for it. A scrapyard or junk/car removal service can give pick up your car with a tow-truck and give you money for it even if it doesn’t run. Just don’t expect to make much going in this direction, since these services usually pay very little.
- Trade it in
If you’re planning on buying a new or used car instead of your old car, then the absolute easiest and most convenient thing to do is to trade it in. Let the dealership worry about what happens to the car, all you have to do is drive it in. And you’ll get some money for it, with trade-in value usually much higher than a scrap-yard would ever give you. I know it might be a bit painful to part with your old car, but sometimes it’s time to move onto something better.
