When you get bad news about your vehicle, such as a failed MOT, major breakdown or a poor prognosis following a serious ‘prang’, what do you do?

This could be the moment to consider the advantages of selling your vehicle for salvage.

Selling vehicles for scrap v salvage

There's a big difference between a vehicle scrap service and vehicle salvage (even though Motorwise is highly experienced in both).

As the name implies, having a car collected for scrap means its usefulness is finished, and it will be carefully disposed of.

So what does a car salvage service involve? As we explain below, it means selling your vehicle to be repurposed in various ways without the need for it to be destroyed.

Vehicle salvage considerations

To answer the question ‘is salvage right for my vehicle?’ you need to consider the status of your car or van.

For example, is your repair cost estimate higher than the vehicle’s value? Are the repairs needed complex and potentially the start of expensive fixes due to age and mileage?

There are times when insurance companies refuse to cover a vehicle that’s been involved in an accident, too, making a resale to another individual unethical.

There comes a point when you simply can't justify keeping a vehicle any longer, but selling it with a defective engine or some other large fault is out of the question. That’s the ideal time to consider using car salvage services.

What do car recyclers do?

A specialist in salvaging vehicles has a network of contacts willing to invest in cars and vans that need substantial repairs, including new engines. These contacts have access to the most cost-effective solutions, well beyond the reach of your average garage or vehicle owner!

They also know when a vehicle deemed a ‘right-off’ by insurance companies stands a chance of becoming roadworthy and legitimate again. Vehicles beyond repair can be stripped of functional and reliable parts to use in other car, and van fixes.

Benefits of knowing how to salvage a vehicle

Motorwise has a network of vehicle ‘rejuvenation’ specialists and insights on the best ways to reuse and recycle parts from a broken car or van.

There are clear reasons to use this alternative to scrapping vehicles.

The benefits of recycling are going to be especially of interest to anyone environmentally-conscious. Also, you may get a better price when you sell a car for salvage compared to its scrap value. Scrap vehicles are costed by weight, not condition. However, keep in mind that likely vehicle repair costs will ‘dent’ its salvage value.

For more information on when vehicle salvage is best, contact our customer service team.