A real quote, not a teaser.
We price the actual vehicle, and the number holds on pickup day if the car matches what you told us.
Cash For Junk Cars YEG
That car sitting dead in your driveway is not worthless.
It's a pile of steel, aluminum, copper and reusable parts, and every one of those has a buyer. We're that buyer. Cash For Junk Cars YEG pays Edmonton drivers for junk cars, trucks, vans and SUVs in any condition, tows them away free and pays you before the vehicle leaves your property.
Call or text [PHONE] with the year, make, model and what's wrong with it. You'll have a firm number in a few minutes.
Free towing anywhere.
Free towing anywhere in Edmonton and 16 surrounding communities. Nothing is deducted for the tow.
Paid at pickup.
Paid at pickup by e-transfer, before the car is loaded.
Paperwork done right.
We bring an Alberta bill of sale and check ownership properly.
The basics
What Is a Junk Car?
A junk car is a vehicle that costs more to repair than it would be worth once repaired. It might still run. It might not have moved in three winters. What makes it "junk" isn't how it looks, it's the math: the repair bill is bigger than the value.
In Edmonton, that point usually arrives with one of these:
- A failed engine or transmission on a car over 10 years old
- Frame, subframe or brake-line rust from years of road salt
- Collision damage that an insurer has written off
- A cold-weather failure such as a cracked block or seized engine
- Several mid-sized problems arriving at once, so the total repair is too high
Once a car crosses that line, its value comes from two places: what it's made of and what can be reused. That's exactly what we pay for.
An honest number
How We Work Out What Your Junk Car Is Worth
A lot of junk car buyers quote a vague range and settle the "real" price at the curb. We'd rather show you how the number is built, so you can judge whether it's fair.
Curb weight and the scrap steel market
Most of a vehicle's mass is steel and iron, which recyclers call ferrous scrap. A compact sedan weighs roughly 1,200 to 1,400 kg. A half-ton pickup is closer to 2,000 to 2,500 kg. The heavier the vehicle, the more steel, and the higher the base value. Ferrous scrap prices move with global steel demand, so the same car can be worth a bit more or less from one season to the next.
The catalytic converter
Your converter contains small amounts of three precious metals: platinum, palladium and rhodium. Their value depends on the vehicle (different models use different converters) and on precious-metal markets. Converters on some trucks and hybrids are worth more than those on small cars. If yours has been stolen, which happens a lot in Edmonton, let us know. The car still has value, just less.
Non-ferrous metals
Aluminum wheels, aluminum engine blocks and cylinder heads, radiators, and the copper in wiring harnesses, alternators and starter motors are all worth more per kilogram than steel. A car with alloy wheels and an aluminum engine has a higher scrap value than the same-weight car with steel rims and an iron block.
Parts that can be resold
This is where a junk car can be worth much more than its scrap weight. If your car is a model there are lots of on Alberta roads, think Civic, Corolla, Camry, Escape, CR-V, F-150, Silverado or Grand Caravan, its engine, transmission, doors, lights, mirrors, seats and electronics have buyers. A transmission failure doesn't make the engine worthless.
Condition, completeness and access
Missing parts lower the price. Easy access doesn't raise it, but difficult access never costs you extra with us. Snowbanks, parkades and back alleys are part of the job.
What raises and lowers a junk car offer
Raises your offer
- Heavier vehicle (trucks, full-size SUVs, vans)
- Popular model with in-demand parts
- Alloy wheels and aluminum engine
- Engine runs, even if the car can't be driven
- Clean ownership, no lien
Lowers your offer
- Missing catalytic converter
- Engine or transmission already removed
- Missing wheels, battery or body panels
- Fire or flood damage throughout the vehicle
- Inaccurate description (causes a re-quote)
Four simple steps
How Selling Your Junk Car Works
Tell us about it.
Call, text or use the form. Year, make, model, rough kilometres, whether it starts, whether it rolls, what's missing and where it's parked. Photos help, especially of damage.
Get your number.
We check current metal prices and parts demand for your exact model and give you a firm offer. No obligation.
Book pickup.
Same day if you call early, otherwise the next day or a time that suits you, including evenings and weekends.
Get paid and wave goodbye.
Our driver confirms the car matches, checks your ID and registration, fills out the bill of sale with you, and sends payment. Once you've confirmed it arrived, we load up and go. Most visits take about 20 minutes.
Payment & protection
Why “Cash” for Junk Cars Means E-Transfer in Alberta
You'll see plenty of ads promising a stack of bills for your junk car. In Alberta, that's a warning sign. Since November 2020, the Protecting Alberta Industry from Theft Act has required scrap metal dealers and recyclers to:
- Check an original, government-issued photo ID from every seller, who must be at least 18
- Record the seller's details and the transaction in a central database
- Pay by a traceable method, such as e-transfer or cheque, rather than cash
These rules were brought in to stop metal theft, especially catalytic converter theft. A legitimate junk car buyer follows them. That's why we pay by e-transfer: it's fast, it lands before your car leaves, and it gives you a clear record of the sale. "Cash for junk cars" is what people search for. Traceable payment is what keeps you protected.
Any condition
What We Buy
By condition
- Won't start, won't move, seized engine
- Blown engine, failed transmission, head gasket failure
- Collision damage and insurance write-offs (salvage or non-repairable)
- Hail, flood or fire damage
- Rusted out, failed inspection
- No keys, missing wheels, sitting on blocks
- Stripped, partly dismantled or unfinished projects
- Running cars you simply don't want anymore
By type and make
- Sedans, hatchbacks and coupes
- Minivans, crossovers and full-size SUVs
- Half-ton and heavy-duty pickups
- Cargo vans and work trucks
- Gas, diesel and hybrid vehicles
- Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep
- Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru and Mitsubishi
- Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and more
What we do
Our Services
Junk Car Removal
Getting a dead car out of a driveway, alley, garage, parkade or backyard, with the right equipment for vehicles that can't roll.
Scrap Car Removal
Clearing end-of-life vehicles from homes, acreages and business yards, and sending them through licensed recycling.
Cash for Scrap Cars
How scrap prices are calculated, with vehicle weights and the metals that move the number.
Free Towing
What free towing really includes, and how to spot buyers who hide the tow in your offer.
Know your car
Junk Car, Scrap Car or Used Car? Which One Is Yours?
The category your vehicle falls into decides how it's priced. Here's the quick way to tell.
| Used car | Junk car | Scrap car | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs and drives safely | Yes | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Worth repairing | Yes | No | No |
| Main source of value | Resale as a vehicle | Parts + metal | Metal only |
| Typical example | 2015 SUV with 180,000 km | 2010 sedan with a dead transmission | 1999 car with no engine, rusted through |
| Our page | Cash for Cars Edmonton | This page | Cash for Scrap Cars |
Not sure? Describe the car on the phone and we'll tell you which bucket it's in and why.
Local conditions
Why Edmonton Has So Many Junk Cars
Edmonton is hard on vehicles in ways that drivers in milder cities don't deal with.
Deep cold. January mornings in the -30s push weak batteries, starters and older engines past their limit. A battery's cold-cranking amps drop sharply in extreme cold, oil thickens, and a block heater with a cracked cord or a tripped breaker can leave you with a car that won't turn over until spring.
Freeze-thaw and potholes. Repeated freezing and thawing breaks up pavement, and Edmonton's pothole season is long. Bent rims, broken coil springs, worn ball joints and tie rods add up quickly on an older car.
Road salt and de-icer. Months of salt and liquid de-icer on the Anthony Henday, Yellowhead Trail and Whitemud Drive eat into brake lines, fuel lines, rocker panels and frames from underneath.
Hailstorms. Summer storms can dent every panel on a car in minutes. When the repair costs more than the car's value, the insurer writes it off.
Long distances. The Capital Region is spread out. High-kilometre commuters wear out transmissions, wheel bearings and suspensions faster.
City rules
Junk Car Sitting on the Street? Know the 72-Hour Rule
The City of Edmonton allows a vehicle to park on a city street for up to 72 consecutive hours, unless signs say otherwise. A vehicle left longer, including one that doesn't run or has invalid plates, can be treated as abandoned. Here's what typically happens after someone reports it through 311:
- The owner gets a 72-hour warning notice
- An officer follows up after at least 72 hours
- If the vehicle hasn't moved, it can be ticketed and towed
- The owner pays the ticket, the tow and the daily storage fees
On private property, wrecked, dismantled or derelict vehicles are treated as a nuisance under the City's bylaws, and the property owner is responsible for dealing with them. If you've got a notice on the windshield or a letter from the City, call us right away. Selling the car before the deadline turns a bill into a payment.
Edmonton and surrounding communities
Free pickup. Firm quote. Paid before we load.
Before pickup
What You Need to Sell a Junk Car in Alberta
- Proof of ownership: the vehicle registration in your name. An expired registration usually still works.
- Original government photo ID, such as a driver's licence. You must be 18 or older.
- Lien release, if the car was ever financed. You can search for registered liens through an Alberta registry agent (Personal Property Registry).
- Keys, if you have them. No keys is fine; tell us ahead of time.
We complete the bill of sale with you. It includes both names and addresses, the VIN, the vehicle's year, make, model, style and colour, the price and both signatures, which is what Alberta requires. After the sale, remove your licence plates (they stay with you in Alberta) and cancel or transfer your insurance.
Selling for a parent, an estate or a business? Call before booking. It's routine, but the documents are different.
Responsible recycling
What Happens to Your Junk Car After We Buy It
Depollution.
Engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, washer fluid and fuel are drained and sent for recycling or reuse. Air-conditioning refrigerant is recovered with proper equipment instead of being vented.
Hazardous parts out.
The lead-acid battery goes to a battery recycler. Mercury switches in older vehicles and undeployed airbags are removed safely. Tires go to tire recycling.
Parts recovery.
Working engines, transmissions, alternators, body panels, lights and other parts are pulled and resold, which keeps used parts affordable for other Albertans.
Shredding.
The remaining shell is crushed and shredded. Magnets separate the steel; other systems pull out aluminum and copper.
New metal.
The sorted metals go to mills and smelters and become new steel and aluminum.
Nothing is dumped in a field or a ditch. In a city built along the North Saskatchewan River valley, keeping oil and coolant out of the ground matters.
Seller checklist
Mistakes to Avoid When Selling a Junk Car
Pulling parts first.
Removing the battery, wheels or converter to sell separately usually costs you more in the offer than you'll get for the parts.
Taking the highest phone quote blindly.
If one buyer is far above everyone else, ask if the price is guaranteed on pickup.
Skipping the bill of sale.
Without it, you have no proof the car left your ownership.
Forgetting your data.
Unpair your phone from the car's Bluetooth and clear saved addresses from the navigation.
Leaving the plates on.
They're yours. Take them before the tow truck does.
Waiting too long.
Junk cars don't get more valuable. Insurance, parking and rust keep costing you every month.
Service area
Where We Pick Up
Every Edmonton neighbourhood, north to south: Castle Downs, Clareview, Londonderry, Beverly, Downtown, Oliver, Westmount, Jasper Place, West Edmonton, Lewis Farms, Old Strathcona, Bonnie Doon, Mill Woods, Ellerslie, Summerside, Terwillegar, Windermere, Heritage Valley and the industrial areas from Winterburn to Clover Bar. See our cash for cars Edmonton page for the full list by quadrant.
And across the Capital Region and beyond: St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Fort Saskatchewan, Gibbons, Morinville, Leduc, Nisku, Beaumont, Devon, Calmar, Wetaskiwin, Camrose, Tofield and Drayton Valley.
Common questions
Cash for Junk Cars FAQs
How much cash can I get for my junk car in Edmonton?+
It depends on the vehicle's weight, its make and model, what's missing (especially the catalytic converter, wheels, engine and transmission) and current metal prices. A light, stripped car will be at the low end. A heavy truck or a popular model with good parts can be worth much more. Call with your details for an exact number.
Do you buy junk cars that don't run?+
Yes. Most of the cars we buy don't run. Tell us whether it rolls and whether the wheels are on so we bring the right equipment.
Is towing really free?+
Yes, everywhere in Edmonton and in all 16 communities we list. The price we quote is the price you receive.
How fast can you pick up?+
Often the same day in Edmonton if you call in the morning, usually within 24 hours. Farther communities like Camrose, Tofield and Drayton Valley are scheduled on set run days.
Can I sell a junk car without a title?+
Alberta doesn't use paper titles the way some provinces and US states do. Ownership is shown by the registration. If yours is lost or expired, call us and we'll explain what proof works.
Can I sell a junk car with no keys?+
Yes. We use wheel dollies to move cars that are locked in park.
Do I need to be there?+
The registered owner, or someone with written authorization, needs to show ID and sign the bill of sale.
Do you buy junk cars with a loan on them?+
Only after the lien is cleared. Ask your lender for a payout letter first.
What about my licence plates?+
Keep them. In Alberta, plates belong to you, not the vehicle.
Why do you pay by e-transfer instead of cash?+
Alberta's scrap metal rules require traceable payment for scrap transactions. E-transfer is instant and gives you a record of the sale.
Ready when you are
Get Cash for Your Junk Car Today
Every month that junk car sits there, it costs you parking, insurance and a little more rust. Call or text [PHONE] for a firm offer, or fill in the quote form. Free towing anywhere in Edmonton, and you're paid before we leave.
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