Junk car buyers in Chicago: Get our offer, then compare
Send four car details and your phone. We call within 15 minutes with an offer to hold against any other.
Get our number
Step 1 of 2
We'll call within 15 minutes.
Please try again or call us directly.
Who buys junk cars in Chicago, and who pays more?
Four kinds of business buy junk cars in Chicago: junk car buyers who tow the whole car, junkyards that resell parts, scrap yards that pay by weight, and private buyers for cars that still run. Who pays more depends on what your car still has, so get a quote from each type that fits it.
| Your car | Usually valued most by | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Old but still runs and drives | A private buyer or a dealer trade-in | Someone can use it as a car, which is worth more than its parts or its metal. |
| Newer car, wrecked, good parts left | A buyer who resells parts or salvage | Undamaged panels, the engine and the electronics can be sold on. |
| Complete car that won't run | A junk car buyer who tows | It needs a tow either way, and a complete car is worth more than a picked-over one. |
| Stripped shell, parts gone | A scrap yard | Its weight in metal is what's left to sell. |
We sit in the third row. We buy junk, wrecked and scrap cars, tow them free and pay at pickup. If your car still runs well, a private sale may get you more than we would, and you should know that before you call anyone. The long version is in who pays the most for junk cars, and how junkyards, scrap yards and buyers differ covers how each one works.
Ask any buyer these five questions
- How much for this car, as I described it?A number for your car. "Up to $X" is an advert, not an offer.
- Does towing come out of that number?If it does, subtract it before you compare.
- How and when do I get paid?You want the answer before the truck is booked.
- What would change the number at pickup?A straight buyer can tell you now.
- How long does the offer stand?So you have time to get a second quote.
Our answers you can have in writing today
- Towing is free. Nothing comes off the offer for it.
- Paid at pickup. As the car is collected, in cash or by app transfer: Zelle, Cash App or another digital payment.
- No expiry date. Our number stands for as long as you take to compare it.
- Same-day pickup is often possible.
- No title? We can still help. Illinois law decides which papers count; we'll confirm yours on the call.
The amount itself comes on the phone, because it depends on your car. Hold it up against every other quote the same way: same details in, same five questions, then compare what you'd actually be handed. How to compare junk car quotes walks through it, and the red flags list what should make you walk away.
Cars we buy in Chicago
Anything that's past fixing, or past being worth fixing to you. Running or not, whole or picked over. If you're weighing a sale, selling a junk car in Chicago sets out what we look at.
- Cars that won't runDead engine, gone transmission, or parked so long the tyres are flat.
- Wrecked carsAccident damage you're not going to repair, including insurance write-offs you kept.
- Scrap carsRusted through or stripped, and only worth the metal.
- Cars worth more for partsGood engine or body panels on a car that's done as a whole.
- Salvage title carsBranded titles, repaired or not.
- Cars without a titleWe can still help. Say which papers you have; Illinois law decides which ones count, and we'll confirm on the call.
- Trucks, vans and SUVsAny make, in any state, not only sedans.
- Fire and flood damageBurned out or waterlogged, we still buy it.
How pickup works
Send the details
Year, make, model and whether you have the title. After that, a name, a phone number and the car's whereabouts.
Our call, with a number
Within 15 minutes of your request, with a number for your car.
We tow it, free
Often the same day. The tow never comes out of your offer.
Paid as it's collected
When the car is collected. Have your title or ownership papers to hand.
Every step, including what we check when the truck arrives, is on how we buy junk cars. Already holding a quote from someone else? Get a second offer by sending us the same details.
Northwest Side pickups
We cover all of Chicago. These six neighbourhoods have their own pages with street and pickup notes.
- Portage ParkSix Corners, bungalow blocks, alley garages
- Jefferson ParkThe Gateway, the Kennedy, Milwaukee Avenue
- Irving ParkOld Irving, side drives, the Blue Line corridor
- Norwood ParkOriole Park to Union Ridge, driveways and garages
- DunningWright College, the city limit, four villages next door
- Logan SquareBoulevards, greystones, tight street parking
See junk car buyers on the Northwest Side for how the six fit together. Outside the city we also pick up across the Cook, DuPage and Will County suburbs and in Northwest Indiana as far as Gary.
Compare before you sell
Four short guides on how junk car buyers work and how to judge any offer, ours included. All four live in the buyer guides.
Who pays the most?
It depends on the car, not the company. Four common junk cars and the buyer that usually values each one most.
Read the guideJunkyard, scrap yard or buyer?
Three businesses that all take junk cars, and want different things from yours. Which one fits your car.
Read the guideRed flags
Vague prices, fees at the curb, pressure to sign, payment "later". The warning signs, and what to do about each one.
Read the guideComparing quotes
Same details to every buyer, the same five questions, then compare what you'd actually be handed.
Read the guide
Straight answers before you sell
Do you charge for towing?
No. Towing is free, and nothing is taken off the offer to cover it. Ask every other buyer the same question, because a tow fee taken at the curb is the most common way a good-looking number shrinks.
When do I get paid?
At pickup, when the car is collected, in cash or through Zelle, Cash App or another digital payment. We don't collect the car first and pay later.
How long does your offer last?
It doesn't run out. Get every other quote you want first; our number will still be there.
Can you pick up today?
Often, yes. When we call with the offer, we'll tell you whether today works for your street.
I don't have the title. Can you still help?
We can still help. Say which papers you do have: a bill of sale, the registration, an insurance card. Illinois law, not us, decides which of those can stand in for a title on a scrap sale, and we'll tell you where you stand when we call. In the form, pick "No" or "I have registration only". More on this in common questions.
Will you beat another buyer's offer?
We don't promise to beat or match anyone. We give you our own number for your car and tell you how towing and payment work, so you can compare it fairly. The second offer page explains how.
How much will a scrap yard pay for a car?
A scrap yard prices a car mostly by weight and by the metal in it, at that week's scrap prices, so nobody can quote you fairly without the car's details. A complete car can be worth more to a buyer who counts its parts. Junkyard vs scrap yard vs junk car buyer sets the three side by side.
Where can I get $500 for my junk car in Chicago?
No honest buyer can promise a figure for a car they haven't heard about. Describe yours the same way to a few buyers and compare what each would actually hand you. Who pays the most for junk cars shows which kind of buyer suits which car.
Where do you pick up?
All of Chicago, including every Northwest Side neighbourhood, plus the Cook, DuPage and Will County suburbs and Northwest Indiana as far as Gary.
More answers on common questions about junk car buyers.
Get our number, then shop it around
The form takes about a minute. If you'd rather ask something first, contact us and we'll get back to you.