Sell Damaged Cars for Cash – Accident, Flood and Write-Off Vehicles
Crashed, flooded, burned or stuck with a blown engine? We buy damaged cars as they sit, including insurance write-offs branded Salvage or Irreparable. Get a firm offer in about 3 minutes, free towing from wherever the car is, and cash on the spot.
- Accident and write-off cars
- Salvage and Irreparable brands
- Free towing from body shops and lots
- Cash on the spot
Get your offer in 3 minutes
Free quote. No obligation. We call you back in minutes.
Why people sell damaged cars instead of fixing them
After an accident or a breakdown, the repair estimate is often the moment of truth. On an older car, a new bumper, hood and radiator can cost more than the car was worth the day before. Newer cars have their own problem: cameras, radar units and sensors tucked behind bumpers and windshields make even modest repairs expensive.
Flood and fire damage are harder still, because the worst of it hides in wiring, electronics and padding you can't see. Selling the car as it sits turns a repair problem into cash, and you skip the wait for a body shop.
As accident car buyers, we price what's actually left: the parts that survived, the metal and, if the car still runs, its value as a used vehicle. If the damage is light and the car drives well, our sell my car page may suit you better; if it's beyond saving, scrap car removal explains how scrap pricing works. Our guide to selling a damaged or write-off car covers the whole decision.
Types of damage we buy
Each kind of damage affects value differently. Here's what we buy and what it usually means for the car. If you own it and it has a VIN, we'll make an offer.
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Collision damage
From a crumpled front end to a car that rolled. Deployed airbags, a bent frame, wheels pushed back: we price what's left, including all the parts that came through untouched.
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Flood and water damage
Cars caught in flooded underpasses, basement garages or storms. Water ruins wiring, airbag modules and interiors, and a flood damaged car often ends up branded Irreparable. Don't try to start one that sat in deep water.
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Fire and smoke damage
Engine bay fires, interior fires and smoke from a garage fire. Even when the body looks fine, melted wiring and a smell that won't leave make repairs costly and slow.
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Hail damage
Hail usually leaves a car driveable, but fixing dozens of dents on an older vehicle can cost more than it's worth. That's how plenty of hail-damaged cars become write-offs.
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Mechanical failure
Blown engine, failed transmission, snapped timing chain or cracked head. The car may look perfect but need a repair bigger than its value. We pay for everything that still has worth.
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Theft recovery and vandalism
Recovered after a theft with a damaged ignition, missing parts or a trashed interior. If your insurer has already settled the theft claim, confirm who owns the car before you sell it.
Ontario vehicle brands explained
When an insurer writes off a vehicle in Ontario, it's reported to the province and the vehicle is branded. The brand appears on the ownership (vehicle permit) and in the vehicle's history, and it stays with the car for good. Here's what each one means.
| Brand | What it means | Can it be driven? | Can you sell it to us? |
|---|---|---|---|
| No brand | The car hasn't been written off and branded | Yes, with valid plates and insurance | Yes |
| Salvage | Damaged enough to be written off, but it can be repaired | Not until it's repaired and passes a structural inspection | Yes |
| Rebuilt | A former Salvage car that was repaired and passed a structural inspection | Yes, once it has a safety certificate and plates | Yes |
| Irreparable | Only fit for parts or scrap | Never; it can't be registered for road use again | Yes, for parts and scrap |
How to sell a car after an accident or total loss
Insurance adds a few wrinkles. Here's how the most common situations work, so you know whether the car is yours to sell.
If your insurer pays out the claim
When you accept a total-loss settlement, the insurer usually takes ownership of the car and sells it as salvage. At that point it isn't yours to sell. Check with your adjuster before you call any buyer, including us, so nobody books a pickup for a car you no longer own.
If you keep the wreck
Some insurers let you keep a written-off car. Your payout is reduced by what the wreck is worth, and the car is branded Salvage or Irreparable. Once the claim is closed, the car is yours to sell as it sits, and we'll make you an offer on it.
If you don't have collision coverage
If you were at fault and don't carry collision coverage, your insurer usually won't pay for damage to your own car. The car stays yours, damage and all. Selling it as it sits is often the quickest way to get some of its value back.
Finish the claim before you sell
Don't sell a car while a claim is still open. Your adjuster may need to inspect it again, and an early sale can complicate the settlement. Once everything is settled in writing, call us with the details and we'll quote right away.
Cars at body shops and tow yards
After a crash, cars often land at a tow yard or body shop that charges daily storage. Ask them to release the car to you and pay whatever's owed, then book with us. We'll pick it up straight from their lot.
Accidents and car loans
If there's a loan on the car, the lender has a stake in it, and insurance payouts on financed cars usually go to the lender first. If you're keeping the wreck and still owe money, read about selling a car with a lien and call us before booking.
What is a damaged car worth?
Many damaged cars fetch $300 to $2,000, the same range we pay for scrap and junk vehicles, while a newer car with light damage that still runs can be worth far more, up to $10,000 for running used vehicles. Six things move the number:
What sets the price
- Where the damage is
- A crushed rear quarter panel is less serious than front-end damage that reached the engine, radiator and airbags.
- Airbags and safety systems
- Deployed airbags and damaged sensors are expensive to replace, so they weigh heavily on the offer.
- Whether it runs and drives
- A car that starts and moves keeps its engine and transmission value, which is a big part of what it's worth.
- Type of damage
- Collision damage often leaves many parts reusable, while flood and fire damage usually reach much more of the car.
- The brand on the permit
- Salvage cars can be rebuilt, so they're usually worth more than Irreparable ones, which are limited to parts and scrap.
- What it was worth before
- A late-model SUV with a smashed bumper is in a different league from a 20-year-old sedan with the same damage.
- Sedan, coupe or hatchback
- from $300
- SUV or minivan
- from $500
- Pickup truck
- from $500
- Running used car
- up to $10,000
Damaged-car offers depend on the vehicle, the damage and current scrap metal rates, which change month to month.
How to get the most for your car
- Tell us exactly what happened, including whether the airbags went off.
- Mention any parts already removed by a body shop or tow yard.
- Skip partial repairs; they rarely add as much as they cost.
- Have your insurer's letter handy if you kept the car after a write-off.
Sell your damaged car in 3 steps
The process is the same whether the car is in your driveway or a body shop lot.
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Step 1: Describe the damage
Call (289) 349-2006 or fill in the form. Give us the year, make, model and kilometres, then tell us what happened, whether the airbags deployed and whether it still runs. You'll get a firm offer in about 3 minutes.
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Step 2: Tell us where the car is
Home, a body shop, a tow yard and a parking lot all work. If the car is at a business, arrange its release first and settle any storage fees. Then book a pickup time, Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m..
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Step 3: Sign, get paid, and we tow it
The driver checks the car against your description and looks at your ownership and photo ID. You sign it over, get paid in cash on the spot, and we load the car, however badly damaged it is.
Before you sell a damaged car
A few quick checks now prevent headaches later. Our guide on what to do with your plates covers that step in detail.
- Confirm who owns it If your insurer settled the claim, make sure the car wasn't transferred to them.
- Close the claim Wait until the claim is settled in writing so the adjuster won't need the car again.
- Gather the paperwork Have the ownership, your photo ID and, if it applies, the insurer's letter saying you kept the car.
- Check for a lien If you still owe money on the car, talk to your lender and then call us before booking.
- Arrange the release Cars at body shops or tow yards need to be released, with storage fees paid, before we can tow them.
- Clear out your things Collect personal items, garage openers and your 407 ETR transponder, even from a badly damaged interior.
- Take the plates Remove the licence plates, or ask the yard to, because in Ontario they belong to you, not the car.
- Leave everything else Don't pull parts or drain fluids, because we price the car as a whole.
What damaged car sellers say
Reviews from people who sold us a damaged vehicle.
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“Excellent service! Philip did a really good job of keeping his promised time to do the pick-up of my 2008 Honda Accord and paid whatever was agreed upon. Highly recommended scrap car removal service in Mississauga. Fast pickup and cash on the spot. No hassles and very pleasant experience.”
Merben Figura Mississauga via Customer review -
“I called after work around 7 p.m. I had a car I needed to get rid of and 30 minutes after I made the first call, he showed up and gave me a very fair deal on the car. Car was gone, money in my wallet and I was very happy. He was extremely pleasant, polite, fair and explained things to me the right way.”
Ernesto Vlasic via Customer review
Selling a damaged car: FAQs
Still have a question? Call (289) 349-2006 and ask a real person.
Will you buy my car if insurance wrote it off?
Yes, as long as the car is yours to sell. If you accepted a total-loss payout, the insurer usually owns the car now. If you kept the wreck, it will be branded Salvage or Irreparable, and we buy both.
What's the difference between Salvage and Irreparable?
A Salvage car can be repaired; after it passes a structural inspection it's branded Rebuilt and can go back on the road. An Irreparable car can only be used for parts or scrap and can never be registered for the road again in Ontario.
Can I sell a write-off car in Ontario?
Yes. A Salvage or Irreparable car can be sold legally; a Salvage car just can't be plated and driven until it's rebuilt and passes a structural inspection. The brand stays on the record, and buyers like us factor it into the price.
Can I sell a Rebuilt car to you?
Yes. A Rebuilt car that runs is priced as a used car, though the brand lowers its value compared with the same car without a write-off history. Have your structural inspection paperwork and safety certificate handy if you have them.
Do you buy flood-damaged cars?
Yes. Flooded cars are valued mostly for parts and metal, since water damages wiring, electronics and interiors. Don't try to start a car that sat in deep water, because it can wreck the engine. Tell us how high the water reached.
Can I sell my car after an accident if it still drives?
Yes. If it runs and drives, we'll price it as a used car with damage, which usually beats scrap value. Tell us exactly what's damaged and whether any warning lights are on. Light damage on a newer car can still earn a strong offer.
Do you pick up from body shops and tow yards?
Yes. Arrange the release with the shop or yard and pay any storage or repair bills owed, then book a time with us. The owner, or someone with written permission, still needs to be there to sign and receive the cash.
Will deployed airbags lower my offer?
Usually, yes. Replacing airbags, the control module and seat belt pretensioners is expensive, so a car with deployed airbags is often worth more for parts than as a repairable car. We still pay for everything else that's usable.
Do you buy cars with a blown engine or dead transmission?
Yes. If the repair would cost more than the car is worth, selling it as is usually makes sense. The body, interior and other parts still have value, and the tow is free. See our page on non-running cars.
Should I fix anything before selling a damaged car?
No. Partial repairs rarely add as much to our offer as they cost you, and we price the car as it sits. Just take out your personal items and licence plates, and leave every part on the car.
Do you buy hail-damaged cars?
Yes. If the car still runs, hail dents mostly affect its looks, so it may be worth more than you'd expect. Tell us roughly how many panels are dented and whether any glass is cracked, and we'll price it from there.
Damaged car buyers near you
We buy damaged vehicles in all of these areas, with free towing from homes, body shops and yards.
Sell your damaged car today
Call (289) 349-2006 with the details and get a firm offer in about 3 minutes. We tow it free from your driveway, a body shop or a tow yard, and pay cash on the spot.
Open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.