How much is my scrap car worth in Brisbane?

Not sure which row your car fits? Send us the rego and a few photos and we'll tell you.

Scrap car prices in Brisbane: our price guide (October 2026)

Here's what we typically pay, by vehicle type and condition.

• These are guide ranges, not offers. Each car is quoted on its own details.
• Free towing is included and is not deducted. Towing is always free.
• Vans and trucks are quoted individually, from the stated floors.

Light and medium trucks start from $1,000 and are quoted one by one. For bigger vehicles, see our cash for trucks page.

Running vs non-running: how big is the gap?

Across the wider market, older non-running cars are typically $200–$800, against $500–$2,500 for older cars that still run. Those figures are market observations, not a record of cars we have bought. The gap is often smaller than people expect when the engine and gearbox are intact.

Our guide is the table above. An older small or medium sedan or hatch that still runs, with high kilometres and minor faults, is $500 – $1,600. A complete non-running hatch is $150 – $400, and a complete non-running sedan is $300 – $800.

What changes the price of a scrap car?

The price moves with the car, not with a fixed menu. Make, model, whether it runs, what's missing, the metal price and how we reach the car all sit inside the guide ranges above.

Make, model and year

Popular Queensland models have stronger parts demand: HiLux, Ranger, Corolla, Commodore, Camry, CX-5 and Japanese brands generally. A complete non-running Corolla and a slow-selling sedan can both sit on the $300 – $800 row, with the Corolla more likely toward the top. We still quote the actual car.

Condition and completeness

A missing engine, gearbox, wheels, battery or catalytic converter lowers the offer. A complete small hatch that doesn't run is on the $150 – $400 row. The same size of car as a stripped shell, burnt, or with no engine is on the $150 – $500 row. Tell us what is missing.

Running or not

A car that runs is worth more than the same car that doesn't. An older running sedan or hatch is typically $500 – $1,600, against $150 – $400 for a complete non-running hatch or $300 – $800 for a complete non-running sedan. The gap is often smaller when the engine and gearbox are intact.

Weight

Weight sets the scrap floor, before parts are counted. A hatch is about 1.1 tonnes, a sedan about 1.4 tonnes, and a 4×4 or ute about 1.8 to 2.5 tonnes, at roughly A$150–$205 a tonne for a whole scrap vehicle. Guide prices sit above that floor when parts can be reused.

Parts demand

The engine, gearbox, catalytic converter, panels and glass add value on top of the metal. Platinum, palladium and rhodium in the converter are why a complete Corolla with the cat on is worth more than the same car with it cut off: a complete non-running sedan can reach $800, while a shell with no engine may be closer to $150. This is how we wreck and recycle cars.

Scrap metal market

Steel and aluminium prices move week to week, so the floor under a scrap-only car moves too. Industry estimates put the swing in Australian steel at about 15–25% between peak and trough years. That is an industry estimate, not our own figure, which is why this guide is dated.

Location and access

The same guide applies everywhere we collect, and towing is always free. An underground car park or a ute in a paddock can affect an individual quote, because it takes more time than a driveway pickup. We don't add a towing surcharge, and towing is never taken off the price.

Paperwork and registration

Unregistered is fine with photo ID and proof of ownership, such as the rego papers. If you've lost the papers, tell us. We can usually still sort it out. If finance is owing, call 0423 514 111 and we'll discuss that car. We don't set out a finance process here.

Damage type

A late-model SUV or 4WD that is damaged or written off but mostly intact can bring $2,500 – $6,000, and we quote above that case by case. Fire or flood damage limits reusable parts, so a small or mid-size car often falls to the $150 – $500 shell row. Photos show us which one it is.

How much is a scrap car worth just for its metal?

The scrap floor is the weight of the car times the whole-vehicle scrap rate. On 20 October 2026, whole scrap vehicles were trading at roughly A$150–$205 a tonne at yard level. Most scrap-only offers in the market sit near that metal value. The catalytic converter, engine, gearbox and other parts are what lift a car above it.

• This is gross metal value before towing and processing, not a payout.
• Rates for prepared or sorted steel, around A$370–$450 a tonne, don't apply to a whole car. A whole car is mixed material.
• Rates move week to week.

Indicative rates seen 20 October 2026 from OnlineScrapYard and OzScrap.

Our own towing is still free, and it is never deducted from the price we quote. If the car is only worth the metal, we still collect it. Read about scrap car removal.

How do we work out your offer?

We price each car on parts demand plus metal value, and we take nothing off for towing.

1. You give us the make, model, year, approximate kilometres, condition, what's missing and the suburb. The rego or VIN helps.
2. Photos let us confirm the condition and give a firm price.
3. We price it on parts demand plus metal value, less nothing for towing. Towing is always free.
4. We confirm the pickup time.
5. You're paid by cash or bank transfer before the car leaves. NSW, including Tweed Heads, is bank transfer only.

Describe the car accurately, including what's missing, so the price doesn't change at pickup. The price we quote is the price we pay, as long as the car is as described.

This table is our current price guide, reviewed by our yard team on 20 October 2026. It is built from parts demand, metal value and current Brisbane market prices. For a market valuation of a car you might sell privately, check your car's market value with AutoVal. That estimate is not our cash offer.

How can I get the most for my scrap car?

A complete, accurately described car with the catalytic converter still on is the simplest way to sit higher in the guide range. A few practical points:

• Be accurate about the condition, the damage, and what is missing. The quote is based on what you tell us.
• Leave the car complete. Removing parts usually lowers the offer. Aftermarket accessories are the exception, and you can sell those separately.
• Keep the catalytic converter on. Cutting it off drops a complete car toward the shell row.
• Have proof of ownership ready, with photo ID. Unregistered is fine.
• Mention access. An underground car park, a steep driveway or a paddock can affect the quote. It does not add a towing fee.
• If finance is owing, call us and we'll discuss that car. We don't publish a process for it on this page.

Do prices differ across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast and Tweed Heads?

No. The same guide applies across all of those areas, with free towing in every one. Access and distance can affect an individual quote. They are not a surcharge, and towing is never taken off the price.

Brisbane: our Rocklea yard does free car removal across Brisbane on this same guide, often the same day you accept.

Gold Coast: cash for cars on the Gold Coast uses this guide, with free towing from Ormeau to Coolangatta.

Logan: cash for cars in Logan uses the same ranges, and pickups are often quick because the yard is close.

Ipswich: cash for cars in Ipswich uses the same guide. Tell us if the car is on acreage.

Sunshine Coast: cash for cars on the Sunshine Coast uses the same guide. Distance can affect the pickup time, not a towing fee.

Tweed Heads: cash for cars in Tweed Heads uses the same guide, paid by bank transfer only because it is in NSW.

See all the areas we cover.

Scrap car price FAQs

The ranges above are guides, and every car is quoted on its own.

Who is 1800 Cash For Cars?

1800 Cash For Cars is part of A Plus Car Removal.

We share the yard at 79B Breadwell St, Rocklea QLD 4106. The yard is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and Saturday, 8am to 2pm. Call 0423 514 111. Our yard is on Google as A Plus Car Removal. That listing is rated 5.0 from 438 Google reviews. The reviews sit on the A Plus Car Removal listing.

We buy cars, utes, vans, 4WDs and trucks, running or not, including scrap, crashed and unregistered vehicles. You can visit or call our Rocklea yard. This guide was reviewed by our yard team on 20 October 2026, from parts demand, metal value and current Brisbane market prices.