You’re driving to work when all of a sudden, your car comes to a stop. After several minutes and an apologetic phone call to your boss, you manage to get the vehicle to start up again.
It’s gotten you through a lot in the past few years. Three breakups, two different apartments, and college are enough for you to make an emotional connection to a vehicle.
For the sake of your job and safety, it might be time for you to junk your car, though. Trading up for a newer vehicle is perfect for those who are tired of high repair costs and distracting check engine lights. Keep reading to learn more.
1. It’s Time to Trade Up
When most people think of junk cars, they think of rust buckets. Not all junk vehicles are worn-out hunks of garbage, though. Peeling paint and rust aren’t requirements for junking a car.
You can get rid of it whenever you feel like it’s time for you to trade up. Besides, most places will give you more money for cars that have working parts and a body that’s not scratched and rusted.
2. You’re Adding a New Member to the Family
If you’ve got a family on the way, the old tiny car that got you through college isn’t going to do you much good now. You need enough room for car seats.
Not to mention when the child starts school, you’ll be driving them to sporting practice and dance recitals. That means you’ll need a trunk with plenty of room to spare.
You can use the money that you get for your junk car to put toward a new vehicle, or if you don’t need one, you can use the cash for your new bundle of joy on the way.
3. High Repair Costs
Most of the time, when a car breaks down, it’s not only one root cause. There are several parts wearing out and showing their age. In these cases, it can cost way more to fix the car than to buy a new one.
Even if you are able to pay to fix the vehicle, it’s most likely going to be a temporary solution. You’ll find yourself right back in the same boat within a couple of months.
You might as well junk it and put the money you get toward buying a new vehicle. It will end up saving you money in the end.
4. Safety Ratings
Modern cars come with all the bells and whistles. That includes a high safety rating. The new technology can do a lot more to protect you than your vehicle from the early 2000s can.
In fact, cars that are that old are actually dangerous to drive. If something hits you, they’ll crumple like an aluminum soda can. The airbags are outdated and ineffective.
By not scraping a car, you not only put yourself in danger. You put the lives of your family and your passengers in danger as well.
5. Large Amounts of Rust
When you ask your friends and family to describe your car, they kindly do so by calling it a rust bucket. A lot of the body of the vehicle is covered in the stuff.
If the rust is severe enough, it can pose a danger to your wellbeing. If it manages to eat clean through the vehicle, chemical fumes can leak into the car.
Having a rusty frame can compromise the structure of the entire vehicle. A low-speed collision could end in disaster, and if the outside of the car is covered in rust, you can bet that the interworkings of the car don’t look much better. If you have rusty brake lines, the vehicle might not stop when you need it to.
6. No Title
You’ve been looking everywhere for the title of your vehicle, but you can’t seem to find it anywhere. You can’t take the car to the dealership and sell it unless you find the title.
You can always go through your government offices to get another one, but if you don’t think the car is worth the trouble, take it to a scrapyard. Plenty of them offers cash for no title cars.
7. Your Check Engine Light Is Always On
Car repairs can be expensive, and buying a new vehicle isn’t much better on the wallet. That doesn’t mean you should ignore your check engine light until your vehicle decides to spontaneously combust.
Sometimes after you get repairs, the light still persists. If that’s the case, it might be better for you to scrap the car instead of taking it back to the mechanic.
8. Your Mileage Hits the 150,000 Mark
If your car keeps breaking down, check how much mileage is on it. Most of the parts in a vehicle begin breaking down after the 150,000-mile mark.
You could probably replace the worn parts, but that might be a bit more expensive than trading in the car and using the money to get a new one.
Signs You Should Junk Your Car for Good
Is your car beginning to break down on you? Are you about to welcome a new member to your family? Are you simply looking for a new ride?
These are all valid reasons to junk your car. Taking your old vehicle to a scrapyard won’t give you enough money to get a new one, but it will give you some cash that you can throw at the expense. That’s far better than nothing.
For more tips that will help you pick out a new vehicle, visit the Buy Cars section of our blog.