Scrap car prices are rising again. The current average is £226. That is 3.5% higher than the same time last year, and most cars now pay between £154 and £302. Figures are the actual amounts paid to the owners of 11,412 vehicles we collected between 20 May and 20 August 2026, not estimates.
2016£85the weakest the market has been
2022 peak£386steel and catalyst metals peaked together
Latest · Aug 2026£226three months to August 2026, up 3.5% year on year
Figures on this page were last updated on 27 August 2026 and are refreshed every quarter.
Prices follow the metal markets. They fell back from the 2022 high through 2024 and 2025, and have turned upward again over the past few months. A scrap car today pays well over twice what it did a decade ago.
What 55,541 owners were paid · Aug 2025 to Aug 2026
Under £1252.6%
£125–1507.8%
£150–17514.7%
£175–20018.8%
£200–22518.9%
£225–25014.6%
£250–2759.4%
£275–3005.9%
£300–3504.5%
Over £3502.8%
Across the full year the average was £217. Just over 7% of vehicles paid more than £300, and under 3% paid less than £125.
What your car is worth depends on three things
Weight. Scrap metal is bought by the tonne, so a heavier car is worth more before anything else is considered. This is why a Vauxhall Insignia averages £255 and a Nissan Micra £160.
The metal market. Steel and catalyst metal prices move constantly. Our average payment peaked at £386 in 2022 when steel and catalyst metals rose together, and has since fallen back. It is why a quote is only valid for days rather than months. Our twelve years of collection records show the full cycle.
Where you are. Prices depend on how far a vehicle has to travel to reach a licensed recycler, and how many are competing locally. The gap between the best and worst areas in Britain is currently around £136. You can check which areas we cover and what is typical locally.
Average prices by model
The twenty vehicles we collect most often, with what their owners were actually paid over the last twelve months. For the models that reach the end of the road most frequently, see the models that reach the end of the road most often.
| Model | Average paid | Typical | Collected |
|---|
| Ford Transit | £273 | £266 | 709 |
| Audi A4 | £256 | £253 | 603 |
| Vauxhall Insignia | £255 | £257 | 783 |
| Audi A3 | £248 | £245 | 866 |
| Ford Mondeo | £242 | £240 | 847 |
| Citroen C4 | £237 | £232 | 530 |
| Nissan Qashqai | £236 | £233 | 839 |
| Vauxhall Zafira | £230 | £227 | 1,141 |
| Ford Focus | £221 | £219 | 3,240 |
| Volkswagen Golf | £219 | £217 | 1,791 |
| Vauxhall Astra | £217 | £215 | 3,005 |
| Honda Civic | £202 | £203 | 885 |
| Peugeot 207 | £200 | £201 | 1,071 |
| Citroen C3 | £191 | £181 | 570 |
| Volkswagen Polo | £185 | £183 | 1,228 |
| Ford Fiesta | £183 | £182 | 2,694 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | £180 | £175 | 2,639 |
| Renault Clio | £168 | £165 | 997 |
| Toyota Yaris | £166 | £166 | 669 |
| Nissan Micra | £160 | £158 | 725 |
Vehicles collected 20 August 2025 to 20 August 2026. Typical means the middle vehicle: line every one up in order and take the one in the centre.
When your car might be worth more than scrap
If the vehicle is damaged but repairable, or has been written off by an insurer, a salvage buyer will often pay more than a scrap yard, because the value sits in the reusable parts rather than the metal. If it still runs and has an MOT, selling it is usually better again.
Does an older car pay less?
Less than most people expect. A car of 25 years or more still averages £189 against £237 for one aged 10 to 15. Past a certain point the value sits in the metal and the catalytic converter rather than in reusable parts, and that floor does not fall away with age. A working catalytic converter or a saleable engine can lift an offer well above the metal value.
| Age at collection | Average paid | Share of collections |
|---|
| Under 10 years | £401 | 0.9% |
| 10 to 15 years | £237 | 23.3% |
| 15 to 20 years | £211 | 54.2% |
| 20 to 25 years | £204 | 19.4% |
| 25 years or more | £189 | 1.9% |
Three ways to get more for your car
Leave the parts on itTaking off wheels, the battery or the catalytic converter before collection reduces what you are paid by more than the parts are worth to you, and can make the vehicle harder to load.
Get the price fixed before collectionSome operators quote high and renegotiate on the driveway once your car is on the truck. Ask whether the price is guaranteed. Watch too for a deduction over a missing V5C: the DVLA does not require the logbook to scrap a vehicle, so it is not a legitimate charge.
Claim your tax refundOnce you tell the DVLA the vehicle has been scrapped, you are refunded for each full month of remaining tax. The refund runs from the date the DVLA is notified, not the day the car was collected.
Common questions
How is a scrap car price worked out?
Primarily by weight, multiplied by the current price per tonne for scrap metal, then adjusted for how far the vehicle has to travel and what any reusable parts are worth.
Does condition affect the price?
For the metal value, weight matters far more than condition. But a working catalytic converter, engine or gearbox can lift an offer, because those are worth more as parts than as metal.
Do I need the V5C logbook?
No. The DVLA does not require it to scrap a vehicle, and no deduction should be made for its absence.
Will I get the price I was quoted?
With us, yes, provided the vehicle matches how it was described. There is no renegotiation on collection day.
Can I scrap a car that does not run?
Yes. Non-runners are collected on a flatbed or recovery vehicle at no extra cost. Our guide to scrapping a car covers the paperwork.
Is there a government scrappage scheme?
No. There is no national scheme in 2026 and the last one ran in 2009. See what is actually available.
Is it worth waiting for prices to rise?
Prices follow the metal markets and are hard to time. A car sitting unused is also depreciating and may be accruing tax and insurance costs.
Find out what your car is worth
Enter your registration for a guaranteed price. Free collection anywhere in the UK.
Get my priceEvery vehicle is collected through an Authorised Treatment Facility, the only type of operator legally permitted to scrap a car in the UK, and you receive a Certificate of Destruction. Figures on this page cover 55,541 vehicles collected between 20 August 2025 and 20 August 2026 and are updated quarterly. For twelve years of collection data see the Million Car Study.
