Indicative West Midlands price ranges by vehicle type, the six things that actually move a quote, and how to spot a price that is going to drop the moment the truck arrives.
Get My Free QuoteScrap car pricing is not mysterious, but it is misunderstood. Most people assume the make and model set the price. In reality the biggest single factor is how much the car weighs, because most of what is recovered from an end-of-life vehicle is steel and steel is traded by the tonne.
Everything below is an honest guide, not a quote. Ranges move with the scrap metal market and with what is actually recoverable from your specific vehicle — the only way to know what your car is worth is to get a figure against the registration.
These are typical pay-out ranges for a complete vehicle with its catalytic converter still fitted, reviewed September 2026.
| Vehicle type | Typical examples | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Small city car / supermini | Corsa, Fiesta, Polo, Aygo | £150 – £280 |
| Medium family car | Focus, Astra, Golf, Civic | £200 – £380 |
| Large saloon or estate | Mondeo, Passat, Insignia, A4 | £250 – £450 |
| SUV or 4x4 | RAV4, Qashqai, Discovery, X5 | £300 – £600+ |
| Van or light commercial | Transit, Sprinter, Vivaro | £350 – £650+ |
These figures are indicative and are not an offer. Scrap metal prices move week to week, and a specific vehicle can sit outside its bracket in either direction. Last reviewed September 2026.
The foundation of the price. A supermini is commonly around 900–1,100 kg; a large saloon or estate is closer to 1,200–1,500 kg; a full-size van or 4x4 more again. This is why a tidy small hatchback can be worth less than a rough old estate car.
Steel prices respond to global demand and move continually. A reputable buyer prices against the current rate; a poor one quotes from a figure weeks old and hopes you do not notice. It is entirely reasonable to ask when a quote was last updated.
The single biggest swing factor after weight. A catalytic converter contains platinum, palladium and rhodium — worth far more by weight than the steel around them. A car missing its cat is commonly worth £50–£150 less, and considerably more than that on some models. If yours is still on the car, leave it there: it is worth more fitted, and loose catalytic converters are tightly controlled under scrap metal legislation.
Broadly four brackets, and people routinely misjudge which one they are in:
A Category B vehicle must be destroyed and cannot return to the road, so it is priced as scrap and salvageable parts. Category S and Category N cars can legally be repaired, which sometimes means they are worth more than scrap value — if your insurer has offered you the salvage back, get a scrap quote before committing to a repair bill.
This one should not affect your price, and with us it does not — collection is free everywhere we cover, rural addresses included. But some operators build a recovery charge into a lower quote, or add it at the door. If a buyer wants to charge for collection, that is a cost coming out of your pocket.
The most common complaint about scrap car buyers is not a low quote. It is a good quote that is cut once the truck is on the drive and the car is half-loaded — at which point most people accept, because the alternative is starting again.
It happens for two reasons, and only one of them is your problem to fix:
We quote, we collect, we destroy the vehicle at our own Authorised Treatment Facility and we issue your Certificate of Destruction. Nothing is deducted at the roadside for collection or paperwork.
The method of payment. Payment for a scrap vehicle must be traceable — the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 made it an offence in England and Wales to pay cash for scrap metal. If a buyer offers you a slightly better price in cash, the premium is not a bonus. It is the cost of a transaction with no record, from an operator who probably is not going to issue a Certificate of Destruction either.
Most cars scrapped in the West Midlands fall between roughly £150 and £650 depending on type. A small supermini typically sits at the lower end and a van or 4x4 at the upper end. Weight is the biggest single factor, followed by whether the catalytic converter is still fitted and whether the vehicle is complete.
Because the bulk of what is recovered from an end-of-life vehicle is steel, and steel is traded by the tonne. A supermini is often around 900–1,100 kg while a large saloon is closer to 1,200–1,500 kg, and that difference carries straight through to the quote.
Yes, significantly — commonly by £50 to £150 depending on the vehicle, and more on some models. Catalytic converters contain platinum, palladium and rhodium, which are worth far more per gram than the steel around them. If yours is still fitted, leave it fitted.
They move with the global scrap metal market, which responds to demand from steel mills. Quotes therefore move week to week rather than staying fixed. A buyer quoting from a rate that is several weeks old is not quoting you the current market, so it is fair to ask when their price was last updated.
Sometimes. If it is running, has a valid MOT and is a model with steady demand, private sale value can exceed scrap value. If it has failed an MOT on something structural or expensive, scrap is usually the better outcome once you account for the repair, the retest and the time.
Check whether the higher quote came from the company that will actually collect the car. Comparison sites generate a quote and then sell the booking on, and the collecting yard can revise the figure at the door. A quote is only worth what is paid into your account.