Junk it, sell it privately or trade it in?

The short answer

There are three ways out of an old car, and the right one depends mostly on one question: would a stranger pay to drive it home?

• Yes, and it looks decent: a private sale usually brings the most, if you’ll put in the time.
• You’re buying from a dealer anyway: a trade-in is the quickest, and the paperwork stays at the dealership.
• No, or not without big repairs: junk it. That’s the car we buy, and the offer form takes two minutes.

Side by side

	Private sale	Trade-in	Junk sale
Best for	Running cars with no major faults	Anyone buying a car from a dealer	Non-runners, wrecks, cars with big repair bills
Who you deal with	Strangers answering an ad	The dealer you’re buying from	One buyer, one call
Does it need to run?	Practically, yes	Helps a lot	No
Time it takes	Days to weeks of messages and showings	The same visit as your purchase	Often the same day
Getting the car there	The buyer drives it away	You drive it to the lot	We tow it free from where it sits
How you’re paid	Whatever you and the buyer agree	Credit toward the new car	Cash, Zelle or Cash App at pickup
Your Illinois paperwork	Sign the title, keep plates, file VSD 703	Sign the title at the dealer	Sign the title at pickup, keep plates, file VSD 703

When a private sale is worth it

If the car starts, drives, passes for its age and you’ve got time, a private buyer will usually pay more than either a dealer or a junk buyer, because they’re buying transport, not parts. On the North Side the trade-off is the hassle: answering messages, meeting strangers, and arranging test drives from a permit-zone block where the car can only sit so long.

There’s also the legal part. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-112, you sign the title over to the buyer when you deliver the car, and once you’ve done that and handed it over, you’re “not liable as owner for any damages thereafter resulting from operation of the vehicle.” Then mail the Seller’s Report of Sale (VSD 703), which the Secretary of State says will “release your responsibility for the vehicle.” Our guide on signing over an Illinois title covers the lines to fill in.

A private sale goes badly when the car has a fault the buyer finds on the test drive, or one they find a week later. If you know the transmission is slipping, say so. It’s honest, and it saves a dispute.

When a trade-in makes sense

If you’re already sitting across from a salesperson, a trade-in folds the old car into the deal and the dealer takes care of the paperwork. You trade some money for a lot of convenience. Just treat the trade-in number and the new car’s price as two separate questions, and know what the old car would bring elsewhere before you agree.

A dealer isn’t required to take a car that doesn’t run, and one with a dead engine or major damage may get a low number or a polite no.

When junking wins

Junking is the right call when the car’s problems cost more to fix than the car is worth repaired, or when the car can’t be driven anywhere. Typical examples: a blown engine, a failed transmission, a car that’s been sitting for years, heavy rust, flood or crash damage, or no keys. A private buyer for those cars is rare, and the ones who answer usually want a giveaway.

What you get from us is a quote over the phone, a free tow from wherever the car is, and payment when it’s collected. Our guide to what sets a junk car’s value explains how the number is reached, and if you’re weighing a charity instead, see junk or donate a car in Illinois.

Paperwork that’s the same in all three

• The title is what transfers. Sign the Assignment of Title area for the buyer, dealer or us.
• Your plates stay with you. In Illinois they belong to the owner, not the car.
• The city sticker stays with you too. It can be transferred to your next car, never to the buyer.
• The VSD 703 goes in the mail after a private or junk sale.

The next step

If your car is in the junk column, get an offer or call (708) 858-5673, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. We collect from driveways and garages in North Park, Lincolnwood and the rest of the North Side, and the offer doesn’t expire if you want to try a private sale first. More options are in our guides.