Free price guide · Sydney
How much is my car worth?
Short answer: salvage buyers in Sydney pay from $250 for genuine scrap shells up to $20,000 for repairable late-models. Most everyday cars land between $500 and $8,000. Where yours sits depends on five things: make, type, age, kilometres and condition. Play with the estimator to see the range, then get the exact number from a human.
- Estimate is free and instant. The exact quote is too.
- The price we quote is the price we pay. No kerbside renegotiation.
- Free pickup anywhere in Sydney, paid on the spot.
Salvage value estimator
Typical range for cars like this
$5,300 – $7,500
Estimate, not a quote. Your exact number depends on the make, model and the actual damage. A human gives you that in minutes.
What we typically pay, by type and condition
Real ranges from the cars we buy across Sydney every week. "Repairable" means it goes back on the road after our workshop fixes it. "Damaged / non-runner" covers write-offs and dead engines. "Scrap" is exactly that.
| Vehicle type | Repairable, newer | Damaged / non-runner | Scrap / shell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatch / sedan | $4,500 – $10,500 | $600 – $3,800 | $250 – $600 |
| SUV / 4WD | $6,000 – $15,000 | $1,000 – $5,500 | $350 – $750 |
| Ute | $7,000 – $18,000 | $1,300 – $6,500 | $450 – $900 |
| Van | $6,000 – $16,000 | $1,100 – $5,500 | $400 – $800 |
| European / prestige | $7,000 – $20,000 | $1,300 – $7,000 | $300 – $700 |
| EV / hybrid | $8,000 – $20,000 | $1,500 – $8,000 | $400 – $950 |
Ranges are indicative as of 2026 and move with the used-parts and scrap markets. Your quote is always a specific number for your specific car.
The four things that move your number
1. What it is
Make, model and type set the ceiling. In-demand utes, 4WDs and vans hold value hardest; common hatches follow the parts market. European cars carry higher parts value but scare buyers who can't fix them. We can, so we pay it.
2. How old it is
Age sets the baseline, but not the way dealers use it. A 2016 car with a blown engine can be worth more to us than a 2019 car that's flood-damaged, because one can go back on the road and the other can't.
3. How far it's gone
Kilometres matter less than honesty. On workhorses like HiLux and LandCruiser, 300,000km is normal and priced normally. On a small hatch, the same reading pulls the number down.
4. What's wrong with it
The fault costs us trade rates, not retail. A gearbox that quotes you $4,500 to replace costs our workshop a fraction of that, so the deduction off your price is a fraction too. Describe it straight and the quote holds.
Price questions, straight answers
How much is my car worth to a salvage buyer in Sydney?
Anywhere from $250 for a genuine scrap shell up to $20,000 for a repairable late-model. Most everyday cars we buy land between $500 and $6,000. The five things that set the number are the make, the vehicle type, its age, the kilometres, and its condition, which is exactly what our estimator above uses.
Why do salvage buyers pay more than wreckers?
A wrecker prices your car by its weight in scrap metal, usually a few hundred dollars. A salvage buyer with its own workshop prices what the car is worth repaired or dismantled, which is almost always more. Our repair costs are trade costs, so faults that would cost you thousands at retail cost us far less, and that difference goes into your offer.
Is the online estimate the price I'll actually get?
No, and be suspicious of anyone who says otherwise. An estimate is a range based on typical cars like yours. The real quote comes from a human who knows your exact car: the make, the model, the specific damage. That quote is free, takes minutes, and the number we give is the number we pay.
What drops the price the most?
Flood damage and statutory write-off status (those cars can never be re-registered in NSW), missing major components like the engine or catalytic converter, and high kilometres on common models. Accident damage drops it less than people expect, because repairing accident damage is what we do all week.
Estimates are fun. Exact numbers pay better.
Two minutes on the quote form, or one phone call, and you get the real number for your actual car. Free, no obligation, and it holds.
Salvage Experts · Kemps Creek, Sydney · Open 8:00–18:00, Monday–Saturday