What your old vehicle is really worth at a scrapping facility — and why it is a range

Nobody likes being told a price is a range. But anyone who gives you an exact rupee figure for a vehicle they have not seen is either guessing or planning to revise it when they arrive with the tow truck. Here is what the number is actually made of, so you can judge a quote instead of just hoping.

The base is weight, not age

A scrapping facility is buying material. The dominant input is the kerb weight of the vehicle multiplied by the prevailing rate for recovered steel, which moves with the commodity market from month to month. This is why a heavy 20-year-old SUV is worth more than a light 12-year-old hatchback in better condition, and why the year on the RC matters far less to the price than most owners assume.

Then completeness, which is where value is usually lost

• Engine and gearbox present and unstripped — the single biggest swing factor after weight.
• Catalytic converter still fitted. It contains recoverable precious metals and is the most commonly stolen part from a parked car.
• Battery, alternator, starter motor and the wiring harness.
• Tyres, wheels, and the spare.
• Body panels, doors, glass and lights intact rather than cannibalised.

Every one of those items removed before the inspection comes off the price. This is the practical argument against letting a vehicle sit for another two years while you decide: it is not just depreciation, it is physical loss.

Condition and location adjust the figure

A vehicle that drives onto the weighbridge is worth more than one that has to be winched onto a flatbed, because recovery costs real money and a seized engine has less salvageable value. As a working rule, a non-running vehicle is valued around fifteen percent below the same vehicle running. Distance matters for the same reason — pickup inside Jaipur costs us nothing to arrange, while a vehicle in another state carries a transport cost that has to sit somewhere in the arithmetic.

Indicative bands by vehicle type

These are the ranges we work with before inspection. They are honest bands, not offers, and the final figure is confirmed after the vehicle is seen and weighed.

• Two-wheeler (Splendor, Activa, Pulsar, Bullet) — roughly ₹3,000 – ₹9,000 for the vehicle itself
• Small hatchback (Maruti 800, Alto, Nano, Spark) — roughly ₹40,000 – ₹80,000 for the vehicle itself
• Premium hatchback (Swift, i10, i20, Wagon R) — roughly ₹60,000 – ₹1,20,000 for the vehicle itself
• Sedan (Dzire, City, Verna, Accent) — roughly ₹80,000 – ₹1,40,000 for the vehicle itself
• SUV / MUV (Scorpio, Bolero, Safari, Innova) — roughly ₹1,00,000 – ₹1,80,000 for the vehicle itself
• Light commercial (Tata Ace, 407, Dost, Pickup) — roughly ₹1,00,000 – ₹2,50,000 for the vehicle itself
• Truck / bus (LPT, Eicher, Ashok Leyland) — roughly ₹2,00,000 – ₹4,00,000 for the vehicle itself

Why an unregistered dealer can appear to offer more

Sometimes a local scrap dealer will quote a higher cash figure than a registered facility. Two things are usually happening. First, they are not deregistering the vehicle, so they are not carrying the compliance cost — and you are keeping the liability that goes with an RC that never gets cancelled. Second, they cannot issue a Certificate of Deposit, so the headline cash is the whole of what you get. Compare the total, not the cash.

Getting a realistic number for your vehicle

1. Look up the indicative band for your make and model on our estimator.
2. Adjust down if the vehicle does not start, or if parts have already been removed.
3. Add the certificate benefit against the replacement vehicle you are actually considering.
4. Then call and let someone confirm it. Ten minutes on the phone is more accurate than any calculator, ours included.