How to Sell Broken Car Parts

Broken car parts are still worth selling — typically £5 to £100 at For Parts, against £20 to £400 in working order.

Can you sell car parts that do not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with car parts

These are the faults that move car parts down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

Parts listed without a part number
Worn or damaged components sold as serviceable
Obsolete parts for vehicles no longer on the road
Missing fixings and brackets

Before you list it

Airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and their modules are pyrotechnic articles classed as dangerous goods. No ordinary carrier will take them and posting them is an offence — those are collection-only, or not sold at all.

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £9 to £180. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £5 to £100. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Find and photograph the part number
List every vehicle model and year it fits
Photograph all mating surfaces and mounting points

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The part whole, on a clean surface, from its most identifiable angle
The part number and any manufacturer marking, legible
All mating faces, threads and connectors
Any damage, corrosion, wear or missing fixing

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken car parts want these confirmed:

Part number and manufacturer
Donor vehicle make, model, year, engine and mileage
Whether genuine, OEM-equivalent or aftermarket
Condition, and whether it was removed working or from a damaged vehicle

Part, vehicle, years and part number: “Alternator, [Make Model] 2.0 TDI 2012-2016, Part No. [number]”. The part number does more than any description because buyers search it directly. Say genuine, OEM or aftermarket, and give the donor vehicle’s mileage on wear items.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Will it fit my car?”

Point to the part number and let the buyer cross-reference it. Fitment across facelifts and engine variants is exactly where confident guesses go wrong.

“Was it working when removed?”

Say honestly whether it came off a running vehicle or a damaged one, and whether you tested it. Untested is a perfectly acceptable description; implied working is not.

“Can you post it?”

For most parts yes, weight permitting. Airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and anything containing fuel or oil are restricted or refused by carriers, so check before you agree.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Original manufacturer parts with part numbers
Parts for common, high-volume vehicles
Unused or low-mileage removed components
Complete assemblies rather than partial

If the work would cost more than the gap between £100 and what sound ones fetch, sell them as they are broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Steady year round, and older or discontinued parts often sell better than new-model ones because there is no alternative source. Common serviceable parts sell within days.

Getting it to the buyer

Weigh before quoting; parts are dense. Drain any fluid, and never post an airbag or pretensioner — they are classed as dangerous goods. Keep a record of the donor vehicle for anything safety related.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list them? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full car parts selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is broken car parts worth anything?

Yes — typically £5 to £100 at For Parts against £20 to £400 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Parts listed without a part number

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are original manufacturer parts with part numbers and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty car parts?

The fault itself, in detail. Point to the part number and let the buyer cross-reference it. Fitment across facelifts and engine variants is exactly where confident guesses go wrong. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.