How to Sell a Broken Tow Bar

A broken tow bar is still worth selling — typically £10 to £62 at For Parts, against £40 to £250 in working order.

Can you sell a tow bar that does 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 tow bars

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

Missing brackets, which are vehicle-specific
Missing or damaged wiring looms
Corroded tow balls and mounting plates
Unknown vehicle fitment

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £18 to £112. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £10 to £62. 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:

State the exact vehicle make, model and years it fits
Confirm every bracket, bolt and the wiring loom are present
Photograph the tow ball and mounting plate

Photographing the fault

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

The tow bar whole, laid out
All brackets and bolts arranged together
The electrical socket and wiring loom
The ball and neck, plus any part number and every worn or corroded area

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken tow bars want these confirmed:

Exact vehicle make, model, body style and year range it fits
Type — fixed flange, detachable or swan neck
Whether the electrical kit is included, and 7-pin or 13-pin
Whether all brackets, bolts and fitting instructions are present

Vehicle fit and type: “Tow Bar for VW Golf Mk7 2012-2019, Fixed Flange, 13-Pin Electrics”. The vehicle and year range is the entire search. Say fixed, detachable or swan neck, and whether electrics are included.

What buyers will ask

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

“Will it fit my car?”

Give the exact model and year range, and the part number if there is one. Tow bars are vehicle specific and a near miss is a complete miss.

“Are the electrics included?”

Say so and specify the socket type. Wiring kits are a substantial cost separately and often vehicle specific too.

“Are all the bolts there?”

Lay them out and photograph them. Missing high-tensile mounting bolts are not something to improvise with, and they must be the correct grade.

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:

Complete kits with brackets and electrics
Detachable and swan-neck types, which are in demand
Type approval documentation where available
Recognised manufacturers

If the work would cost more than the gap between £62 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Steady year round with a spring lift as towing season starts. Common vehicle fitments sell within days.

Getting it to the buyer

Very heavy for its size, so weigh before quoting postage. Fitting should be done properly since it is a structural and safety component — say so rather than implying it is a simple bolt-on.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken tow bar worth anything?

Yes — typically £10 to £62 at For Parts against £40 to £250 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Missing brackets, which are vehicle-specific

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 complete kits with brackets and electrics and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty tow bar?

The fault itself, in detail. Give the exact model and year range, and the part number if there is one. Tow bars are vehicle specific and a near miss is a complete miss. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.