Selling Broken & Damaged Vehicles

17 guides to selling vehicles that are broken, damaged or incomplete. Every one covers what it is worth at Fair and For Parts, how to grade and photograph the defect, and what buyers ask before committing.

Non-runners have their own established trade — traders, restorers and people breaking for parts all buy deliberately at this end. Paperwork does most of the work here: V5C, keys, service history and an honest account of why it stopped. Two hard limits apply. Tyres below the legal tread, with exposed cords or sidewall damage cannot lawfully be sold at all; and airbags and pretensioners are pyrotechnic dangerous goods that no carrier will take.

1 of these say do not sell it. Where damage defeats something that exists to stop a person being injured, the guide says so and explains what to do instead. Those pages are in the list below like any other.

Before you write it off

Do not describe it as a non-runner until you have ruled out a flat or failed battery, a bad earth and stale fuel — anything laid up for a year will usually have at least two of those. A car that turns over but will not start is a very different sale from one that is silent. Whatever you conclude, have the V5C and the keys to hand before you list.

What a defect actually costs you

WishThrift grades run New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts. Fair is roughly 45% of the working price and covers heavy use or a described fault; For Parts is roughly 25% and covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen. Grades are seller-declared — nobody inspects them for you — so an honest grade plus a clear photograph of the defect is what actually closes the sale. All five grades explained.

Across the 17 guides below, For Parts prices run from about £5 at the low end to £7,500 at the top, against £20 to £30,000 for the same items in sound condition. Those are guide figures in sterling; WishThrift lists in your local currency and does not convert for you.

Every vehicles guide

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell a car that does not run?

Yes. Traders, restorers and people breaking for parts buy non-runners as a matter of course. What they need is the V5C, the keys, an honest account of why it stopped and whether it can be rolled and steered for loading.

Can I sell part-worn tyres?

Only within strict limits, and a damaged tyre not at all. Part-worn sales are regulated: a tyre must have at least 2mm of tread, no exposed cords or sidewall damage, and be permanently marked PART WORN. Anything outside that cannot lawfully be sold.

Listing is free and there is no commission. Neither side pays a buyer-protection fee either — create a free account to list yours, or browse the full faulty and damaged index.