Selling a wrecked car in Arizona: every question answered

A wrecked car's value is set by what it is, not what it weighs. Year, make, model, trim, mileage, and where the damage sits determine the number. A late-model vehicle with collision damage typically carries value that scrap-weight pricing misses entirely, often by thousands of dollars. A 2016 Hyundai Sonata we bought had been quoted $475 as scrap. We paid $1,350.

Junkyards and self-service parts yards price by scrap metal weight and parts demand. That model works for a twenty-year-old shell. It badly underprices a 2020 SUV with front-end damage. We price the vehicle as a vehicle, which is why the two numbers separate so sharply on anything late-model.

Not if the car matches what you told us. Describe the vehicle honestly, including the damage, any missing parts, and whether it runs, and the number you accepted is the number you are paid. We do not renegotiate in the driveway.

Arizona does not set one statewide percentage that every insurer follows. Carriers apply their own total loss threshold, weighing the cost of repairs against the vehicle's value and what it would bring as salvage. When that line is crossed the vehicle is declared a total loss and the title is branded salvage. Different carriers reach the line at different points, which is why two similar cars can be treated differently.

Yes. This is one of the most common purchases we make. When you keep a totaled car, your settlement is reduced by the vehicle's salvage value and the car receives an Arizona salvage title. We buy owner-retained salvage vehicles across the Valley and walk you through the paperwork step by step.

No. A denied claim changes who pays for the damage. It does not change what the vehicle is worth. Before you commit to an out-of-pocket repair bill that may exceed the car's value, get our offer and compare the two numbers.

Your Arizona certificate of title and a photo ID matching the name on it. If there is a loan, bring the lender's payoff information or the lien release. That is the whole packet for most sales.

Yes. Arizona requires the seller's signature on the title to be notarized, which surprises a lot of people who have sold cars in other states. Do not sign the title in advance, because a signature that was not witnessed by the notary is not much use. Tell us when you call and we will arrange the notary as part of the pickup rather than sending you off to find one.

Usually yes. Arizona issues duplicate titles through the MVD, and the application can be started online. Call us before you begin, because depending on your situation we can often get the sale moving in parallel rather than waiting for the duplicate to arrive.

We buy vehicles with lien payoffs regularly. Bring your lender's payoff information and we will structure the purchase so the lien is satisfied and you receive the balance. If an insurance settlement already paid off the loan, you just need the lien release along with the title.

No, and this is the opposite of California. In Arizona the plates belong to you rather than the vehicle, so take them off before pickup. You then have 30 days to transfer them to another vehicle or surrender them to the MVD for a refund of the unused registration fees.

The Sold Notice tells the Arizona MVD you no longer own the vehicle, and it is what actually ends your liability for it. File it online within 10 calendar days of the sale. It is free and takes a couple of minutes. Skipping it is how people end up with a towing bill or a citation for a car they sold months earlier.

Almost certainly not for this sale. Arizona requires emissions testing in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas when a vehicle is being registered, and selling a damaged car to a licensed dealer is not the same thing as registering it. Tell us your situation when you call and we will tell you what applies. We are not the MVD, so for anything unusual we will point you to the right form rather than guess.

Pickup is free everywhere we buy, which covers Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Goodyear, Queen Creek and the surrounding Maricopa County area. Driveways, apartment lots, storage facilities, body shops and tow yards are all routine. Most pickups happen within 24 to 48 hours of acceptance.

Not at all. No keys, will not start, flat tires, sitting since last summer. Our trucks are equipped for non-running vehicles and the tow is on us.

Yes. Arizona damages cars in ways other states do not. Hail write-offs, vehicles that went through a wash during monsoon season, and interiors and clear coat cooked by years of heat are all things we buy. A car that looks rough to a private buyer is still a car with a drivetrain and a body to us.

On the spot, at pickup, before the truck leaves, for the full quoted amount. No waiting periods, no mailed payments, and no fees deducted.

Arizona Wrecked Cars is our site for the Arizona market. The company behind it is Blue Ribbon Auto Sales LLC, a licensed Arizona dealer trading as TrackWala, based in Mesa and built on more than thirty years in the vehicle business. TrackWala is who makes the offer, collects the vehicle and pays you. Your details go to TrackWala and nobody else. We are not a listing site and we do not auction your vehicle to a pool of third-party bidders.