VALUATION GUIDE
How We Value Your Car: The Seven Factors Behind Every Offer
Short answer: how much your car is worth depends on what it is, what's wrong with it, and who can fix it. We assess seven things: age, kilometres, condition, fault type, model demand, repairability and completeness. Here is exactly how each one moves your number.
The seven factors we assess
Age. Age sets the starting point. Newer cars have more years of service left and stronger demand for their parts, so age frames every other factor. A 2018 and a 2008 of the same model can look similar on a driveway; they are very different propositions to repair or recycle.
Kilometres. The odometer is the wear counter. Every kilometre wears engines, transmissions, suspension and brakes a little further, so two identical cars with different readings are not identical to us. A car with 80,000 km and a dead gearbox is a different job to the same car showing 280,000 km with the same fault.
Condition. Condition is everything beyond the headline fault: panel and paint, interior, tyres, service history, and how the car has been looked after overall. A well-kept car with one major fault is a very different assessment to a neglected car with the same fault.
Fault type. The fault decides the size and shape of the job. Some faults are routine workshop work; others point to a car at the end of its life. A dead gearbox on an otherwise healthy car is a repair job. Flood water through the cabin and wiring is a different conversation entirely.
Model demand. Demand is about what happens after we buy. Popular models have strong markets for their parts and for repaired examples; rare or unloved models have shallower ones. A common Corolla or Mazda 3 has buyers for everything from engines to interior trim. An obscure import has far fewer.
Repairability. This is the question our workshop answers first: can the car economically go back on the road? The answer decides which of two paths it takes. Vehicles worth repairing are repaired and resold; end-of-life vehicles are recycled. Both paths carry real value, which is why the fault alone never sets the price.
Completeness. Completeness is simply what is still there. A complete non-runner has all of its value available to assess: panels, interior, wheels, battery, catalytic converter, keys. A car that has been stripped or is missing major components has less to work with. Tell us up front if parts are missing; surprises at pickup help no one.
A major fault doesn't automatically mean scrap value.
A major fault doesn't automatically mean scrap value
Here is the misconception we correct most often: the repair quote arrives, it is bigger than the car feels worth, and the owner assumes the car is now scrap. It usually isn't. A mechanical fault by itself does not mean a vehicle is recorded as written off. “Written off” is a specific status: an insurer assesses the car as a total loss (repair cost plus salvage value exceeding market value) and it is entered on the NSW Written-Off Light Vehicles Register. A gearbox or mechanical failure by itself does not cause a vehicle to be recorded as written off. Other parts of the vehicle may still contribute meaningful value depending on age, kilometres, condition, completeness, demand and repairability.
If your car genuinely is recorded as written off, the rules change but the car is still not worthless. In NSW, a written-off light vehicle is generally recorded as a statutory write-off: it can only be used for parts or scrap, and re-registration is only possible in limited circumstances with Transport for NSW authorisation. Our guide to statutory and repairable write-offs explains what that means for the price.
So where does our workshop fit? Our in-house repair capability is one factor in how we assess vehicles with major faults. For you, that means the fault is assessed as one factor among seven, not as a verdict on the whole car.
Selling a car with a major fault right now? Our page on selling a car with mechanical problems covers engines, gearboxes, electrical faults and non-runners specifically.
Two free checks worth running before you talk to anyone
Service NSW offers a free online rego check showing registration status, CTP insurer and the three most recent yearly odometer readings. Those readings are the quickest honesty check going: if your own car's history surprises you, better you find out before anyone quotes on it. Run the free Service NSW rego check.
A $2 PPSR check at ppsr.gov.au shows whether a vehicle has finance owing, is recorded written-off, or is reported stolen. Two dollars, two minutes, and you know exactly what the official record says about your car before any buyer does. Do a $2 PPSR check.
What happens when you ask us
Start with the online estimate. It takes about two minutes and gives you a range built from the seven factors above. One thing we say plainly, because every seller deserves to hear it: the range is a starting point, not a promise. No honest buyer can give a firm number for a car that has not been properly described.
From there, the details sharpen the number. Tell us the symptoms, send photos if you have them, and the range becomes a firm offer. That offer holds as long as the description did, so describe the car honestly and the number stays still at pickup.
If you accept, we come to you anywhere in Sydney, free, and the disposal paperwork is done with you on the spot. We pay by bank transfer at purchase, with a receipt, on every car we buy. In NSW, scrap metal dealers are prohibited from paying cash for scrap metal, including vehicles bought as scrap, and a transfer with a receipt leaves a record that protects you.
Still weighing up your options? See how the main ways to sell a car stack up on our comparison page before you decide anything.
Valuation questions, straight answers
How can I find out what my car is worth before I talk to anyone?
Two free checks come first: the Service NSW rego check shows registration status, CTP insurer and the three most recent yearly odometer readings, and a $2 PPSR check shows whether there is finance owing, a write-off record, or a stolen report. Then our online estimator gives you a range in about two minutes, built from the seven factors on this page.
Is the online estimate the price I will actually get?
The estimate is a range, and a range is a starting point, not a promise. The firm offer comes after you tell us the details and we see photos or the car itself. That offer holds as long as your description does, so honest details are what keep the number still.
Does a major mechanical fault mean my car is only worth scrap?
No. A mechanical fault by itself does not mean a vehicle is recorded as written off, and it does not make a car scrap either. Fault type is one of seven factors we assess, along with age, kilometres, condition, model demand, repairability and completeness. Other parts of the vehicle may still contribute meaningful value depending on age, kilometres, condition, completeness, demand and repairability.
Do I need to know exactly what is wrong with the car before I ask?
No. Symptoms are enough. It overheats after ten minutes. It will not go into reverse. It starts when it feels like it. That is the language we assess from, and our workshop does the diagnosing. You will never be tested on your mechanical knowledge.
Is a written-off car worth anything?
Yes, though the rules change. In NSW, a written-off light vehicle is generally recorded as a statutory write-off, which can only be used for parts or scrap. Parts and recyclable materials carry real value, and a written-off car with a healthy engine and clean panels can still be worth meaningful money.
Why do you pay by bank transfer instead of cash?
In NSW, scrap metal dealers are prohibited from paying cash for scrap metal, including vehicles bought as scrap. We pay by bank transfer at purchase, with a receipt, on every car we buy. It follows the law and it protects you: the payment leaves a clear record in your account.
Written by Aaron Navazi
Founder of Salvage Experts. Seven years buying, repairing and assessing vehicles across Sydney. Aaron leads the assessment and pricing of the vehicles we buy.
Find out what your car is worth. The estimate is free and the pickup is too.
Free quote, free pickup anywhere in Sydney, payment on the spot, and the paperwork done with you.