Is your car worth less because it has 200,000 miles? We break down how mileage impacts junk car quotes, when it matters, and when it doesn't.
The Odometer Myth
One of the first questions sellers ask us at {businessInfo.name} is, “It has 240,000 miles, is it worthless?” The answer is almost always NO.
In the world of used car dealerships, mileage is everything. A car with 50k miles is worth double a car with 150k miles. In the world of junk cars, mileage is just one small factor in a much larger equation. In fact, sometimes a high-mileage car is worth more to us than a low-mileage garage queen. Here is why.
The Two Types of Buyers: Which One Are You Selling To?
To understand how mileage affects price, you have to understand who is buying your car.
1. The Resale Buyer (Dealerships/Private Parties)
- Goal: Drive the car for another 5 years.
- Mileage Impact: HUGE. High mileage means the engine is worn out, the transmission is a ticking time bomb, and the suspension is shot.
- Verdict: They will pay pennies for high mileage.
2. The Salvage Buyer (Us)
- Goal: Recycle the materials and harvest specific parts.
- Mileage Impact: LOW.
- Verdict: We care about what is in the car, not how many times the wheels have spun.
When Does Mileage Actually Matter?
There are specific scenarios where mileage DOES affect your junk car quote, but not in the way you might think.
Scenario A: The Clean Low-Mileage “Unicorn”
If you have a 2012 Honda Civic with only 60,000 miles that was rear-ended (totaled), that engine is GOLD.
- Why? Because we can pull that engine and sell it to a repair shop for $800-$1,200.
- Result: You get a significantly higher quote because the “heart” of the car provides huge resale value.
Scenario B: The 300k Mile “Road Warrior”
If you have the same 2012 Honda Civic with 300,000 miles.
- Why? No mechanic wants to buy a 300k mile engine. It’s too risky. We can’t sell the engine.
- Result: The car is valued based on Scrap Weight + Catalytic Converter + Body Panels.
- The Kicker: It is still worth good money ($300-$600), just not the “premium” engine price.
3 Reasons Why High Mileage Cars Still Pay Well
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The Catalytic Converter Don’t Care About Miles The platinum, palladium, and rhodium inside your catalytic converter do not evaporate with mileage. A converter from a car with 10 miles and a car with 1,000,000 miles has roughly the same amount of precious metal. This is often the most valuable part of the junk car.
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Steel Weighs the Same A 4,000 lb Ford Explorer with 200k miles weighs exactly the same as one with 20k miles. If scrap steel is trading at $200/ton, that value is locked in regardless of the odometer.
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Body Panels Don’t Age Like Engines A door from a high-mileage car fits a low-mileage car perfectly. If your car has a straight hood, clean fenders, or a pristine bumper, those parts are valuable to body shops, regardless of how tired the engine is.
Does Mileage Affect “Non-Runners”?
If your car doesn’t run, mileage becomes almost irrelevant.
- Example: You have a car with 80,000 miles (low!) but the engine is seized because you never changed the oil.
- Value: It is valued as scrap. The low mileage doesn’t help because the engine is dead anyway.
In this case, a running car with 250,000 miles might actually be worth more than a non-running car with 80,000 miles, simply because the high-mileage car can still move under its own power (saving us towing complexity).
Summary: Stop Worrying About the Digits
If you are selling to a junk car buyer like {businessInfo.name}:
- Under 100k Miles: Mention it! It might add a “low mileage premium” to your quote for the engine/transmission value.
- Over 150k Miles: It’s standard. You will get the standard scrap weight + converter price.
- Over 300k Miles: Congratulations on getting your money’s worth! We will still buy it for the steel.
Don’t let a dealership tell you your high-mileage car is worthless. To us, it’s worth cash today.