This past week, I took my Honda Element in for an alignment. I had new tires and an alignment done 5 months ago, but two weeks ago, it suddenly started pulling hard to the right. My mechanic checked it out and found that the rear passenger side of the unibody frame is completely rotted away. He said it’s not safe to drive and can’t be fixed. It’s a shame because it only has 150,000 miles on it.
I got a quote from “Cash for Cars” offering $890 and a free tow. That’s more than I’ve been offered by a junkyard, but I’m a bit suspicious. Has anyone here used them to junk a car? Are they legit? They say they pay by check, and I’m worried it might bounce.
I didn’t use Cash for Cars, but I used a similar local service that picked up my 2008 Versa for about $600. So $890 for a similar age Element seems reasonable to me.
In my case, the suspension, alignment, and wheels were all really worn out (repairs would have cost about 1.5 times its blue book value), so they probably paid me for the engine and internal parts, which were in good shape, and scrapped the rest. It sounds like your Element might be in a similar situation.
I’ve used similar services before, and it was easy. They set up a time to pick up your car. You give them the signed title and the car, and they give you a check. It’s a good way to make some money from a car that’s not worth fixing.
Did anyone here complete a notice of sale or bill of sale for the DMV? This is my first time selling to Cash for Cars, and I’m a bit confused. The pickup driver just tore off part of the form, didn’t fill in the buyer’s details, and then left.