Factor 1
Weight
Weight sets the steel-recovery floor - heavier vehicles always pay more by the pound.
Scrapping a car in Ontario involves the green ownership permit transfer, ServiceOntario plate handling (plates stay with you), partner-network pickup across the GTA and beyond, and cash on collection - typically within one to three business days. Typical Ontario values: $250–$600 for sedans, $400–$1,200 for SUVs and trucks, at the 2026 Ontario steel rate of $0.10 per pound. Here's the walkthrough.
To scrap a car in Ontario, get a free estimate using the scrap and junk car value calculator, confirm pickup with your local GTA-area partner, prepare your green vehicle ownership permit (Ontario plates stay with you - they're owner-linked), and receive cash on collection. Free pickup is included across Ontario. Typical Ontario scrap car payouts run $250–$1,200 by vehicle class; Toronto and GTA recyclers tend to offer the strongest prices due to competition.
Start with the scrap and junk car value calculator. Select Ontario, enter your vehicle's year, make, model, weight class, and condition; the calculator returns a payout range based on the 2026 Ontario steel rate of $0.10 per pound. Standard Ontario sedans run $250–$600; SUVs and trucks $400–$1,200. Junk vehicles with intact high-demand parts can reach $5,000 for heavier trucks. For deeper context, see scrap car prices in Ontario.
A local Cash For Cars partner contacts you to confirm the offer and schedule pickup. Partner-network density is strongest across the 416 and 905 corridor - Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Hamilton, and Oshawa pickups are typically same-day or next-day, pending traffic and address access. Ottawa and London windows are usually next-day. Outside the GTA and major centres, pickup windows depend on the closest partner yard's routing day for your area.
Ontario's vehicle ownership permit is green and printed in two parts. The top portion is the plate portion - keep that one, because Ontario plates are owner-linked (they stay with you, not the vehicle). The bottom portion is the vehicle portion - you sign that one over at pickup as the transferring owner. The partner network handles buyer-side paperwork on its end. If the permit is lost or never received from a prior transfer, request a replacement at any ServiceOntario location before scheduling pickup.
Ontario plates stay with you - use them on your next vehicle, or surrender them at any ServiceOntario location if you no longer need them. ServiceOntario has counters across the GTA, Ottawa, London, and most provincial cities; many transactions can also be completed by mail or online. Cash For Cars does not handle ServiceOntario plate surrender for you - the timing is your call.
Cancel insurance with your Ontario auto insurer on your own timing. Unlike British Columbia's public ICBC model, Ontario auto insurance is private - you'll work directly with your provider (Intact, Aviva, TD Insurance, Belairdirect, Desjardins, others). Cash For Cars does not handle cancellation or refunds. Drive Clean note: Ontario's Drive Clean Program ended for passenger vehicles in April 2019; emissions testing is not required for typical passenger scrap car sales.
The partner driver picks up the vehicle from your Ontario address - driveway, street, condo loading dock, parkade, commercial property, or rural lot. Free towing is included. You sign the vehicle portion of the green ownership permit at the truck; the driver hands you payment in cash or e-transfer. After pickup, the vehicle is processed at a licensed Ontario auto recycler - fluids drained, reusable parts recovered, remaining shell fed into the regional scrap metal supply chain.
Your proof of ownership. Sign the vehicle portion (bottom) at pickup. Keep the plate portion (top) - Ontario plates are owner-linked and stay with you. If the permit is lost, request a replacement at any ServiceOntario location before scheduling pickup.
Most partners verify seller identity at pickup. A valid Ontario driver's licence, Ontario photo card, or any provincial or federal photo ID is standard.
Have your insurance details on hand for your own reference when cancelling coverage with your provider. Not required at pickup.
Estate and inherited vehicles need executor documentation or probate paperwork. Vehicles with active liens require lender discharge before ownership transfers - confirm with your lender first.
No documents are required to get an estimate - only to complete the pickup. The calculator returns a free estimate based on vehicle details alone, before any paperwork is involved.
The partner network covers every region of Ontario, with strongest pickup density across the Greater Toronto Area. In the GTA, partner trucks dispatch daily across the 416 and 905 - cash for cars in Toronto, ON as the network anchor, cash for cars in Mississauga, ON along the QEW, cash for cars in Markham, ON and Richmond Hill across York Region, Brampton and Vaughan to the northwest, Oakville and Burlington along the lake, Oshawa east through Durham. Cash for cars in Hamilton, ON extends to the Niagara Escarpment.
In Eastern Ontario, cash for cars in Ottawa, ON covers the National Capital Region and the Ottawa Valley. In Southwestern Ontario, cash for cars in London, ON anchors the 401 corridor, with partner routing to Windsor, Sarnia, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Guelph on next-day windows. Cottage country, Northern Ontario, and rural addresses are served on the closest partner yard's routing day. For full coverage detail, see the Ontario provincial hub.
Ontario scrap car payouts run $250–$600 for sedans and $400–$1,200 for SUVs and trucks at the 2026 Ontario steel rate of $0.10 per pound. The GTA's recycler density - Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, and Oshawa all sit inside an hour of multiple licensed yards - tends to push prices toward the upper end of those ranges. Outer Ontario and rural addresses sit closer to the lower end because transport distance eats into the partner's margin.
Weight sets the steel-recovery floor - heavier vehicles always pay more by the pound.
Condition sets whether the offer falls into scrap-only territory or qualifies for junk-car treatment with parts retention.
The catalytic converter alone often accounts for $100–$400 of the offer when intact.
Running engines, working transmissions, alloy wheels, and modern infotainment push junk vehicles past the standard scrap ceiling. Heavy trucks with significant parts value can reach $5,000.
For a vehicle-specific estimate, use the scrap and junk car value calculator. For the broader pricing picture across the province, see scrap car prices in Ontario.
Your vehicle was declared a total loss by your private auto insurer. Unlike BC's public ICBC model, Ontario uses private insurers - Intact, Aviva, TD Insurance, Belairdirect, Desjardins, and others - and settlement is handled per policy terms. If you retain the vehicle (sometimes called "buyback" or "salvage retention"), the partner network picks up Ontario write-offs routinely.
Your vehicle has accumulated mechanical issues that exceed economical repair, hasn't passed safety inspection, or has stopped running. Non-running Ontario vehicles typically yield 30–50% less than running equivalents; free pickup is included regardless. Common Ontario examples: older Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra sedans at the end of a long service life.
Your vehicle has high-demand parts - engine, transmission, catalytic converter, alloy wheels - that hold value even though the vehicle is uneconomical to repair. Junk-car pricing sits above standard scrap ranges and can reach $5,000 for heavier trucks. Common in Hamilton (steel-heritage heavy trucks), Oshawa (GM-area pickups), and Middlesex County agricultural pickups around London.
A common GTA scenario - the vehicle has sat unused for months or years. Downtown Toronto condo and parkade pickups require loading-dock or service-bay scheduling with building management; the partner network handles this routinely. Same-day pickup is standard once building access is confirmed at booking.
Ontario-specific answers about timing, ownership permits, licence plates, Drive Clean, private-insurer write-offs, and high-end vehicle payouts.
Free estimate in under a minute. Free pickup across Ontario from a vetted partner network. Cash or e-transfer at collection. The Surrey-based Cash For Cars team coordinates the booking; a local GTA-area, Ottawa, or Southwestern Ontario partner handles the pickup itself.