Repair
Usually favoured when
The repair addresses the main fault, the vehicle is otherwise dependable, and the cost is modest relative to an honest as-is value.
Decision tool · Toronto & Ontario
Should you repair, sell or scrap your car?
Use the repair-to-value ratio as a starting point—not a verdict. A running vehicle can still be worth selling; an expensive repair can still make sense if it solves the real problem.
Your repair-to-value ratio
128%Recycling may be a reasonable path to explore.
The repair estimate is high relative to the stated value, or the vehicle is not running / collision-damaged. This is not a price quote: completeness, parts, access and local demand can still change the options.
Before deciding
- Get a written estimate and ask what it does not include.
- Check for liens, ownership or insurance issues before any sale.
- Compare at least one realistic private-sale or recycler conversation.
What this tool does—and doesn’t—tell you
It compares only the repair estimate you enter with the current value you enter. It cannot see rust, an imminent transmission repair, insurance history, the local resale market or sentimental value. That’s why it gives a direction and questions to ask instead of a made-up answer.
If your car is still safe, reliable and worth materially more in a private sale, don’t recycle it just because it is old. If the vehicle does not run, has major corrosion, or needs a repair close to or above its likely as-is value, a recycler quote can be a reasonable comparison point.
Private sale
Usually favoured when
The vehicle still runs and someone else can reasonably repair or use it. Be precise about defects and paperwork.
Recycling
Usually favoured when
It is no longer economical or practical to keep, the condition is poor, or a pickup is the clearest way to resolve the situation.
Next: check Ontario paperwork before any handoff, or share the vehicle details for a pickup conversation.