Sell your car for cash. Even the one that won’t start.
Get an instant offer online, schedule a free tow, and get paid by check when the truck picks it up. We’ll walk you through the paperwork so nothing surprises you on pickup day.
Be precise. Offers are adjusted at pickup when the car doesn’t match the description. Most often mileage, a missing catalytic converter, or whether it starts.
We’re an independent guide, not the buyer. Offers come from Peddle, a nationwide car-buying service, and we may earn a referral fee when you sell through our form.
- Offer in minutesAbout a dozen questions online
- Free towingUsually picked up within 1–2 days
- Paid at pickupBy check, handed over by the driver
- Good for 7 daysNo obligation to accept
Three steps. One of them is waiting for the tow truck.
This is Peddle’s process, described plainly. We send you to their offer form and help you get the paperwork right.
- 01
Describe the car, get an offer
Answer about a dozen questions: year, make, model, mileage, damage, whether it starts. The offer shows up on screen and is valid for 7 days.
- 02
Accept and pick a pickup time
A local towing partner calls to schedule. Pickup is usually within a day or two, sometimes the same day. You don’t pay for the tow.
- 03
Hand over title and keys, get paid
The driver checks the car matches the description, you sign the title where they show you, and they hand you a check. Then you file your release of liability.
An instant offer trades top dollar for speed. If your car runs well and you have time, a private sale or a dealer appraisal may pay more. If it doesn’t run, was totaled, or you just want it gone this week, an instant offer is usually the least painful route.
What shape is it in? Be honest. It’s worth something either way.
Each guide explains what drives the offer for that kind of car and what to say on the form so the price holds at pickup.
Won’t startDoesn’t run
Dead battery, bad starter, seized engine. Still sellable.
Accident damageWrecked
After the crash and before the insurance check clears.
Total lossTotaled
Kept the car after the payout? It can still sell.
Flood & waterFlood damaged
Stood in water? Disclose it. It’s required anyway.
Body damageDamaged
Dents, hail, a crumpled bumper.
Major mechanicalBlown engine
Engine or transmission done? The rest of the car isn’t.
FireFire damaged
Engine fire or worse.
Just done with itUnwanted
Sitting in the yard for years. Time to let it go.
All conditions, including salvage titles and blown engines →
Get the paperwork right and pickup takes fifteen minutes.
Tick these off as you go. Your progress stays on this device. The full checklist, with state-by-state notes, is in our paperwork guide.
Four ways to get rid of a car. Pick the one that fits your week.
No option wins on everything. Here’s how they trade off, so you can choose with your eyes open.
| Route | Best for | Price | Effort & time | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private sale | Running, well-kept cars | Usually highest | Listings, calls, test drives. Days to weeks. | Payment scams, strangers at your house, paperwork on you. |
| Dealer trade-in | Buying another car the same day | Often lowest for the car itself | One visit, folded into the new deal. | Trade value hidden inside the new car’s price. |
| Local junkyard | True end-of-life cars | Scrap weight + parts | Phone around for quotes. | Tow fees taken off at pickup; sloppy title handling. |
| Instant offer | Non-runners, damaged cars, or anyone short on time | Fair, rarely top dollar | Minutes online, free tow in a day or two. | Offer revised if the description was off. You can decline. |
General comparison, not a price quote. Your result depends on the car, your area and the market that week.
The questions people ask the night before the tow truck comes.
Written from DMV rules and the buyers’ own published policies, with sources at the bottom of every guide.
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Paperwork
Can you sell a car without a title?
Usually you need one, but there are real options when it’s lost, and some states don’t title older cars at all.
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Checklist
Pickup-day paperwork checklist
Title, ID, keys, lien release, and the one box on the title you shouldn’t fill in yet.
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After the sale
After you sell: plates, insurance and release of liability
The order matters. Cancel insurance first in New York and you can lose your license.
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Money
Selling a car you still owe money on
Payoff quotes, positive vs negative equity, and why the lender holds the title.
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Straight talk
Why instant offers change at pickup
The most common complaint about every instant-offer buyer, and how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
Who actually buys my car?
Peddle, a nationwide car-buying service, makes the offer and sends a towing partner to pick the car up. QuickCashForUsedCars.com is an independent guide: we explain the process and the paperwork, and we may earn a referral fee if you sell through our form. We never hold your car, your title or your money.
How do I get paid?
Per Peddle, the tow driver checks that the car matches your description and hands you a check at pickup. It is a check, not cash, so plan your bank deposit accordingly.
Can the offer change when the truck shows up?
Yes, if the car doesn’t match what you described: a missing catalytic converter, higher mileage, or a car that doesn’t start when you said it does. Peddle says you can decline an updated offer. The best protection is describing the car honestly up front.
How long is the offer good for?
Peddle’s instant offers are valid for 7 days. After that you answer the questions again and get a fresh offer.
Does towing cost anything?
No. Peddle includes pickup and towing in the offer, and says there are no fees deducted at pickup. If anyone asks you for a towing fee, stop and call Peddle.
What if I can’t find my title?
You can still get an offer. Answer “I can’t find my title” and the offer is recalculated. A duplicate title from your DMV usually gets you a better price. Our no-title guide covers the options by state.
Find out what it’s worth today.
About a dozen questions, an offer on screen, and no obligation to take it. If you accept, Peddle’s towing partner comes to you and pays by check at pickup.