Vancouver, BC · Guide
What Happens to a Junk Car After Pickup?
After pickup the vehicle is delivered to an automotive recycling facility. Reusable parts may be recovered, fluids, batteries, tires and other materials are handled through the recycling process, and the remaining metal is prepared for recycling.
It does not go to a field behind a barn, and it does not come back on the road with your name still attached to it.
Call or text Jay · 604-889-4470Parts that can be reused
Some components still have life in them: alternators, starters, doors, glass, seats, wheels and engines out of otherwise finished cars. What gets pulled depends on the vehicle and on what the yard has demand for.
Fluids and hazardous materials
Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, fuel and refrigerant have to be drained and handled through the recycling process rather than left in the shell. Batteries and tires are separated out as well.
The shell
Once the vehicle has been stripped and drained, the remaining body is prepared for metal recycling. Steel and aluminium from end-of-life vehicles is a genuinely useful material stream.
What this page will not claim
Not every part of every vehicle is recovered, and published recycling percentages vary by facility and by vehicle. This site does not invent a number to sound impressive.
A real Vancouver example
An East Vancouver hatchback that had sat for six years still had a usable alternator and wheels. Those came off at the recycler, the fluids were drained, and the shell was processed for metal.
Written by Jay, owner-operator of Jay's Junk Car Towing Inc., from thousands of vehicle removals in Vancouver since 2003.
Questions people ask about this
What happens to the car after pickup?
The vehicle is delivered for automotive recycling. Reusable components may be recovered and recyclable materials such as fluids, batteries, tires and metal are separated and processed.
Can I leave belongings inside the car?
No. Remove personal belongings, documents, parking passes, garage remotes, licence plates and anything you want to keep before pickup. Once the vehicle is loaded it is difficult to retrieve anything left behind.
Do I need to remove my licence plates?
Yes. Customers should remove their licence plates before the vehicle leaves and contact an Autoplan broker about cancelling or changing the insurance.
In short
The short version: parts that can be reused are recovered, the hazardous material is handled properly, and the metal is recycled.
If you want to know what will likely happen to your specific vehicle, ask Jay when you call 604-889-4470.