Scrap car prices at record levels in 2022

• Average scrap car prices rose to £323 by the end of quarter one 2022, says CarTakeBack.
• More Ford vehicles scrapped in the first quarter of 2022 than any other make.
• Average value of a scrap Ford Focus rose by 16 per cent, from £295 in January 2022 to £343 in March.

Scrap car prices continue to be at record levels with the average price rising month on month in the first quarter of 2022 to reach £323 in March, according to car recycling network CarTakeBack.

In 2021, the average price it recorded was £240, with December's prices reaching more than £260. In January 2022 this rose just one per cent to £268 but February saw a five per cent increase to £281. The biggest increase of the quarter was in March when prices were up by 15 per cent compared to February, reaching £323. 

Rebecca Currier, marketing manager at CarTakeBack, said: “Many factors can contribute to the price of scrap - the type of car, the condition and location all play a part.

"The current increase in the value of used cars as a whole is also continuing to have an impact on our industry, and we're glad to pass the positive effect of that demand onto customers in our quotes.”

Ford Focus most frequently scrapped car

CarTakeBack scrapped more Ford vehicles in the first quarter of 2022 than any other makes, with the Ford Focus the most frequently scrapped vehicle across the UK.

The average value of a scrap Ford Focus rose by 16 per cent, from £295 in January to £343 in March.

Top 5 scrapped cars in 2022 

Vehicle	Average scrap value	Average age
Ford Focus	£343	16
Vauxhall Corsa	£317	15
Ford Fiesta	£263	16
Vauxhall Astra	£301	16
Vauxhall Zafira	£390	15

Source: CarTakeBack

More silver cars (27 per cent) were scrapped than any other colour vehicle, with blue (21 per cent) the second most common and black (18 per cent) third.