Average scrap car values reach new high

• UK average scrap car values increased to £358 in the second quarter of 2022.
• Signs market may have peaked with average dropping slightly in July.
• More Ford vehicles scrapped in the second quarter of 2022 than any other make.

Average scrap car values reached a new high of £358 in the second quarter of 2022, according to the latest data from car recycling network CarTakeBack. 

Overall, 2022 has been a record year for scrap car prices due to the shortage of new and used cars.

In April the average price paid for a scrapped car was £352, up nine per cent compared to March. May saw prices increase by a further two per cent to reach an average of £358. That value maintained into June. 

However, July saw prices drop by seven per cent to £334 due to demand for scrap metal fluctuating and car manufacturing being impacted by parts supply shortages. Consumer confidence has also declined, affecting new and used car demand. 

 

Despite a month-on-month decline, July’s average price of £334 was still 34 per cent higher than July 2021 (an increase of £84 year on year).

Rebecca Currier, marketing manager at CarTakeBack, said: "So many factors contribute to the price of scrap - the type of car, the condition and location, a huge part is obviously the demand for the metal. While we've always taken pride in consistently offering competitive prices for our customers' old cars, the baseline is obviously reliant on market factors beyond our control.

"Although prices slipped marginally in July, they’re still considerably higher than those at the start of the year, so customers are still getting high values for scrap cars.”

As in the first quarter of 2022, in the second quarter CarTakeBack scrapped more Ford vehicles than any other makes, with the Ford Focus still the most frequently scrapped vehicle

Value increases for top five scrapped cars

Vehicle type	Q1 average value	Q2 average value	Percentage change
Ford Focus	£311	£383	23
Vauxhall Corsa	£282	£345	22
Ford Fiesta	£241	£311	29
Vauxhall Zafira	£348	£421	21
Vauxhall Astra	£275	£334	21

More silver cars (27 per cent) were scrapped than any other colour vehicle, with blue (20 per cent) coming in second and black (18 per cent) in third.