How to Get Rid of a Dead Car in Your Driveway
Published 2026-02-17 • Selling Guide
Dead cars have a way of becoming permanent fixtures. What starts as "I'll deal with it next week" turns into two years of stepping around a rusting hulk every time you pull into the driveway.
The good news: getting rid of it is usually easier than you think, and there's a reasonable chance you'll get paid for it rather than paying someone to take it.
What Counts as a "Dead Car"?
For this article, a dead car means any vehicle that: - Doesn't run (engine won't start, blown motor, no compression) - Has been deregistered and sitting idle - Has severe mechanical or structural damage - Is beyond reasonable repair - Has been written off by an insurer
Basically, a car that's not going anywhere under its own power.
Step 1: Establish What You Actually Own
Before you can sell or dispose of a car, you need to confirm ownership. Log into myVicRoads and check whether the registration is still in your name. If the car's been sitting for years with lapsed rego, it should still be in your name in the system.
If the car was given to you, left by a family member, or came with the house you bought — the ownership situation gets more complicated. Contact VicRoads. You'll likely need a statutory declaration or other proof that you have the right to deal with the vehicle.
Step 2: Check for Finance
Run a $2 PPSR check at ppsr.gov.au. Search by VIN (the 17-character number usually on the dashboard or door jamb). If there's a security interest registered, there's finance owing and you'll need to deal with that before selling.
This is rare for genuinely dead cars but worth checking — especially if you inherited it or bought it privately years ago.
Step 3: Get Quotes from Cash-for-Cars Buyers
Call two or three cash-for-cars services and tell them honestly: - The make, model, and year - Whether it runs or not - What's wrong with it (if known) - Whether it's registered or not
You'll get a range of offers. The variation can be significant. Some buyers pay more for specific makes because they have demand for parts. Others are purely metal-focused.
What affects the offer: - Make and model — high-demand models (Toyota, Ford Ranger, HiLux) are worth more even dead - Condition of the body — a rusted shell is worth less than a clean-bodied car with a dead engine - Year — newer cars retain more parts value - Accessories and extras — good rims, roof racks, canopies add to the value - Location — very remote properties can attract a tow fee that reduces the net offer
For most dead cars in metro Melbourne or regional Victoria, expect somewhere between $200 and $3,000. Some clean, late-model dead cars are worth significantly more.
Step 4: Complete the Transfer Paperwork
When you sell the car, you need to process the transfer through myVicRoads. This removes the car from your name and ends your liability.
The buyer will need: - Your name and owner details (already in VicRoads system) - Their details for the transfer
For a cash-for-cars company, they'll walk you through this. For a private buyer, make sure you both complete the transfer before or at the time of handover.
What About Council Removal?
Some councils offer abandoned/derelict vehicle removal for cars on council land or roads. This is not for cars on your own private property — that's your responsibility.
If you have a car on your property you can't sell and can't move, contact local wreckers. Some will take a dead car for free just to scrap it. You won't get paid, but the problem goes away.
Can You Just Put It Out for Hard Rubbish?
No. Cars are not accepted in hard rubbish collections. A registered vehicle, even a dead one, needs to go through a proper disposal process — sale, transfer, or registered disposal.
What Happens to Your Rego?
If the car was still registered, selling it cancels the registration. Cancel it yourself through myVicRoads beforehand and you may get a partial refund on the unused rego portion.
The TAC (Transport Accident Commission) levy portion of registration is non-refundable. The base registration fee is refunded on a pro-rata basis.
The Fastest Way to Get It Gone
Contact a cash-for-cars service that does free towing. Give them the details over the phone, accept the quote, and they come and collect it. You sign the paperwork, they hand over cash, they handle the rest.
InstantCashCar does exactly this across all of Victoria. Same-day pickup is available in most areas. You don't need to prepare the car, clean it out fully, or get an inspection. Just have your ID and confirm your ownership details.