Non Running Car Removal in Vancouver
Yes, we pick up cars that don’t run. Dead battery, blown engine, failed transmission, flat tires or no keys: our own flatbed and wheel lift trucks winch the car on, and we set the price before we book. Towing is free within about 10 km of our West 42nd Avenue office, and you’re paid in cash or e-Transfer before the car leaves.
- Winch on every truck
- No keys is fine
- Free towing within 10 km
- Paid before we tow
Get a Price for Your Car
Tell us what’s wrong and where it’s parked. A photo of the spot helps.
Prefer to talk? Call or text 236-300-2712, 7 am to 11 pm.
We Tow Cars That Don’t Move
A car that won’t start isn’t a problem for us. It’s most of what we do.
You don’t need to boost it, fix it or push it out to the street, and you don’t need to arrange a separate tow truck. Tell us what’s wrong and where it’s parked, and we’ll bring the right truck and gear. It’s the same scrap car removal service, just with a winch doing the driving.
Problems We See Every Week
Won’t start
Dead battery, bad starter, failed alternator or an electrical fault.
Blown engine
Thrown rod, seized engine, cracked block or a head gasket that finally went.
Failed transmission
Slipping, no reverse, or stuck in one gear.
Overheating
Coolant leaks or a radiator that can’t keep up.
Flat or missing tires
Cars sitting on flats for months, or up on blocks.
No keys
Lost keys, or a car you inherited without them. Ownership is proven by the registration.
Locked steering or seized brakes
Common on cars that have sat for a long time.
Accident damage
Cars that can’t be driven after a collision.
The Equipment We Bring
Flatbed trucks
The whole car rides on the deck, so it doesn’t matter if the wheels turn, the steering locks or the transmission is seized. The winch pulls it up from the ground.
Wheel lift trucks
Good for tight back lanes and parkade ramps where a longer truck can’t turn.
Dollies and go jacks
These go under the wheels so a car with flat tires or locked brakes can be rolled out of a garage or stall and onto the truck.
Not sure which one your pickup needs? Just tell us where the car is and what it’s doing. We’ll pick the truck.
Hard Spots Are Normal for Us
Vancouver cars rarely break down somewhere easy. We regularly pick up from:
- Back lanes and laneway garages, where there’s no room to turn a truck around
- Condo and rental parkades, including low ceilings and tight ramps; tell us the clearance and we send a truck that fits
- Narrow driveways and carports, with a car boxed in behind another one
- Street parking, including cars that already have a ticket or a bylaw notice
Not sure we can reach it? Text a photo of where it’s parked to 236-300-2712. We cover every neighbourhood on our South Vancouver page.
What a Car That Doesn’t Run Is Worth
Less changes than you’d think when a car stops running. Most of a scrap car’s value comes from its weight and its parts, so a complete car with a dead engine can still get a fair offer. Our offers start around $200 for a complete scrap car.
What lowers the number is missing parts, like a pulled engine, transmission or catalytic converter, not the fact that it won’t start. The full breakdown is in our guide to what a scrap car is worth in Vancouver.
How the Pickup Works
Tell us about the car
Year, make, model, what’s wrong and where it’s parked. Photos help.
Get a firm price
One number, and it’s the number we pay if the car matches.
Pick a time
Often within 3 to 4 hours, any day from 7 am to 11 pm.
We load it, you get paid
The driver checks your ID and VIN, pays you, fills in the APV9T with you, then winches the car on.
What to have ready is listed in how to scrap a car in BC.
Before We Arrive
- Clear a path to the car if you can, or tell us what’s in the way
- Let your building manager or strata know if the car is in a shared parkade
- Take out personal items: glovebox, trunk, under the seats, garage opener and parking passes
- Leave the battery and wheels on; they’re part of the price
- Have your registration and photo ID ready
- Plan to take your plates off (we can help)
Non Running Car Questions
Do I need to get it running first?
No. We tow it as is.
Can you take a car with no keys?
Yes. We need the registration in your name; the keys don’t matter for ownership. Tell us so we bring the right gear.
My car has flat tires and has sat for a year. Can you still move it?
Yes. Dollies and go jacks let us move a car that can’t roll on its own tires.
Is towing free for a car that doesn’t run?
Yes, within about 10 km of our office. For pickups further out, we tell you any towing cost before you book.
Can you get it out of an underground parkade?
In most cases, yes. Tell us the parkade, level and clearance when you book.
Does a car that won’t start get a lower price?
Not by much, if it’s complete. The price is mostly about weight and parts, not whether it runs.
Find Us
Cash for Cars at 49th
2105 W 42nd Ave, Vancouver, BC V6M 2B7
236-300-2712
info@cashforcarsat49th.ca
Open daily, 7 am to 11 pm
The quickest way to reach us is a call, a text or the form at the top of this page. We come to you.
Open in Google MapsCar Won’t Move? We’ll Move It
Call or text 236-300-2712 between 7 am and 11 pm. Firm price, free towing within 10 km, paid before we tow.
Call 236-300-2712 Get My Quote