Can I sell you my car if ICBC wrote it off?

Usually not. Once ICBC or a private insurer declares a total loss and pays the claim, the insurer generally takes ownership of the car. Check with your adjuster first. If you never claimed, or the insurer confirms the car is still yours, we can quote it.

Do you buy cars with the airbags deployed?

Yes. Deployed airbags, cracked glass and crushed panels are normal for the cars on this page. They lower the number, because those parts can't be reused, but they won't stop a pickup. Photos of the damage help us quote it accurately.

Can you pick up a wrecked car from a tow yard or body shop?

We can, once the yard or shop has the owner's okay to release it. Tell us where it is and who has it. Any towing or storage bill is between you and them and needs to be settled first, and a registered owner still signs the transfer form.

Is a crashed car worth anything?

Yes, though less than the same car in one piece. The steel is still there, and depending on where it was hit, the engine, transmission and other parts may be fine. Text us a few photos of the damage and the year, make and model for a number.

What if the car is leaking fluids?

Let us know when you book. Coolant and oil leaks are common after a front-end hit and don't change much. A fuel leak matters more, so mention it up front. Please don't try to drain anything yourself; the recycler handles fluids properly.

Can you take a car that's been in a fire?

Yes, as long as the fire is fully out and nobody still needs the car for an investigation. A burned car is mostly scrap steel by then, so the number is lower, but it still has to be recycled the right way.

Do I need to wait for a police report before scrapping it?

Only if police or your insurer still need the car. If either is involved, wait until they say it can go. Otherwise there's no reason to keep a wreck around; once you're paid and the transfer form is signed, it leaves on the truck.

Red hatchback with a crushed rear quarter, strapped down on a tow truck deck

Home / Wrecked and crashed cars

Crashed, burned or flooded

Wrecked car removal in Aldergrove

Crumpled front end, airbags out, or a car that won't roll after a crash. If it's still yours to sell, we'll quote it and haul it away.

Crash, fire and flood damage
Airbags out, glass broken, won't roll
Paid at pickup, then you sign

Rather call or text? 604-337-2232

Based at26909 Alder Dr, Aldergrove
Calls and texts604-337-2232
OpenEvery day, 8am to 8pm
We takeCars, trucks, vans and SUVs

Damage we see all the time

For wrecked car removal, where the car was hit matters almost as much as how hard. Here's what each kind of damage usually means.

1FhFront-end hits
Crushed rad support, bent subframe, coolant on the ground.
2RhRear-ended
Trunk pushed in, but the engine is often untouched.
3ShSide impacts
Doors caved in, pillars bent, glass gone.
4RoRollovers
Roof pressed down and damage on every panel.
5FiFire damage
Engine bay or cabin fires, sometimes down to the shell.
6FlFlood damage
Water through the cabin and the wiring.

Check this first: is the wreck still yours?

After a crash in BC, who can sell the car depends on the insurance claim.

Written off and paid out. If ICBC or another insurer declared a total loss and paid you, the insurer usually takes the car. It's no longer yours to sell.
Claim still open. Wait until your adjuster tells you what happens to the vehicle.
No claim, or no collision coverage. The car is still yours, and you can sell it as is.
Money owing. If a lender has a claim on the car, it has to be paid out first.

White car with its front bumper torn off and the fender crushed — Front-end damage like this usually means the radiator and lights are done (stock photo)

Getting a wreck quoted and gone

Text a few photos
One of each side and one of the worst damage. Send them to 604-337-2232 with the year, make and model.
Say where it is
Your driveway, the roadside, a body shop or a tow lot. If someone else has it, tell us who.
Get a number
We'll quote from the photos. If the car matches what you sent, the number stands.
Paid, signed, loaded
You're paid first, then sign the transfer form. Put loose pieces like a bumper cover inside the car if you can.

Car still sitting where it stopped? Call or text and we'll talk you through what to do next.

Call 604-337-2232

Selling a wrecked car in BC: the details

Crash damage brings a few questions a normal scrap pickup doesn't. Here's how they usually play out.

01Total loss, salvage and non-repairable

ICBC records a status for every vehicle on the BC registry: normal, rebuilt, salvage, altered or non-repairable. A car with heavy damage can be branded salvage or non-repairable, which limits whether it can ever be put back on the road.

For a scrap sale the brand doesn't change much. It's one more reason a badly damaged car usually ends up recycled rather than fixed.

02When the car is at a shop or a tow lot

After a crash, cars often end up at a tow company's yard or a body shop. Tell us the address and the name of the business. They'll want to hear from the owner before they release the car.

Towing and storage charges are between you and them, and most lots charge by the day, so it pays not to leave a wreck sitting there while you decide.

03Airbags, glass and fluids

Deployed airbags, shattered side windows and a puddle of coolant under the front end are all normal and don't stop a pickup.

If fuel is leaking, mention it when you book. Brush loose glass off the seats if you'll be grabbing things from inside, and wear gloves; crash glass and torn metal are sharp.

04Wheels that won't turn

A hard hit can push a wheel back into the fender, bend a control arm or flatten a tire. That's fine. The car is winched onto the deck, and a locked wheel just slides.

Tell us if a wheel is missing altogether, if the car is sitting on its frame, or if it's nose-down in a ditch. Those details change how the driver sets up.

05Fire-damaged cars

A burned car has lost most of its plastic, wiring and interior, so what's left is mainly steel. It's worth less than a crash wreck, but it still needs proper recycling.

Make sure the fire is completely out and the car is cold. If the fire department, police or an insurer is looking into the cause, wait until they've released the car before booking a pickup.

06Flooded cars

Water gets into wiring, computers, seats and carpets, and the corrosion keeps spreading after the car dries out. A flooded car can look fine and still be finished.

The November 2021 floods on Sumas Prairie, just east of us in Abbotsford, showed how quickly that happens. Insurers usually treat flood cars as non-repairable. If yours wasn't claimed, we can take it as a scrap vehicle.

07What sets the number for a wreck

The same things as any scrap car: size, weight and whether it's complete. For wrecks, where the hit landed matters too. A car that was rear-ended may still have a good engine and transmission, while a hard front-end hit often takes out the radiator, the lights and sometimes the engine itself.

Clear photos let us account for all of that before the truck is booked.

08Plates and insurance after a crash

Take both plates off before the car is loaded. If a crushed bumper has the front plate pinned, the driver can help pry it loose.

Plates belong to ICBC, so keep them for your next vehicle or hand them in. Then talk to an Autoplan broker about any insurance still on the car. Our guide to BC scrap car papers covers the rest.

Wrecks like these

Two cars pushed into each other after a front end collision, one with a flat tire — Two cars after a head-on hit (stock photo)

Close up of a silver car with a crumpled hood and broken headlight — A folded hood usually means the radiator went too (stock photo)

Stripped cars lined up on gravel at a recycling yard — Where a wreck goes after pickup (stock photo)

Wrecked car questions

Can I sell you my car if ICBC wrote it off?
Usually not. Once ICBC or a private insurer declares a total loss and pays the claim, the insurer generally takes ownership of the car. Check with your adjuster first. If you never claimed, or the insurer confirms the car is still yours, we can quote it.
Do you buy cars with the airbags deployed?
Yes. Deployed airbags, cracked glass and crushed panels are normal for the cars on this page. They lower the number, because those parts can't be reused, but they won't stop a pickup. Photos of the damage help us quote it accurately.
Can you pick up a wrecked car from a tow yard or body shop?
We can, once the yard or shop has the owner's okay to release it. Tell us where it is and who has it. Any towing or storage bill is between you and them and needs to be settled first, and a registered owner still signs the transfer form.
Is a crashed car worth anything?
Yes, though less than the same car in one piece. The steel is still there, and depending on where it was hit, the engine, transmission and other parts may be fine. Text us a few photos of the damage and the year, make and model for a number.
What if the car is leaking fluids?
Let us know when you book. Coolant and oil leaks are common after a front-end hit and don't change much. A fuel leak matters more, so mention it up front. Please don't try to drain anything yourself; the recycler handles fluids properly.
Can you take a car that's been in a fire?
Yes, as long as the fire is fully out and nobody still needs the car for an investigation. A burned car is mostly scrap steel by then, so the number is lower, but it still has to be recycled the right way.
Do I need to wait for a police report before scrapping it?
Only if police or your insurer still need the car. If either is involved, wait until they say it can go. Otherwise there's no reason to keep a wreck around; once you're paid and the transfer form is signed, it leaves on the truck.

Need the wreck gone?

Send the year, make and model with where it's parked, or just call. We're open every day from 8am to 8pm.

604-337-2232

Or use the quote form