Driving an old, worn-out vehicle as a daily driver comes with plenty of disadvantages, but finding yourself stranded is one of the most frustrating and frightening. If your beater leaves you on the side of the road, you'll need to make some hard choices about your next steps. This guide will provide you with three steps to determine the most cost-effective (and legal) option for dealing with your beater.
Step 1: Ensure Your Safety
Roadside emergencies are always potentially dangerous situations. Make sure to get your vehicle safely off the road. If you're obstructing traffic in any way, you may need to contact the police non-emergency number and call for a wrecker immediately. While this can mean spending a little more money, it's a critical step to ensuring safety for yourself and other motorists.
If your vehicle is in a relatively safe area, such as a parking lot or wide breakdown lane, you can usually take your time and move on to the next few steps. Remember to stay inside your vehicle if exiting it would expose you to traffic, such as when parked on the side of the highway.
Step 2: Evaluate Your Situation
Once you're safe, it's time to consider the severity of your situation. It's rarely worthwhile to junk even the oldest cars if you're dealing with a relatively minor issue such as a flat tire or failed alternator. On the other hand, any problem threatening internal engine damage is much more serious (and costly). Coolant leaks, low oil pressure, and similar issues are usually fatal for junk cars.
If you suspect that you're suffering from a four-figure problem, it might be time to consider giving your car up. The cost of a tow, diagnosis, and repair can easily exceed the value of many old beaters, costing you valuable money that you can use to purchase safer and more reliable transportation.
Step 3: Check Your Options
After deciding that your problem is too costly to repair, you'll have two options: junk your car at home or junk it where it sits. Some junk car buyers may pick up your vehicle from public locations, such as parking lots or even the side of the road. Try calling a few local services and asking about your options. If you can find a buyer that's willing, junking your car where it died can save you some money.
However, remember that it's typically illegal to abandon your vehicle on the side of the road. If you can't find a junk car buyer to pick it up where it sits, you'll need to arrange for a tow back to your house or another convenient location. You can also consider having a towing company bring your car directly to the scrapyard.
Whatever option you choose, scrapping your old beater can be a great alternative to investing more money into a sinking ship. Once you get your payout, you can use that cash to get into a better and safer ride. To learn more about junking your car, talk to a company like Cash For Cars.
Share16 September 2021
I have a large family, and I can tell you that there are a few things that are difficult about taking care of such a big brood. For starters, going anywhere with my pack involves loading everyone into a big car, which isn't always comfortable. However, I have found that by working together on the topic of car care, we have streamlined several things about the experience. For starters, we ask that every member of our family remove at least one piece of trash from the car each time we exit the vehicle, and that has helped to cut down on clutter. Read on to learn more about car care.