Ohio junk cars change hands for around $150 to $1,150. Weight and completeness set most of that spread, and pickups do noticeably better here than sedans of the same age.
Ohio yards work off roughly $175 to $185 per gross ton, keeping the state in the upper band nationally. The complete-car index sat near $168 per ton in August 2026, so Ohio holds a small advantage, earned by sitting inside the Midwest steel corridor.
Individual yards land wherever they land. One recycler in Moscow, near the Kentucky line, reported $160 per ton in July 2026, which is $20 under the state band. That single gap is worth about $70 on a heavy vehicle.
To size up your own car, take curb weight from the door sticker, subtract roughly 500 lbs for the tires and fluids a yard has to dispose of, divide by 2,000, then multiply. A 3,200 lb Accord works out near $240 as plain steel.
| Example vehicle | Steel floor | Typical Ohio range |
|---|---|---|
| Compact that won't start, clean title | $175 to $235 | $150 to $700 |
| Midsize sedan that runs, clean title | $240 to $285 | $215 to $900 |
| Full-size truck or SUV that runs | $350 to $505 | $500 to $1,150 |
Logged sales bear this out. A 1998 F-150 in Hamilton fetched between $650 and $1,150, a 1999 Chevrolet 1500 in Dayton reached $1,100, and a 1991 Cutlass in Middletown started at $150. Trucks keep their parts market long after sedans lose theirs.
Run your vehicle through the car scrap value calculator to see the number and where it comes from.
Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo carry the deepest buyer pools, with Dayton, Akron, Hamilton and Middletown all supporting active yards. Around 11.8 million residents and a long manufacturing history mean processors are usually within a reasonable haul.
Appalachian counties in the southeast are the exception. Fewer buyers bid, distances stretch, and both show up as a smaller number for an identical car.
Before you accept anything, understand who you are talking to. A shredder yard buys tonnage. A self-service parts yard buys the components it can shelve. On a complete car the second usually wins, so make one call to each rather than three to the same kind of business.
Ohio tip: plates come off before the car goes. They belong to you and can be transferred to another vehicle you register, so never leave them attached for the tow driver.
Ohio titles are handled through county Clerk of Courts title offices under the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and there is a detail that catches people out. Your signature as seller has to be notarized, so do not sign the assignment section at home. Title offices have notaries on site, as do most banks.
Print and sign your name exactly as it appears on the front of the title. A shortened first name is enough to get the transfer rejected. If the title is lost, apply for a duplicate through your county title office before arranging collection, since a scrap sale cannot complete without it.
Most sit between $150 and $1,150. Older stripped cars land at the bottom, complete trucks and SUVs at the top.
Roughly $175 to $185 per gross ton in 2026, about $9 per 100 lbs. Some yards quote below that, so gather two or three numbers first.
Yes. Sign in front of a notary, not at home, or the title office will reject the transfer.
They weigh more, which lifts the metal floor, and demand for used truck parts across Ohio stays strong for decades.
Yes. Remove them before pickup and transfer them to another vehicle if you have one.
Your county Clerk of Courts title office. Start that before you book a collection, because processing takes time.
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Home / Junk car value by state / Ohio
