cars · Ontario

Where to sell cars and vehicles in London

5 businesses in and around London that buy used cars from the public — what each takes, and whether you are offered a purchase, a consignment or a loan.

Verified 2026-09-24 from each organization's own website. We are not affiliated with anyone listed here, nobody pays to be included, and we receive nothing if you sell to them.

How to tell what you have got

Before you call anyone, two minutes with the object settles most of it. None of this needs an expert — it needs a flashlight and a look at the back.

  • A complete non-running car or light truck, still on four tiresAll four wheels on. Engine and transmission still in it. VIN plate at the base of the windshield readable. Doors and hood present. If you can read the VIN and count four tires, you have something to hand over.
  • A car that still starts and drives, however badlyIt turns over and will move under its own power onto a trailer. Under 12 years old. Under about 250,000 km. No structural rust through the sills or spring perches.
  • Alloy wheels, a spare set of winter tires on rims, a tow hitch, a roof box, a recent battery — stored separately in the garageIt is already off the vehicle and on the garage floor. If it is still bolted to the car, leave it.
  • British Columbia only: a vehicle still insured in BC and still driveableCount six months backwards from the day you apply. If the insurance lapsed at any point in that window, or the car will not drive today, you do not qualify.

Rarely worth anything

Not a rule, and not a reason to bin something without asking. These are the things people most often expect to be worth money and find are not.

  • A stripped shell — engine or transmission pulled, wheels off, sitting on blocks or on its brake discs
  • Any vehicle with a lien or encumbrance registered against it
  • A vehicle with an open insurance claim against it
  • A car still registered to a parent who has died, before the estate paperwork exists
  • An Ontario vehicle branded "irreparable" — worth nothing as a car
  • A vehicle a tow truck cannot physically reach
  • Loose tires off their rims, and the shelf of old oil, antifreeze and brake fluid
Licence plates travel with the driver, not the vehicle Ontario

On a sale the seller keeps the licence plates and the plate portion of the permit, and gives the buyer the vehicle portion of the owner's permit with the completed and signed Application for Transfer on the back, an original signed and dated bill of sale, and a safety standards certificate where one is required.

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Vehicles are branded none, salvage, irreparable or rebuilt, and the brand governs what you can do with the car Ontario

Under the mandatory vehicle branding program, a vehicle branded irreparable "has been written-off as a total loss", "can only be used for parts or scrap" and "cannot be driven again in Ontario" — it remains sellable for parts and scrap but can never be registered for road use. A salvage vehicle has also been a total loss but may be repaired; to be reclassified as rebuilt it must undergo and pass a structural inspection at a registered DriveON Vehicle Inspection Centre, with photographs of the damage and detailed invoices for the major components used. Only vehicles branded none or rebuilt can be driven on Ontario roads. Owners have 90 days to appeal a salvage or irreparable brand assigned in Ontario.

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A scrapped vehicle must be formally discarded with the SAAQ Quebec

Discard the vehicle online through SAAQclic if it is registered to an individual, or in person at a SAAQ service outlet. Where the vehicle goes to a scrap dealer or recycler, the dealer-recycler "will give you an attestation of transaction, which you must present at one of our service outlets"; ownership then transfers to the dealer-recycler. You are issued a new registration certificate marked "Mise au rancart". You must remove the licence plate: you "can destroy it so that nobody can use it or keep it for up to 3 years to register a vehicle that requires a licence plate of the same category."

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Your registration stays with you, not the vehicle Alberta

An Alberta registration can be transferred to another vehicle you own. To do it, bring to a registry agent "acceptable identification", "proof of ownership of the new vehicle" and "proof of valid insurance 'pink card'". Alberta issues no separate paper title, so the registration certificate is the ownership document.

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A detached catalytic converter is regulated metal, even though a whole car is not British Columbia

BC's regulated metals are items substantially made of non-ferrous metal — aluminum, copper including brass and bronze, lead, magnesium, nickel and zinc — together with a specific list of scrap items that includes utility wire, traffic signals, street lighting equipment, sewer grates, guardrails, grave markers, construction site scrap metal and "a catalytic converter that is not attached to an exhaust system." Car batteries are noted as not regulated. The practical consequence for a seller is that cutting the converter out turns one transaction into two, and the detached part is the regulated one.

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Certified recyclers must remove hazardous materials before the shell is shredded Canada (industry certification, not statute)

The Canadian Auto Recyclers' Environmental Code, developed from the National Code of Practice written for Environment Canada in 2008, requires removal and proper management of reusable parts, batteries, mercury switches, oils, fluids, coolants, gasoline and refrigerants before metal recycling. Certification requires an independent audit, and Automotive Recyclers of Canada makes maintaining it a condition of membership for direct members. Pre-2002 vehicles commonly contain mercury switches in convenience lighting.

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5 places in London that take cars

A&A Auto Recycling Inc.

Buys outright May collect — ask
BuysScrap and unwanted cars, Trucks, SUVs
Won't takeNot stated on their site
The dealThey buy end-of-life vehicles outright: 'A&A Auto Recycling buys all kinds and models of scrap and unwanted vehicles, including cars, trucks, and SUV's.' They advertise 'Free, Same-Day Pickup of Your Vehicle' and say you can 'Drop off your vehicle, schedule a date/time for pick-up, or arrange for same-day pick-up at no cost to you.' On payment: 'When we pick up the vehicle, we'll pay you cash on the spot!' No dollar amounts are published. Their site does not state what documents or identification they require, so confirm that on the phone before the truck is booked.
Where1859 Scanlan St, London, ON N5W 6C3
Get the quote confirmed before the truck arrives, and do not hand over keys or paperwork until you have been paid. Their site does not list the documents required — ask what they need when you book.

Gardner Galleries

Consignment Bring it to them
BuysAuction-quality antiques, art and collectibles, Higher-value single pieces
Won't takeTotal consignments estimated under $2,000, Items already listed on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace, Individual general household furnishings — dining sets, prints, glassware, porcelain
The dealAn auction house on consignment terms, stated plainly on their How To Sell page: 'The standard commission rate is 25%.' Higher-value consignments may qualify for a reduced rate; lower-quality consignments may face a higher rate or be refused. 'The current minimum consignment value is $2,000, with exceptions at our discretion.' 'Payment is issued by cheque within 30 days of the auction's conclusion and mailed to the consignor's address on file, unless alternative arrangements have been made such as e-transfer.' Send photographs first for a preliminary assessment. They note 'The standard rate for professional cartage in London is approximately $150/hour + HST' — your cost, not theirs.
Where407 Hamilton Road, London, ON
This is the wrong door for an ordinary house clear-out: they decline consignments under $2,000 and items already listed on Marketplace or Kijiji. You wait for the auction, then up to 30 more days for the cheque, and 25% comes off.

John Zubick Limited

Paid by weight Not stated — ask
BuysScrap metals, Cars and tires, Electronics, Appliances
Won't takeNot stated on their site
The dealA public-facing scrap yard operating in London since 1946. They do post per-pound prices: their prices page was headed 'Updated September 23, 2026' and listed #1 Bright Copper at $8.35/lb, Yellow Brass at $5.40/lb and #1 Insulated Wire (DW) at $4.70/lb. Their stated disclaimer is that the listed prices 'are current indications only' and, where these differ from the yard, 'our yard prices will be deemed to be accurate.' For high-volume loads, industrial pricing, or items not listed, they ask you to call 519-451-5470.
Where105 Clarke Road, London, ON N5W 5C9
Their posted rates are described on their own page as indications only, with the yard's prices governing on the day. Their 24/7 household and electronics drop-off is listed separately from the scale — their site does not say whether that drop-off is paid, so go during scale hours if you expect payment.

London Salvage & Trading Co. Ltd.

Paid by weight Not stated — ask
BuysCopper, Brass, aluminum, including wire and cans, Steel and other ferrous scrap, Cast iron, including radiators, Lead and stainless steel, End-of-life cars
Won't takeNot stated on their site
The dealYou are paid by weight against a posted price list, which is the unusual and useful part — they publish per-pound and per-ton rates, dated, on their prices page. The page was headed 'Yard Prices as of September 24, 2026' and listed bare bright copper at $8.3500/lb, #1 copper at $8.3000/lb, hard brass at $6.7500/lb, red brass at $6.5500/lb, aluminum wire at $2.3600/lb, clean aluminum beverage cans at $1.3000/lb, aluminum extrusion at $1.8200/lb and cast iron radiators at $295.00/nt. Their page states 'All prices are subject to change without prior notice,' so treat any figure as indicative and check the page the morning you go. For high-volume or long-distance loads they list 1-800-265-7897.
Where333 Egerton Street, London, ON
Metal pays by weight and grade, and the grading is done by them at the scale. Separating copper from aluminum from steel before you arrive is what moves the number. Posted prices are explicitly subject to change without notice.

Yardigan's Estate Liquidation Services

Quote first May collect — ask
BuysWhole estate contents, Furniture, Collectibles, General household items with resale value, Storage unit contents
Won't takeNot stated on their site
The dealTheir services page describes an estate buyout: they are 'prepared to make a competitive cash offer for the estate in its entirety. One price and its all gone!' So this is one lump-sum purchase of everything rather than item-by-item pricing. They advertise a free assessment. They also run junk removal, downsizing and estate clean-out services alongside the buyout — their 'Junk Be Gone' service is framed as considering items with resale value instead of disposal fees. Make sure you know which service you are being quoted for and in which direction money is moving: a clean-out is a service you pay for, a buyout is money coming to you. Get the figure and the direction of payment in writing before anything leaves the house.
Where78 Firestone Blvd Unit 2, London, ON N5W 5L4
One price for everything means no itemised valuation, so anything genuinely valuable in the load is bought within the same lump sum.
We could not verify this city’s municipal rules for second-hand dealers and pawnbrokers from an official source, so we state none. Check with the City or the province before relying on anything you read about them elsewhere.

Not sure what you have got?

Photograph it and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth — including when the honest answer is that it is worth nothing.

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