A Junk Car Stuck in Storage: Your Options

Take a minute with your own numbers.

• What do you pay each month? Multiply by 12. Add insurance and tabs if you are still paying them.
• How long has the car been there, and what have you paid so far? Do not let that amount decide for you, because it is already spent.
• What would it cost to make it run? Get a written quote. A mechanic can give you a realistic idea once it has been towed, or may be willing to look at it on site.
• What is it worth if it were running? Our guide to finding your car’s value shows how to check.

If storage plus repair comes to more than the car is worth to you, that is your answer. If the car has real meaning to you, that is a fair reason to keep it too, and our project car guide helps you be honest about it. If storing it is mostly about avoiding the decision, what an unused car really costs is worth reading.

A storage facility is a tight place for a tow truck. Find these things out before you call anyone:

• How wide is the drive aisle, and is there a turn or a low roof? Measure if you can.
• Do the facility’s rules allow a flatbed on site? Ask the manager, and get the name.
• What are the gate hours? Do you need to be there with your code?
• Is the car inside a roll-up unit, and can it roll? Look for flat tires and seized brakes.
• Is there a past-due balance? Clear it or talk to the manager first, since an overdue unit may be locked.
• Does the lease say how to end the rental and how much notice is needed?

Take photos of the car and the path to it. They will help any tow company, including us. Our tight spots guide has more on access. A car with a long storage history also has its own checks, covered in a car parked for years.

Check the boxes in the unit, in case the title was stored with the car. If it has gone missing, read our guide to selling without a title. If the tabs have lapsed, that does not stop a sale, and DOL says a car can be sold with expired registration. See expired tabs on a junk car for more.

After the car leaves, take the plates, file your report of sale within five business days, and tell your insurer. Then end the storage rental so the bills stop.

Match your situation below. Whichever one fits, do not sell, part out or scrap the car until you have a document that lets you.

A car that has been sitting can leak onto a unit floor. Put a drip pan under any leak you can see, and tell the facility if fluid has spread. Our guide on a leaking car before pickup covers more. If you find stored fuel, oil or batteries in the unit, do not throw them in the facility’s dumpster. See oil and antifreeze disposal and battery disposal.

We use flatbed tow trucks, and the car does not need to run. Business lots are among the places we pick up from. A storage facility has its own limits, so call us at (206) 941-0612 with the address, the gate hours and a few photos, or use the pickup form. Tell us what you have, and we will tell you whether we can reach it. We recommend you be there at pickup, to open the gate, hand over the paperwork and get paid. See non-running car removal for more.