Selling Vans in Any Condition: What Happens to a Non-Runner
The most common question we get is whether a van that won't start is worth anything. It nearly always is — and the reason why says a lot about how the trade market works.
5 min read
Who buys a van that doesn't run
Repairers who fix at trade cost and resell, dismantlers who break for parts, and exporters who ship vehicles to markets where labour is cheaper than parts. All three are competing for the same non-runners, which is why there is a real price rather than a scrap figure.
Complete matters more than working
A complete non-runner holds parts value across the engine, gearbox, body panels, interior and electronics. A vehicle that has been partially stripped is worth far less, because the buyer has to price around what is missing. If you have removed parts and still have them, put them back in the van.
Why repairing first loses money
You pay retail for parts and labour; the buyer would have paid trade. On a van worth £2,500 repaired, a £1,400 retail repair bill rarely lifts the sale price by £1,400 — and if the repair reveals a second fault you are further behind than when you started.
Documentation and disclosure
Insurance write-off categories, outstanding finance and missing keys are all disclosed at sale. That is a good thing: undisclosed issues collapse deals at collection, while disclosed ones simply set the price at the right level from the start.
- •Cat N and Cat S vehicles sell routinely once disclosed
- •Missing keys reduce the price but not the saleability
- •A missing V5C can be replaced — start the process early
How collection works
Nothing needs to start, drive or hold air. Vehicles are collected on a transporter, including vehicles that have been standing for years, are blocked in behind other stock or have no keys at all.