How to sell a van that won't start or drive

A van that won’t start or drive is not worthless. It’s just worth less than a runner, and it needs a buyer set up to collect it properly. Here’s how to handle the sale without getting taken advantage of.

Why non-runners still have value

Even a completely dead van contains components that work. A Transit with a seized engine still has:

• A serviceable gearbox and rear axle
• Alternator, starter motor, and ancillaries
• Body panels, doors, and glass
• Dashboard, seats, and interior trim
• The catalytic converter (platinum group metals)
• Tyres (if not bald)

The engine might be the reason it won’t run, but the engine is often not the most valuable thing on the van for a breaker. The combination of everything else can still generate a meaningful offer, typically above scrap value.

The exception is if the van has been in a serious fire. Electrical wiring, seats, interior, and sometimes body panels become worthless, and you’re closer to pure metal weight.

What “won’t start” usually means for price

There’s a spectrum:

Flat battery or minor electrical fault, these vans often get a near-runner price because the issue is fixable at low cost. Be honest about symptoms; we may ask for more detail before confirming an offer.

Blown head gasket, one of the most common catastrophic failures on diesel vans. The engine is usually written off, but everything else is unaffected. Expect a salvage-grade offer that reflects the intact drivetrain minus the engine value.

Seized engine, similar to above. Often happens after oil loss or overheating. Salvage value for everything except the engine.

Snapped timing chain/belt, potentially engine damage (bent valves) on top of the immediate fault. Price depends on whether the engine is worth rebuilding or just stripping for parts.

Fire damage, lowest value scenario unless the fire was limited to one area. A cab fire with an intact load area is different from a full van fire.

Flood damage, electrics and interior are usually written off. Body and mechanical components may be intact. Depends on depth and duration.

How collection works for a non-runner

If the van doesn’t move under its own power, we arrange a flatbed recovery truck rather than a drive-away collection. This costs us more to organise, which is already factored into our offer, we don’t deduct a collection fee on the day.

You don’t need to do anything to prepare the van. Don’t drain fluids, don’t remove the battery, don’t try to strip parts. Leave it as it sits. Our driver will do a condition check on arrival and the van will be loaded.

What we do need:

• The van to be accessible, not locked in a compound we can’t access, not buried three vans deep in a yard
• Keys (if available, we can work around a missing key in most cases)
• Your ID and proof of keeper status

One thing to be careful of

If someone is offering significantly more than other buyers for a non-runner van, ask how they’re collecting and how payment works. A common scam pattern is to offer a high price, arrive with a flatbed, then claim on the spot that the condition is worse than described and renegotiate down. By the time the van is on the truck, you’re under pressure to accept.

We fix the price before collection and we don’t renegotiate at the door. If the condition genuinely doesn’t match what was described, we’ll walk away, but we won’t use the moment of collection as a pressure lever.

Getting an offer

Enter your reg above and describe the fault as accurately as you can. The more detail you give in the condition notes, the more accurate the offer. If you’re not sure what’s wrong, just describe the symptoms, “won’t crank”, “cranks but won’t fire”, “cuts out under load”, and we’ll price accordingly.