Will you buy a car with no engine?

Yes. A car with the engine out still counts as a whole car we buy, and the tow is free. An offer assumes a complete car unless you say otherwise, so tell us the engine is out.

My catalytic converter was stolen. Can I still sell the car?

Yes. Report the theft to the police and your insurer first, because comprehensive coverage may pay for the damage. Then tell us the converter is gone when you ask for an offer.

Do you buy catalytic converters or other loose parts?

No. We buy whole cars only and don't buy or sell loose parts. Selling a detached converter on its own is restricted in almost every state, so check your state's rules before you try.

The wheels are off. Is that a problem?

It makes loading harder, so put the wheels and tires back on if you still have them, and tell us if you don't.

I started parting the car out. Do I still need the title?

Yes. The title proves you own what's left, and some states expect paperwork before you dismantle. California, for one, asks owners to report a car as junk to the DMV before taking it apart.

What's wrong with it

Selling a car that's missing parts

Yes, you can sell a car with parts missing, as long as you say exactly what's gone. An offer assumes a complete car unless you tell us otherwise, and what's missing changes the number and sometimes how the car gets loaded.

Updated October 10, 2026 · 11 sources

The short answer

Converter theft repair (Michigan DIFS): As much as $3,000 or more
Covers converter theft: Comprehensive insurance, if you carry it
States with detached-converter rules (2023): Every state but Wyoming (ISRI)
New converter laws in 2022: At least 20 states, 25 bills (NCSL)
California buyer fines: $1,000, then $2,000, then $4,000
Loose parts: Not bought here; whole cars only

We buy whole non-running and junk cars, stripped or not, and pickup comes free anywhere in the US. We don't buy the loose parts, though. You sell the car as it stands.

What's missing, and what it changes

What's missing	What it changes	What to tell us
Engine	The offer assumes a complete car, so it comes down. The car still sells	That it's out, and whether the transmission is still there
Transmission	Same as the engine. If the axles or driveshaft are out too, the car may not roll	Which parts went with it
Catalytic converter	Converters contain small amounts of precious metals such as platinum, so it's a part buyers count. Driving without one has legal problems (see below)	That it's gone, and whether it was stolen
Wheels and tires	A car on blocks can't be rolled onto a truck	Whether you still have them. Put them back on if you can
Battery	The car won't start or crank, which doesn't stop a sale	Only that it's missing
Doors, hood, fenders or glass	The offer reflects what's there at pickup	Which panels are gone
Seats or interior parts	The same	What's been removed

Be exact, because the driver will see what's gone the moment the hood opens. An offer built on an accurate list leaves nothing to correct when the truck comes.

A stolen catalytic converter

Call the police and your insurer. Michigan's insurance regulator says the damage from a converter theft may cost as much as $3,000 or more to repair. Comprehensive coverage pays for it, while drivers without that optional coverage may pay out of pocket (Michigan DIFS). Ask your insurer what's covered before you decide whether to repair or sell.

Don't put the car back on the road without a replacement. Federal law makes it illegal for anyone to remove or disable a car's emission controls (42 U.S.C. 7522(a)(3)), and states have their own rules on top. California, for instance, bars selling a car that doesn't meet its air rules unless it goes to a dealer or is sold to be legally wrecked or dismantled (Veh. Code 24007(b)).

If you sell the car without its converter, tell us it's missing. It changes the offer and the paperwork reflects the car as it is.

Selling a converter on its own is restricted

You may have heard a loose converter is worth selling separately. States have made that hard on purpose, to cut theft.

Nearly every state has rules. A 2023 compilation by ISRI, the recycling industry's trade group, says every state but Wyoming had requirements for buying used, detached catalytic converters (ISRI). The National Conference of State Legislatures counted 12 states enacting bills in 2021, then at least 20 states enacting 25 bills in 2022, most adding rules for selling and buying unattached converters.
California lets buyers purchase a used converter only from licensed businesses or from an individual whose title or registration shows a VIN matching the one permanently marked on the converter. A buyer who breaks the rule faces fines of $1,000, then $2,000, then $4,000 (Veh. Code 10852.5).
Minnesota bars a scrap metal dealer from buying a used, detached converter unless it's marked with its removal date and the car's VIN (or a number linked to it) and the seller shows the title or registration. Payment can't be made for at least five days, and has to be a check sent to the seller's address or a payment into the seller's own bank account (Minnesota BCA, Minn. Stat. 325E.21).
Washington requires anyone who removes a converter for a purpose other than maintenance, repair or demolition to mark it with the last eight digits of the VIN within 24 hours (RCW 9A.82.180). Licensed scrap processors can't pay an individual seller in cash, and the check goes out no sooner than three business days later (RCW 46.79.150).

We don't buy converters or any loose parts. If yours is still on the car, leave it there.

Wheels off? Put them back on

Wheels make loading simple, because the car can roll or be winched up the ramp. If you pulled them and still have them, bolt them back on before the truck comes. If they're gone, say so, so the right equipment is sent.

Halfway through parting it out?

The shell still needs a title. The title is what proves you own what's left, and some states expect paperwork before you take a car apart. California asks the owner to report the car to the DMV as junk before dismantling it, and charges an investigative fee to owners who dismantle first (DMV).

If you're deciding whether to keep going, the part-out guide walks through the trade-offs honestly.

What to tell us

Year, make, model and mileage.
A list of what's missing: engine, transmission, converter, wheels, battery, panels, interior.
Whether it rolls, and where it's parked.
Whether you still have the title, and any keys.

Give that list when you ask for an offer, online or at (877) 421-6008. Junk car value shows how missing parts affect the number. If the engine or transmission died rather than being pulled, read blown engine or bad transmission.

Questions people ask

Will you buy a car with no engine?: Yes. A car with the engine out still counts as a whole car we buy, and the tow is free. An offer assumes a complete car unless you say otherwise, so tell us the engine is out.
My catalytic converter was stolen. Can I still sell the car?: Yes. Report the theft to the police and your insurer first, because comprehensive coverage may pay for the damage. Then tell us the converter is gone when you ask for an offer.
Do you buy catalytic converters or other loose parts?: No. We buy whole cars only and don't buy or sell loose parts. Selling a detached converter on its own is restricted in almost every state, so check your state's rules before you try.
The wheels are off. Is that a problem?: It makes loading harder, so put the wheels and tires back on if you still have them, and tell us if you don't.
I started parting the car out. Do I still need the title?: Yes. The title proves you own what's left, and some states expect paperwork before you dismantle. California, for one, asks owners to report a car as junk to the DMV before taking it apart.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 10, 2026.

Michigan Dept. of Insurance and Financial Services: catalytic converter theft michigan.gov
42 U.S.C. 7522, prohibited acts (Cornell Legal Information Institute) law.cornell.edu
California Vehicle Code 24007 (via California Public Law; official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) california.public.law
California Vehicle Code 10852.5 (via California Public Law; official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) california.public.law
NCSL: Lawmakers Seek New Directions on Public Safety (catalytic converter legislation) ncsl.org
ISRI: 2023 State Catalytic Converter Statutes (hosted by NCOIL) ncoil.org
Minnesota BCA: Catalytic converters (scrap metal dealers) dps.mn.gov
Minnesota Statutes 325E.21 revisor.mn.gov
RCW 9A.82.180, detached catalytic converters (Washington) app.leg.wa.gov
RCW 46.79.150, catalytic converter payments (Washington) app.leg.wa.gov
California DMV: Junking a vehicle (individual) dmv.ca.gov