Multiply your curb weight, minus about 500 lbs, by your state's per-ton rate. For a 3,500 lb sedan in a state paying $175 per ton, that is roughly $263 in steel. Auto scrap has traded between about $120 and $206 per ton through 2026, so the same car ranges from $180 to $309 depending on where you are. That figure is the floor beneath every offer you will receive, not the offer itself. Run your specific numbers through a car scrap value calculator to get a starting point, then read below for what weight leaves out.
Here is the calculation, where to find each input, and why the weight figure alone understates most cars.
The formula
Three inputs, one multiplication.
Curb weight is the vehicle's weight with fluids and standard equipment, no passengers or cargo. This is the number you want. Gross vehicle weight rating is a different figure entirely, describing the maximum loaded weight the vehicle is designed to carry, and using it will inflate your estimate badly.
The deduction is roughly 500 lbs, covering tires and fluids. Yards subtract this because they pay to dispose of both rather than being paid for them.
The per-ton rate varies by state and week. Michigan, California and Ohio have led rate tables through 2026; Hawaii has sat near the bottom around $145 per ton.
Many yards quote per hundredweight rather than per ton. At $175 per ton, that is $8.75 per 100 lbs, which is often easier to work with.
Finding your curb weight
Four sources, in order of reliability.
The driver's door jamb sticker lists curb weight and gross vehicle weight rating on most vehicles. This is the fastest check.
The owner's manual carries the same specification.
The manufacturer's website or a model specification database works when the sticker is missing or unreadable. Search the year, make, model and trim, since trim level changes the figure.
A public scale at a truck stop, recycling center or scrap yard gives the exact current weight for a small fee. This is worth doing only if parts have been removed or added.
Typical weights by vehicle class
Approximate curb weights, useful for a rough estimate before you check the sticker.
Small sedans run near 2,800 lbs. Mid-size sedans average around 3,500 lbs. Large sedans reach roughly 4,400 lbs. Small SUVs sit near 3,900 lbs, and small pickups around 4,400 lbs. Across all body styles, the average US vehicle weighs approximately 4,400 lbs, with cars averaging near 3,800 lbs and trucks near 4,800 lbs.
Common models illustrate the range. A Toyota Camry runs roughly 3,310 to 3,595 lbs. A Honda CR-V falls between 3,337 and 3,569 lbs. A Toyota RAV4 sits around 3,370 to 3,405 lbs, and a Chevrolet Equinox between 3,274 and 3,512 lbs. A Ram pickup ranges from about 4,798 to 5,374 lbs.
That last figure explains why trucks dominate junk car payouts. A Ram carries roughly 1,800 lbs more steel than a Camry, which at $175 per ton is over $150 in metal before anything else is counted.
Electric and hybrid vehicles
Battery vehicles are 10% to 20% heavier than comparable gasoline models, and the extra mass sits in the battery pack.
A Tesla Model Y weighs about 4,400 lbs against roughly 3,400 lbs for a similarly sized Honda CR-V. An electric Ford F-150 Lightning exceeds 6,000 lbs, with the battery alone accounting for close to 1,800 lbs.
Do not simply multiply that weight by the scrap rate. The pack is not steel, and depending on its chemistry it can be an asset the recycler pays for or a cost they deduct. Weight-based math works cleanly for conventional vehicles and needs adjustment for electrified ones.
What the weight calculation leaves out
This is the part that matters most, and it works in your favor.
The weight figure gives you the value of the car as bare metal. It excludes everything a buyer can resell: the catalytic converter, engine, transmission, alternator, wheels, panels and modules. A factory converter alone is generally worth $100 to $250, with some hybrid and European units exceeding $1,000.
That gap explains the difference between buyer types. A scrap processor prices tonnage and quotes close to your calculated floor. A full-asset buyer prices tonnage plus components and typically quotes $50 to $400 higher on a complete vehicle.
So the weight number is not a prediction. It is a threshold. An offer below it needs a stated reason, and an offer well above it usually means the buyer is paying for parts.
Why weight matters less than you think, and more
Two apparently contradictory things are both true.
Weight is the single largest input for a stripped or badly damaged car, where nothing resellable remains. It is also the reason a 5,000 lb pickup starts hundreds of dollars ahead of a 2,700 lb compact before any component is valued.
But completeness usually matters more on an intact vehicle. A light car with a factory converter and a working drivetrain often beats a heavier one that has been picked over. The two variables interact rather than competing.
A worked example, start to finish
One car, every step.
A 2011 Toyota Camry, complete, with a clean title, in a state paying $175 per ton.
Curb weight from the door jamb reads 3,480 lbs. Subtract 500 lbs for tires and fluids, leaving 2,980 lbs of payable metal. Divide by 2,000 to get 1.49 tons. Multiply by $175 and the scrap floor is roughly $261.
Now the range. At Hawaii's rate near $145 per ton, the same car yields about $216. At the top of the 2026 band around $206, it reaches $307. Nothing about the vehicle changed; only its location did.
Then the parts. With its factory converter and a drivetrain that still turns, a full-asset buyer prices the car well above that floor. Strip the converter first and the offer falls toward $261, since the component that made it worth dismantling is gone.
Three numbers, then, from one vehicle: $261 as metal, meaningfully more as a complete car, and less than either if it has been picked over.
Common mistakes in the calculation
Using gross vehicle weight rating. It can exceed curb weight by 1,500 lbs or more, producing an estimate no buyer will match.
Forgetting the deduction. Skipping the 500 lbs inflates a mid-size sedan estimate by roughly $44 at $175 per ton.
Using a national average rate. State spreads are wide enough to matter. Check yours.
Assuming the rate is stable. Steel scrap markets reset weekly, moving individual offers by 5% to 10%.
Adding aftermarket weight. A heavy sound system or toolbox does not add scrap value proportionally, and the buyer weighs the vehicle as it arrives.
Frequently asked questions
Does the buyer actually weigh my car? Sometimes. Yards with scales weigh the vehicle on arrival; many buyers quote from published curb weight instead. Either way the figure they use should be close to your door jamb sticker.
Why did they deduct 500 lbs? Tires and fluids cost the yard money to dispose of legally, so they are subtracted from the payable weight rather than paid for.
Do heavier cars always pay more? On tonnage alone, yes. On the final offer, not necessarily, since a lighter complete car with an intact converter can outperform a heavier stripped one.
Can I get paid more by removing parts and selling them separately? Rarely. Stripping a car reduces it toward bare steel, and the reduction in the whole-vehicle offer usually exceeds what the removed parts fetch.
How often does the per-ton rate change? Weekly, tracking industrial demand for steel. That is why quotes carry short expiry periods, commonly around seven days.
Does my car's age affect the weight value? Not the metal value, since steel is steel. Age affects the parts side, because demand for components fades as fewer of that model remain on the road.
What if my car is missing its engine? Subtract that weight and expect a tonnage-only offer. A shell without a drivetrain generally brings raw scrap value alone, commonly $150 to $300.
Should I weigh the car myself before selling? Only if components have been removed or added. Public scales at truck stops and recycling centers charge a small fee, but for an intact vehicle the door jamb figure is accurate enough to negotiate with.
Do wheels and tires count toward the weight? The car is weighed with them on, but tires fall inside the 500 lb deduction because the yard pays to dispose of them. Alloy wheels are worth more removed and sold at the clean aluminum rate, though that only pays if you have the time.
Working out your number
Read the curb weight off the door jamb, subtract 500 lbs, divide by 2,000 to get tons, and multiply by your state's current rate. Write the result down before you call anyone. That single figure turns three quotes from a set of unfamiliar numbers into a comparison you can actually judge.
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