Junkyards are the best place to find used parts for your vehicle. Depending on the year and manufacture sometimes they may be your only option. If you are a Jersey local looking for used auto parts there may be some things you need to know about salvage yards in NJ. This includes things like taxes, warranties on used parts, and salvage laws dictated by the state. Below I will cover everything you need to know about junkyards in New Jersey including where to find them and which are the most popular.
Map of Junkyards in New Jersey
For “junkyards in New Jersey” or “Salvage Yards in New Jersey”, see the map below…
How do Auto Junkyards in New Jersey Operate
Junkyards in NJ operate like any other local business. They are not state run, but need to adhere to state laws regarding sales tax, reporting vehicles sold, and environmental regulations regarding hazardous material recycling. Since 2010 junkyards in Jersey are no longer required to register with the Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC).
The yards take in junked vehicles from various sources such as private owners, insurance companies, and auctions, and then sell the functioning used parts off them individually. Sometime of these places are also registered as dealers and they will sell a whole vehicle with a salvage title.
How Salvage Yards Process Vehicles in NJ
When vehicles come into the yard they aren’t thrown directly out for pulling parts. Vehicles get prepped for the salvage to get the most value and adhere to state environmental laws. Typically fluids need to be drained from the vehicle. Some fluids like oil get recycled, while fluids like anti-freeze are bottled and resold. Parts like a battery, starter, and alternator will get extracted so that they don’t corrode in the yard and they can get the best resale value for them. In certain situations they may even pull then engine, rebuild it, and sell it with a warranty.
Types of Junkyards in NJ
You can find various salvos that are general auto lots, but some specialize in specific vehicle types. For example A&A Truck parts in Freehold, specializes in trucks. Most salvages in Jersey are a mostly self service with a few full service yards scattered around. If you are new to pulling parts at junkyards here is what that means…
Self Service Yards: At a self service yard you bring your own tools, walk the lot to find what you need, pull the parts yourself, and pay for what you took. Self service yards will often have older vehicles in the lot, but lower prices.
Full Service: At full service salvage yard there is staff to either pull parts for you or help you pull parts out. You still walk the yard to find what you need, but you can get help. This is ideal if you aren’t familiar with pulling auto parts or don’t have the tools. Of course this kind of service tends to be more expensive. These lots tend to have late models and the staff is there to make sure the parts get pulled without breaking any other parts.
Some yards also charge a few dollars to enter the yard when you sign in. It’s usually a nominal amount like a dollar or two.
Popular Auto Junkyards in New Jersey
It often feels like the auto salvages near me are a dime a dozen and it doesn’t matter where you go. It does matter though. Not all junkyards in NJ are well run and just like any other business you want to deal with you should read reviews. There are important factors to consider like location, quality of inventory, prices, customer service, warranties, and layout of the yard.
Here are a few popular junkyards with 4.5 star ratings in New Jersey:
- Fenix Parts – Cosmos’s Ocean County Auto Wreckers in Bayville
- East Brunswick Foreign and Domestic Auto Salvage in East Brunswick
- Central Jersey Auto Salvage in Jackson Township
- Giant Auto Salvage in Newark
- Friendship Used Auto Parts in Tabernacle
Selling a Junked Vehicle in NJ
Most of the junkyards on the map above will offer you cash for your vehicle. When you junk a vehicle in New Jersey most places are going to send a wrecker to come get it. This is often fixed into the negotiated price. It is very important that you deal with a reputable junk car buyers, because there are some underhanded negotiation tactics in this business.
New Jersey Procedure for Transferring Vehicle Ownership
Aside from getting your money when you sell a junked vehicle in NJ, you need to sign over the title. Here are the general steps you need to take:
- Take off the the plates and return them to any MVC Office (unless you plan to transfer them to a different vehicle you own).
- Sign the title and give it to the tow truck driver, with: Buyer’s name and address, Date of sale, Odometer reading, vehicles sale price
- MVC charges a $25 penalty if the title isn’t transferred within 10 business days from the date of sale.
Learn more about NJ rules for transferring ownership. Also read: How to Get the Max Value When Selling a Junk Car.
Buying a Salvage Vehicle in NJ
If you are looking to buy a vehicle with a salvage title, you should be aware that you will pay sales tax on it and there are some special rules and fees from the MVC. Some vehicles may already have a salvage title and some will not and you will need to obtain one.
Here is what is required for a salvage vehicle in New Jersey:
- Title assigned to an insurance company with the company’s New Jersey sales tax-satisfied stamp.
- $60 administration title fee
- Insurance listing sheet (BA-28) and statement from insurance company as to how the vehicle was acquired.
- If there is a lien on the title, it must be satisfied before the title is issued.
For more information on salvage titles in NJ, go here.
Salvage vehicles are famous for being hard to ensure and there is always a risk to your safety when buying one. In the state of New Jersey the MVC requires a junkyard to certify, upon selling an automobile, that, at the time of sale, the vehicle was or was not in suitable condition to be operated on the highways.
What to Know About Salvage Yards in New Jersey Before You Go
Being Jersey is in the north east, you need to understand how the time of the year you go impacts your experience. Pulling parts on humid days in August is just as bad as pulling parts in 2 feet of snow in February.
When you visit a junkyard in new jersey you need to think about the time of year. You must dress appropriate to the weather, but still need to be able maneuver in winter clothes and have enough covering in the summer so as not to cut your self on sharp edges.
My recommendations for NJ auto salvages are
- Weather appropriate clothes
- Water
- Sunglasses
- Sun Screen
- Hand warmers for the winter
- Portable battery operated fan for the summer
- Tools and a helper if you don’t know how to pull parts
Checking Junkyards in the Neighboring States
If you reside close to a state line, take advantage of the plethora of junkyards in neighboring states.
- Delaware
- Pennsylvania
- New York
Junkyards in New Jersey Conclusion
Getting your parts a junkyard is your best opportunity to save money. Junkyards in NJ are run much like the rest of the US, but have some specific challenges in the dead of summer or the middle of winter. During those seasons, It’s some times better to pay a little extra and find a full service yard. Almost all of the NJ yards not only deal in used parts, but do buying and selling of junked vehicles. While I have outlined some of the state requirements of the Motor Vehicle Commission, you should look at the referenced articles for more detailed info.
