If you have a Subaru and need parts for it, a Subaru junkyard is your best option. You can find every kind of used Subaru part and get them for cheap. Sometimes you even can find gems like turbos, carbon fiber hoods and trunks, STI lips and side skirts, and other fancy Subaru mods. In this article, I will share insight about the Subaru salvage yards near me and provide some tips on selling yours to a junkyard.
Map of Subaru Salvage Yards Near Me
For “Subaru Junk Yards Near Me” or “Subaru Salvage Yards Near Me”, see the map below…
There aren’t a a lot of yards that deal exclusively in the Subaru, brand, but there are some. Since there are a lot of collectors of WRX’s, Impreza’s, and BRZ’s the Subie Gang community is very niche and there are pop-up salvos dedicated to them. If you don’t have one locally, you can consider any auto junkyard in your area and they will likely have one of these on the lot. Additionally, you could try and look for “import salvage yards near me“.
How Does the Subaru Junkyard Near Me Operate
The Subaru junkyard near me specializes in salvaging Subaru cars, including Subaru Legacy and Subaru Impreza models. Operating with a focus on OEM parts, it provides replacement parts and components for Subaru models with body damage or worn tires.
Any junk yard pretty much runs like a standard local business. The Subaru junkyards near me, operate on both sides of the business; meaning they buy and sell. They buy used, junked, or wrecked Subaru from various sources and then they sell them as used parts. Some of the parts get sold online and others are made available for pick and pull.
How Do Autos Get in Salvage Yards
Almost every yard gets vehicles in a similar fashion. The two primary sources of vehicles are private owners and insurance companies. When a vehicle comes in from a private owner, it’s often undrivable. Most of the time they have tried to repair it and have decided, it’s a money pit and time to junk it. Vehicles coming from insurance companies have been deemed “totaled” in an accident. What the insurance company does is sell the wrecked car or trunk to salvage and offset some of the cost of the claim they paid out.
There is a third scenario as well, but not every salvo does this. Sometimes they get vehicles at auction. Normally with a lot of other wrecked vehicles. They do this to stock up on vehicles they think they can either fix and flip with a salvage title or perhaps a vehicle with lots of sellable functioning parts still on it.
How Junkyards Process Their Vehicles
When a junked vehicle first arrives at the auto salvo, it first has to be processed. Processing is a standard set of procedures to adhere to some government regulations and prepping the vehicle to get the most value out of it. This includes draining the major fluids, and sometimes extracting the motor, the battery, and other key parts that tend to corrode when left out in the elements.
The fluid drain includes gas, anti-freeze, and wiper fluid. These fluids among others are containerized and resold. Fluids like oil need special handling and get recycled according to state laws. The battery gets pulled for resale and if dead, it’s recharged, or recycled. Some lots will pull the motor. If they do it will get sent away to be rebuilt and then sold with a warranty.
Parts that tend to corrode fast like starters and alternators, for example, will also get pulled. This is so they don’t sit outside in the lot and continue to rust. These are popular replacement parts that the salvage can make good consistent profits on.
How a Subaru Junk Yard is Arranged
The Subaru junkyards near me aren’t very organized. It’s literally Subaru’s thrown in a lot with no structure. Ideally, you want some level of organization, even if not by vehicle size and class, similar model, year by decade, or anything helpful. Since Subie’s tend to use the same parts over multiple years and models some organization is helpful.
In a well-maintained Subaru junkyard, the best and most popular models will be in the front. The worst and least popular are often towards the back.
Here are some common models you may find at your local salvage yards:
- Forester
- Impreza
- Outback
- Ascent
- Legacy
- WRX
- BRZ
- Crosstrek
- XT
- Brat
- DL
- GL
A good Subaru lot will have its vehicle inventory online. An even better one will have a part inventory online. Doing your research beforehand and following a process makes finding and pulling used parts easier.
Even if your local salvo yard doesn’t have a database you can give them a call. Ask questions like: “Do you have an alternator for a 2009 BRZ”? or “Do you have any Imprezas on the lot, what year and condition are they in”? In my experience with my local Subaru salvo, they are really helpful. If they don’t have what I need, they are so connected in the Subie community, that they can often find it. So if you need a special used part, ask them. The Subaru salvage yards near me, will go the extra mile and make phone calls for me to get parts.
What Kind of Used Subaru Parts Can You Find at a Junk Yard?
At any type of junkyard, you can find almost any automotive part imaginable. I have pulled so many parts over the years including bucket seats, intakes, turbos, mirrors, doors, fenders, dashboards, carbs, etc. Believe it or not, I’ve even picked and pulled brand new parts. This happens when the previous owner tries to fix their vehicle, adds new parts, and then junks it for cash anyway.
What Happens After A Subaru Gets Stripped at the Junkyard?
Once the vehicle’s been stripped down and the good parts are pulled, they sell off what remains as scrap metal. Not all yards do this, but a well-managed yard will. This is out they get the last bit of value out of it. They sell it as scrap steel, for whatever the going rate is for the weight of the car or truck.
Not every lot is this sophisticated. Many just let vehicles rot. Those that do manage their inventory this way, turn bigger profits and help support the car recycling industry better.
Buying Used Subaru Parts at a Salvage Yard
One of the really cool things about Subie’s is the ability to customize. This classic brand of rally cars often gets body kits and engine mods done to them. What this means for you as a scrapper is money.
Be on the lookout for parts that you can sell online. I’ve pulled 3″ turbos, various spoilers, Seibon carbon fiber trunks and hoods, SPT intakes, Brembo brakes, STI front lip and side skirts, and other mods of these things. If you know what’s hot in the community, you can sell parts on Ebay Motors for a nice profit. I’ve made a great side hustle scavenging at the Subaru salvage yards near me.
Pros of Buying Used Parts at a Salvage Yard
The biggest pro of getting used parts is saving money. Some of the types of deals you might see are batteries for $12, alternators for $18, and a door for $60.
Another pro is that for many yards offers a warranty. This allows you to get a warranty for about $10 to $15 per part. In the event there is a problem you can get credit or exchange within 30 days. I always recommend purchasing a warranty for any piece that you feel is expensive. If you are buying an engine, most yards test the engine and grant the warranty automatically.
Lastly another pro is that you can find Subaru OEM manufactured parts. Unlike after market pieces or going to an auto store, you can pull pieces that were assembled by Subaru. This is particularly ideal if you are working on a classic restoration.
Cons of Buying Used Parts
The biggest risk is getting low-quality pieces. No matter how good it looks you can never be sure of how much life the part has left. The best way to mitigate this is to secure a warranty if the part is expensive. I also like to bring a small battery with me and test any electronics right in the yard.
Another issue is the salvage yard itself. If there isn;t much organization on the lot finding the parts you need for your Subie can take all day.
Tips For Selling Your Subaru to an Auto Salvage
If you are looking for a salvage to junk a vehicle, read on. If you have a Subie, then a Subaru junkyard should fetch you a few more dollars in profit. You should consider all your options though before you junk it, particularly if it still runs. This is because they may flip it or sell it at auction, while only paying you the scrap metal price for its weight. For help estimating the value, go here.
On the other hand, if it doesn’t run and you are ready to junk it…
- Siphon the gasoline out and reuse it yourself
- Take out all your personal items. Check the trunk, glove box, console, and backseat flaps
- Cancel your insurance, registration, and license plates
- Wipe your navigation system clean of personal data such as address and phone number
- Know the value of your vehcile before you negotiate a selling price
Negotiating with a junkyard is sometimes a slippery slope. Just because you negotiate in good faith it does not mean they will. For insight into junkyard negotiating tactics read this post here. Also, learn how to get more than the scrap metal price for it here. The Subie salvage yards near me, pretty much offer you the scrap steel price and it’s up to you to negotiate and show value.
Subaru Resources
The Subaru community, also known as the Subie Gang, is great and full of helpful people. Many share tips and tricks regarding parts and specialized brand knowledge. I would encourage you to join a community and engage with other Subaru owners like yourself.
Here are a few of my favorite resources:
- Subaru Wiki
- Subaru
- Reddit r/Subaru
- Ultimate Subaru Message Board
- Impreza Forum
- Outback Forum
- NASIOC Subaru Forum
- ClubWRX Forum
- BRZ Forum
Subaru Salvage Yards Near Me Conclusion
Subaru junkyards are the best place to visit to save money on used auto parts. Even if you don’t have an exclusive Subaru salvage nearby, you can also check your local car junk yard which should have a few Subies on the lot. Remember that the manufacturer uses the same parts on multiple models across years. Doing your research on this will help you be more efficient at the salvage.
If you are junking your car for cash, you will want to prep your car properly and understand salvage yard negotiation tactics. Most yards do good honest business, but you should be aware of the tricks and scams upfront. This is what I have learned from the Subaru salvage yards near me.
