Non-Running Cars and Cars With No Keys
Do you buy cars that don't start or have no keys?
Yes. Cash For Junk Cars Tim's LLC buys non-running cars and cars with lost keys across Chicago's Southwest Side. A seized engine, dead transmission, flat tires or a missing key don't stop the pickup. Tell us how the car sits and where, and we tow it free and pay you at pickup.
A car that won’t start is still a car we can buy. On the Southwest Side, most of them sit in a garage off the alley or at the curb on a side street, and the only real question is how our truck gets to it.
Tell us how it sits
- Does it roll? Wheels that turn freely make the pickup simple. Locked brakes, flat tires or a seized transmission mean we plan a different hookup.
- Is there a key? No key is fine; we just need to know, because a locked steering column changes how the car is moved.
- How much room is there? A garage door onto a narrow alley, a car nosed into a tight driveway, or a car blocked by another one: describe it and we’ll plan for it.
When a dead car becomes a city problem
A car that can’t move and sits on a Chicago street can be ticketed and towed under the city’s rules on inoperable vehicles. Our guide to Chicago’s inoperable car rules explains what the city looks for. If the car is in that spot now, call us before the city tow does.
Repair first, or sell?
If you’re still deciding, our guide on a blown engine or failed transmission lays out the questions to ask a mechanic. Lost keys have their own guide, and if the title is missing as well, see cars without a title.
Questions people ask us
- How do you tow a car with no keys if the steering is locked?
- We need to know ahead of time. Tell us the car has no key and whether the wheels turn, and we'll plan the hookup for it before the truck arrives.
- The car has sat in the garage for years with flat tires. Is that a problem?
- No, cars that have sat for years are a big part of what we buy. Tell us about the flat tires and how much room there is in front of the garage door.
- Do I need the keys to get paid?
- No. The keys don't affect payment. What you need is your ID and the paperwork for the car, which we go over on the call.
Other vehicles we buy
Read before you sell
- Sell a Junk Car Without KeysKeys lost, fob dead or ignition punched: why a junk car still sells, and what proves ownership instead of a key.
- Sell a Car With a Blown Engine or a Failed TransmissionFree recall fix, repair quote or sell as is: a short way to decide what to do with a car whose engine or transmission died.
- Inoperable Vehicle Rules in Chicago, on the Street and Off ItA dead car on the street already counts as abandoned in Chicago. The rules, the costs, and private property limits.
Nearby pickup areas
- Junk Car Removal in Gage ParkOur home neighborhood. The middle of Gage Park is about a mile by road from our base on Western Avenue.
- We Buy Junk Cars in Archer HeightsBetween the Stevenson and the Orange Line, about 3.7 miles from our base via Western Avenue and 47th Street.
- Junk Car Towing for Cash in ClearingSouth of Midway between Cicero and Harlem, a little under 6 miles from our base by 55th Street and Central.
Makes we see often
- Where to Sell a Junk Dodge in ChicagoDodge Ram trucks before the 2010 split, do-not-drive airbag notices, and key and steering-wheel recalls on Grand Caravans.
- Sell Your Junk Jeep in ChicagoLiberty fuel tank and control arm recalls, Grand Cherokee ignition and shifter campaigns, and why Wrangler parts keep trading.