Is a 2015 or newer F-150 worth more as junk because it's aluminum?

Not automatically. The aluminum body is sorted and sold apart from steel, but the offer on a newer F-150 depends far more on its engine, transmission and other parts, which are younger and more sought after than on an older truck.

My Focus shudders and won't shift right. Will you take it?

Yes. A Focus or Fiesta with a worn PowerShift clutch is still a complete car with an engine, body and interior, and we buy it running or not. Ford's extended clutch coverage for the 2011 to 2014 cars has run out, so the repair would be on you.

Can you pick up a Ranger the recall notice says not to drive?

Yes. We tow it, so the truck never has to move under its own power. Ford's final repair notice for the 2004 to 2006 Ranger driver airbag told owners not to drive until the fix was done, which makes a tow the sensible way out when you're selling.

Junk Ford Cars and Trucks Bought in Chicago

What changes the offer on a junk Ford?

Cash For Junk Cars Tim's LLC buys junk Fords throughout Chicago, from F-150 pickups to Focus hatchbacks with a shuddering PowerShift transmission. Body material, weight, drivetrain condition and parts demand set the offer, and a 2015 or newer F-150 has an aluminum body while older ones are steel. The tow is on us and payment happens at the curb.

Call (872) 356-9663

Ford models we get calls about

Model	Years	What matters for the offer
F-150	2004 to 2014	Steel body and real weight; the 2005 and 2006 model years with the 5.4L V8 had a brake booster hose recall.
F-150	2015 to 2020	Aluminum-intensive body from the 2015 model year, so the metal is sorted differently from older trucks.
Focus	2012 to 2016	Automatic cars use the DPS6 PowerShift, which Ford covered under an extended clutch and seal program.
Fiesta	2011 to 2016	Light subcompact; same PowerShift questions as the Focus, so tell us how it shifts.
Explorer	2011 to 2017	Heavy three-row SUV; rear toe link recalls, one aimed at salt states including Illinois.
Ranger	2004 to 2006	Small pickup with Takata airbag recalls; Ford advised owners not to drive it until repaired.
Escape Hybrid	2005 to 2008	The hybrid battery pack adds value; its hybrid coolant pump was recalled.

Fords come to us in every size, from a Fiesta that fits on a two-flat’s parking pad to an F-150 that fills the alley behind it. The badge matters less than the specific car or truck, because Ford built very different vehicles under one name, and a few of them carry history that changes the conversation.

Steel F-150 or aluminum F-150

The thirteenth-generation F-Series, introduced for the 2015 model year, was the first aluminum-intensive vehicle an American automaker produced at large scale (Wikipedia: Ford F-Series, thirteenth generation). For a junk sale, that means two F-150s parked side by side can be made of different metal. A 2004 to 2014 truck has a steel body and goes by weight with everything else on it. A 2015 or newer truck has aluminum body panels, and aluminum is sorted and sold apart from steel.

Either way, an F-150 is heavy and its parts sell. Older trucks bring their own recall history: 2005 and 2006 F-150s with the 5.4L three-valve V8 were recalled because the brake booster vacuum hose could swell and pop off during an intake backfire, leaving the driver with a much harder brake pedal (NHTSA 08V208). Our trucks, vans and SUVs page covers how we buy pickups in general.

Focus and Fiesta with the PowerShift automatic

If your Focus or Fiesta shudders when you pull away from a light on Pulaski, you’re in familiar territory. Ford ran Customer Satisfaction Program 14M01 for certain 2011 to 2014 Fiestas and 2012 to 2014 Focus cars with the DPS6 automatic, because leaking input shaft seals could contaminate the clutch and cause excessive shudder under light acceleration (Ford program 14M01 dealer bulletin). The program stretched coverage on the seals, clutch and transmission software to seven years or 100,000 miles from the warranty start date.

Do the math on a 2014 car and that window closed years ago. So owners now face the repair bill alone, and a car with a bad transmission is still a car to us. Our blown engine and transmission guide walks through repairing versus selling. If the car still drives and a dealer has offered you a trade, compare the options in junk, private sale or trade-in first.

Explorers and Illinois road salt

The 2011 to 2017 Explorer has a rear toe link recall for fractures under stress (NHTSA 19V435), and then a second one aimed at salt states. Ford’s 2021 campaign for 2013 to 2017 Explorers sold or ever registered in Illinois and other salt states says road salt can corrode and seize a cross-axis ball joint until the outer section of the toe link breaks, which can cost the driver steering control (NHTSA 21V537).

An Explorer with a clunking rear end or a rear wheel sitting at an odd angle shouldn’t be driven across town. We bring the tow to it, whether it’s in a Garfield Ridge driveway or on a side street in Clearing; both are reached from our Western Avenue base by heading west on 55th Street.

Rangers and the Escape Hybrid

Two smaller Fords deserve a note. The 2004 to 2006 Ranger carries Takata driver inflator recalls, and Ford’s final-repair notice tells owners not to drive the truck until the inflator is replaced (NHTSA 17V787). For a seller, that makes a tow the obvious choice.

The 2005 to 2008 Escape Hybrid has a recall for the coolant pump in its hybrid system, which can let the hybrid electronics overheat and shut the powertrain down (NHTSA 14V526). If yours quit that way, the battery pack is still worth pricing. Rangers and Escapes too far gone for parts still sell to us for scrap by weight, and one pickup can take more than one vehicle if you have a second Ford sitting beside the first.

Questions people ask us

Is a 2015 or newer F-150 worth more as junk because it's aluminum?: Not automatically. The aluminum body is sorted and sold apart from steel, but the offer on a newer F-150 depends far more on its engine, transmission and other parts, which are younger and more sought after than on an older truck.
My Focus shudders and won't shift right. Will you take it?: Yes. A Focus or Fiesta with a worn PowerShift clutch is still a complete car with an engine, body and interior, and we buy it running or not. Ford's extended clutch coverage for the 2011 to 2014 cars has run out, so the repair would be on you.
Can you pick up a Ranger the recall notice says not to drive?: Yes. We tow it, so the truck never has to move under its own power. Ford's final repair notice for the 2004 to 2006 Ranger driver airbag told owners not to drive until the fix was done, which makes a tow the sensible way out when you're selling.