Yards calculate scrap value as weight times the per-ton rate, but they deduct roughly 500 pounds for tyres and fluids first. So a 3,310 pound Camry is paid on about 2,810 pounds. Curb weight is the starting number, not the paying number.
Why weight is the missing input
Every scrap car quote is one multiplication: weight times rate. The rate is published and easy to find. The weight is the part people guess at, and guessing costs money in both directions.
Guess high and you feel cheated at the scale. Guess low and you accept a poor offer without knowing it.
The answer is not complicated, but it does have one step almost nobody mentions.
Curb weight versus paid weight
Here is the trap.
Curb weight is the vehicle with all standard equipment, all fluids and a full tank of fuel, but no passengers or cargo. It is the figure manufacturers publish and the one every database lists.
Paid weight is what the yard applies the rate to. They subtract roughly 500 pounds for tyres and fluids, because that is material they must pay to dispose of rather than sell.
On a 3,000 pound car that is a sixth of the vehicle removed before anything is calculated. It is the single biggest reason a quote comes in below what people expect, and it is entirely legitimate.
There is a third figure worth knowing so it does not confuse you. Shipping weight appears on some manufacturer sheets and runs 50 to 150 pounds below curb weight. It is rarely used outside spec documents.
Today's weights and values
Route or component Basis Notes Value today (USD) Measurement What the figure is based on What changes it Computed from the live rate unless marked a reference Honda Civic (2,762 lb curb) Paid on about 2,262 lb Compact; 500 lb deducted for tyres and fluids $407 to $407 Toyota Camry (3,310 lb curb) Paid on about 2,810 lb Midsize saloon $506 to $506 Toyota RAV4 (3,580 lb curb) Paid on about 3,080 lb Compact SUV $554 to $554 Ford F-150 (4,021 to 5,014 lb curb) Paid on 3,521 to 4,514 lb Range covers configuration $634 to $813 Chevrolet Tahoe (5,355 lb curb) Paid on about 4,855 lb Full-size SUV $874 to $874 Ford F-450 Super Duty (8,587 lb curb) Paid on about 8,087 lb Heaviest common light-duty listing $1,456 to $1,456
Those rows apply the site's tracked whole-vehicle rate to paid weight rather than curb weight, which is why they read lower than a back-of-envelope calculation.
Sedans, SUVs and trucks: the car curb weight chart scrap buyers work from
Rather than attempt a full car weight chart by model, these are the published bands, which between them cover almost anything that arrives at a yard.
Compact cars, roughly 2,700 to 3,000 pounds
- Honda Civic: about 2,762 lb
- Nissan Sentra: about 2,923 lb
- Toyota Corolla: about 2,955 lb
Midsize cars, roughly 3,200 to 4,000 pounds
- Chevrolet Malibu: about 3,097 lb
- Honda Accord: about 3,131 lb
- Toyota Camry: about 3,310 lb
Compact and midsize SUVs
- Toyota RAV4: about 3,580 lb, against a GVWR just over 4,600
Full-size SUVs, roughly 5,000 to 7,000 pounds
- Chevrolet Tahoe: about 5,355 lb
- Ford Expedition: about 5,443 lb
- Toyota Sequoia: about 5,730 lb
Truck curb weight list, roughly 4,000 to 7,500 pounds
- Ford F-150: 4,021 to 5,014 lb depending on configuration
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 4,257 to 5,155 lb
- Ram 1500: 4,798 to 5,372 lb
- Ford F-450 Super Duty crew cab: 8,587 lb, the heaviest in common listings
An electric example for scale: a Tesla Model S runs around 4,800 lb, saloon-shaped but SUV-heavy because of the battery.
Why this is not a 60-model lookup table
A long list of individual models looks authoritative and ages badly. Curb weight moves with year, trim and drivetrain, so a single figure attached to a model name is wrong for most of the vehicles wearing that badge.
The class bands above cover essentially everything that arrives at a yard, and the two methods below give you an exact figure for your own vehicle in under a minute. That is more useful than sixty numbers you would have to verify anyway.
Two ways to find your own number
If your model is not above, do not guess. There are two documented methods.
Method one, the manufacturer's own arithmetic. Curb weight equals GVWR minus payload capacity. The GVWR is printed on the Safety Compliance Certification Label, and the payload or passenger and cargo capacity is on the tyre specification label in the driver's door jamb. A worked example from a manufacturer: 5,280 lb GVWR minus 1,150 lb payload equals 4,130 lb curb weight.
Method two, the quick estimate. Read the GVWR off the door jamb sticker and subtract 800 to 1,200 pounds for cargo capacity. Less precise, but it takes ten seconds and lands close.
A note on the curb weight lookup by vin question that comes up constantly: the VIN itself does not encode weight. What it does is identify the exact year, make, model and trim, which is what you then look the weight up against. So the VIN is the key, not the answer.
What changes the number
Four documented adjustments, useful when comparing trims.
- Engine size. A four-cylinder engine typically weighs 300 to 400 pounds; a V6 runs 400 to 500.
- Drivetrain. All-wheel drive adds roughly 150 to 300 pounds over front or rear-wheel drive.
- Body material. Aluminium panels reduce weight by 10 to 15 percent, which matters for value as well as mass, since aluminium pays far above shred steel.
- Trim level. Manufacturers list curb weight by trim, and the spread within one model can run several hundred pounds.
Applying today's rate
The arithmetic, in order:
- Find curb weight by model and trim.
- Subtract about 500 pounds for tyres and fluids to get paid weight.
- Divide by 2,000 for tons.
- Multiply by your local per-ton rate.
That gives the vehicle weight for scrap value, which is the metal floor. The per-ton page covers why that rate varies by fifty dollars a ton between states, and the most valuable parts ranking covers what sits on top of the floor, since a complete car with converter and drivetrain is quoted well above a stripped shell.
Scrap weight around the world
Steel settles in US dollars, so a given weight of car is worth broadly the same everywhere. Currency and local buyer depth are what change.
Market Equivalent range Local market note United States $407.16 to 1,456 Deepest buyer pool. Even within the US, state to state runs $50 to $60 per ton apart. United Kingdom £289.14 to 1,034 Strong processing capacity. Battery and PGM material reported 20 to 40 percent above thin markets. Canada C$546.24 to 1,953 Similar structure to the US; thinner in the prairies and the north. Australia A$536.76 to 1,919 Good coastal capacity, long hauls inland. Distance is the main discount. Germany €357.61 to 1,278 Dense processing and strict documentation. Good grades pay well; paperwork matters. India ₹35,416 to 126,618 Large volume, but black mass export restrictions have compressed local payables. Bangladesh ৳44,045 to 157,468 Ferrous depth is good. Specialist converter, PGM and battery buyers are scarce. United Arab Emirates AED1,421 to 5,079 Re-export hub with real processing depth. Among the better-paying markets outside the West. Saudi Arabia SAR1,420 to 5,077 Growing capacity; specialist PGM and battery buyers still limited. Turkey ₺20,520 to 73,363 Major ferrous importer, so steel grades hold up better than non-ferrous here. South Africa R5,523 to 19,744 Reported below UAE and UK on battery material; processing infrastructure is the constraint. China CN¥2,681 to 9,586 Aggressive bidder on imported battery material; 2026 recycling rules moved payables down.
Treat these as a metal-value anchor rather than a local quote. Deduction practice for tyres and fluids varies by market and by yard, so ask what is subtracted before the rate is applied.
Questions people actually ask
"How much does a car weigh for scrap purposes?"
About five hundred pounds less than the published figure. A midsize saloon at 3,300 pounds curb is paid on roughly 2,800.
"What is the average car weight in tons?"
Most passenger cars land between 1.4 and 2 tons curb, so between 1.1 and 1.75 tons paid. Full-size SUVs and trucks run well above that.
"How much does an SUV weigh in pounds?"
Compact SUVs around 3,500 to 4,000, full-size 5,000 to 7,000. The Tahoe at 5,355 and the Sequoia at 5,730 are useful reference points.
Common mistakes
- Calculating on curb weight, when yards deduct roughly 500 pounds first.
- Confusing GVWR with curb weight. The scrap weight vs gross vehicle weight gap is the payload capacity, commonly 800 to 1,200 pounds.
- Using a base trim figure for a loaded vehicle, when trim spread runs into hundreds of pounds.
- Expecting a VIN lookup to return a weight. It identifies the vehicle; you still look the weight up.
- Treating the weight calculation as the final price, when it is only the metal floor.
- Ignoring aluminium-bodied vehicles, which weigh 10 to 15 percent less but carry metal worth several times shred steel.
Figures on this page are indicative. Curb weights are published manufacturer figures for representative trims and vary by year, trim and drivetrain, so confirm your own before relying on a number. The tyre and fluid deduction is a published market reference and differs between yards.
Frequently asked questions
How is scrap car price by weight calculated?
Weight times the per-ton rate, but on paid weight rather than curb weight. Yards deduct roughly 500 pounds for tyres and fluids first, since that is material they pay to dispose of. Divide the remainder by 2,000 for tons and multiply by the local rate.
How much does a car weigh for scrap?
About 500 pounds less than the published curb weight. A Honda Civic at 2,762 pounds curb is paid on roughly 2,262, and a Toyota Camry at 3,310 on roughly 2,810. That deduction is the main reason quotes come in below expectations.
What is the difference between curb weight and shipping weight?
Curb weight includes all standard equipment, fluids and a full tank of fuel but no passengers or cargo. Shipping weight appears on some manufacturer sheets and runs 50 to 150 pounds below curb weight. Curb weight is the figure to work from.
How do I find my car's curb weight if it is not listed?
Two ways. Subtract payload capacity from GVWR, both printed on labels in the driver's door area, as in 5,280 pounds GVWR minus 1,150 payload equals 4,130 curb weight. Or read the GVWR and subtract 800 to 1,200 pounds for a quick estimate.
Can I do a curb weight lookup by VIN?
Not directly, because the VIN does not encode weight. What it does is identify the exact year, make, model and trim, which is what you then look the weight up against. The VIN is the key to the answer rather than the answer itself.
What is the average car weight in tons?
Most passenger cars run 1.4 to 2 tons curb weight, which is roughly 1.1 to 1.75 tons paid after the tyre and fluid deduction. Full-size SUVs and pickups run considerably above that, up to four tons on the heaviest light-duty trucks.
How much does an SUV weigh in pounds?
Compact SUVs run around 3,500 to 4,000 pounds, with the Toyota RAV4 at about 3,580. Full-size SUVs run 5,000 to 7,000, with the Chevrolet Tahoe at 5,355, the Ford Expedition at 5,443 and the Toyota Sequoia at 5,730.
What is a typical truck curb weight?
Light-duty pickups run 4,000 to 7,500 pounds depending on configuration. The Ford F-150 spans 4,021 to 5,014, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4,257 to 5,155, and the Ram 1500 4,798 to 5,372. Heavy-duty models reach 8,587 pounds.
What is the scrap weight vs gross vehicle weight difference?
GVWR is the maximum loaded weight including passengers and cargo, so it is always higher than curb weight by the payload capacity, commonly 800 to 1,200 pounds. Scrap is calculated from curb weight minus the tyre and fluid deduction, not from GVWR.
Does a heavier car always pay more as scrap?
As a metal floor, yes, since weight times rate is the base calculation. But an aluminium-bodied vehicle weighs 10 to 15 percent less while carrying metal worth several times shred steel, so the lighter car can be worth more once grades are counted.