Skip to main content

Whether you are looking to part out your old car or just have a bunch of car parts laying around in your garage, selling them can be a little tough. Gone are the days of posting stuff in newspapers, so nowadays, you have to be a little tech-savvy to offload those old parts. Here are some tips for selling your used car parts and making a little extra money.

Find a good car part site online

A screenshot of car parts for sale on Facebook Marketplace
A screenshot of car parts for sale on Facebook Marketplace | Joe Santos/MotorBiscuit

Since nearly everyone and their grandmothers look for stuff online, the world wide web is your best friend when it comes to selling used car parts. If you check out sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and eBay, you’ll see that it’s easy to post up your parts within minutes and reach hundreds of other consumers that may need them. Just note that eBay and Facebook Marketplace do take a small percentage of your sales, so if you don’t want that, then you may want to stick to Craigslist.

Car parts that are in higher demand will sell easier

A man checks out the interior of a classic car.
A car owner checking out the interior parts in a car. | (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Another tip to keep in mind when selling car parts is that those that are in higher demand are more likely to sell quickly and for more of a profit. For example, selling a headlight from a Honda Civic will most likely receive more views and interest than a taillight from a Subaru XT6. Additionally, interior parts like seats, HVAC controls, or radios tend to sell well in general. No matter what you sell, just remember to clean the part first and take a few good pictures before posting it up.

You may not think so, but a few good pictures of the parts that you’re selling can go a long way when generating interest in them. Also, if a part that you’re selling has any damage, make sure to take pictures of the affected area and clearly state a brief description so that you’re transparent with the buyer.

Ensure that you have a good description to go along with the pictures

A man selling fashionable car wheels.
A man selling fashionable car wheels. | Andrew Hasson/Getty Images

When posting up any of your car parts for sale, it can pay (literally) to write a good description of them. You don’t need to write a novel, but something more than “96-00 Honda Civic headlight” could work wonders. Instead, make sure to list the year, make, and model of the car that the part fits and list what type of condition it’s in. Since your potential buyers can only look at pictures and rely on your words to make a confident purchase, the more they know about the part you’re selling the better.

Set realistic prices for your parts

A man sells car parts on a stand.
A man sells car parts on a stand. | Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images

Lastly, after you’ve taken pictures of the car parts and written a detailed description of each, now it’s time to price them accordingly. A good way to ensure that you’re pricing your parts fairly, it’s a good idea to gauge the market by seeing what other people are selling the same part for. Of course, no two used parts are exactly the same. However, if the part that you have is in better condition than most of the other ones you see for sale, then you can likely price it a little higher.

Just remember to be realistic in your pricing. While certain car parts may seem valuable to you, they may not be as valuable to other people. One way to know is if the parts that you post stay online for a long time. If you have parts posted for months and it seems like no one wants them, then your price may be too high.

Selling car parts can be lucrative

Ultimately, while it can sometimes be tedious to take pictures, write descriptions, and post your car parts for sale online, it can surely pay off. Even if it doesn’t pay off and you end up selling what you have for cheap, then the good news is that at least you won’t have those parts laying around your garage anymore.