Linda,
Years ago I donated my car, but I know there have been IRS tax-deduction changes on this, so I found this article in a search. It looks pretty thorough on the pros and cons of doing it.

Ann

Here is a link that might be useful: Edmunds article on car donations

Here is an article which discusses donating a car and how the deduction works.

Here's another one.

After reading these, I'm not sure it's all it's cracked up to be. On the other hand, if you can't sell it as is, this might be an ok option. I would probably NOT put money into it in order to sell it because there's no guarantee you'll get that money back.

My guess is that they probably won't want it. We've had people try and donate cars to our school. However when I look for a reseller, they always have a reason that they don't want to consider it. I'd just sell it as is.

I can't imagine any Toyota not bringing more than that no matter how smashed up they are. Toyota's have a very high resale value.

From a friend who is a gear head, people often forget the parts value of cars that are "classics"...like a Toyota Rav 4.
I would think you could get more than $1000 even wrecked.
As for the tax deduction...that depends on what your tax bracket and what other deductions you may have. If you can muster enough deductions to take more than the standard deduction, it might well be worth taking the time to find somewhere to donate the car.

when we donated a car, a few years ago it was no longer running. They came, towed it away, and sent us a tax receipt after they fixed it up and assessed it or sold it. NPR's Car Talk has some info on donating a car. We ended up giving ours to an obscure agency raising funds for pancreatic cancer research.

After a little google search, the whole process was very easy.

Many places will take anything, even if the value you get is just scrap value...

Thanks for all the input.

I was talking to my neighbor last night and they sold an old, rusty, non-running Chevy pick up truck on craigs list last year for around $800.

I may have been underestimating the value of the Rav. I may just try putting it out there for $1000 or so as is and see what response I get.

Then if that's not the answer I always have the donation option then.

Linda

I'd start with craigs list too Linda. You said about 600 to get in running and then some body work. For the most part body work and paint cost more.... so if that damage is limited don't sell yourself short on the asking price. Be sure and repost your ad often too. Those lists load up fast and you will be many pages down in short order.

If you decide to donate I know some community colleges and vo-tech schools will come and pic it up for you. Some even have a budget for buying cars/trucks for their classes. We had a family friend that was a instructer for this course at one of our vo-techs. I know you just outside of a major metro area so I'm thinking you will have no problem what ever you decide to do.

David

I can absolutely tell you what my SNEH did. He'd buy a car from someone like you, get it fixed, cleaned, and then resell it on Craigslist. He always made money doing that. It works. But he had a mechanic he trusted and good detailer. And he was judicious about what he fixed. Did he really need to fix the stuck sunroof? No. Did he need to fix the dents? No. Did he need to fix the dying clutch. Heck yea! Remember, cosmetics don't matter, running parts do. People were searching for dependability. Cleaning them just made it look it's best, without spending a ton of cash on it.

Hey Rob, slightly OT, but I'm stuck trying to figure out what "SNEH" means. I've got Ex-Husband, but not the SN. I'm guessing it's not nice, but I can't find a definition for that acronym. :)

That's because it's my made up one after the divorce dragging on and on.... still not. It bugs me that I'm still stuck with him :/ And I can't say ex-husband, because he isn't. And I sure as heck can't stand the thought of him as my "husband". Hence, the disclaimer. I know I'm weird, but that's why you love me ;)

Back to your regularly scheduled discussion!

Geez, I hate acronyms! Thanks for clearing that up, I was scratching my head on that one, too.

I plan to list it on craigslist, but I need to find out the name of the part that's broken so when someone askes I can tell them.

Linda

I hate acroynyms too, Linda. But then I grew up military and they talk in acronyms and abbreviations. Oy!

Can you post a picture of injured part? So many of us are gear heads and I bet we can figure it out. Is it a mechanical piece or body part?

Well, here are a couple of the pics I sent my BIL (just for you, Rob! LOL) to write me an estimate for the body work. I am not sure what is broken underneath, but I know it is not the axle.

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You can click on the photos to make them larger. Not sure if you can tell anything from these or not.

Linda

Did it bend the frame? If not, there is nothing mechanical back there. If the lights work, the wheels do their thing, I wouldn't fix anything on it. If it's just a fender, let the buyer replace it. If it was me, I sure as heck fire clean it up, list it for $1,500, emphasize how well it runs and settle for $1,000. No doubt about it. YOu can't believe the number of people looking for something reliable for $1,000. Your vehicle is acutally in really good shape. You should see the cars my still-not-ex-husband can sell all day long for $1,000.

Thanks, Rob333. Actually it is not driveable. If you look closely, the rear wheel is at an angle, so something is bent/broken underneath.

Last fall I had a guy comeout and look at it. He gave me a verbal estimate of $550-600 to fix, but I forgot what he said was broken. And I have since misplaced his number....

Even as it is, I was thinking of putting it on Craigslist for $1000 and settling for less if I have to. But I really should be able to tell a buyer what needs to be fixed. Tim said he knows what is broken, but does not know the name of the part! LOL Maybe I'll see if my neighbor knows

Linda