Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, your vehicle needs to be complete with no missing parts.
If your vehicle is not complete please contact us to make sure your vehicle qualifies for the program. A missing battery or small parts will not affect the eligibility of your vehicle. Wheels and tires are required in order to tow your vehicle.

Your vehicle does NOT need to be in running condition to be eligible for the program. While helpful and may provide a higher bid, it is not a requirement.

We accept any year, make or model of vehicle (no RV’s, boats or motorcycles at this time). Members value their bids based on the year, make, model, location, and condition of your vehicle.

Yes we do require the vehicle portion of the registration (or “ownership”) to be able to transfer the vehicle out of your name – no photocopies. You would also need to give the keys to the recycler at time of pickup.

No, we cannot obtain any vehicle from underground parking or an alleyway; there must be sufficient room for a tow truck to be able to maneuver. If your vehicle is in underground parking you will need to bring it up to street level before it can be obtained.

Certified auto recyclers receive the year/make/model/condition/odometer/city information and any photos you upload to bid on your vehicle for its parts and material re-use values. The bid amount depends on the vehicle and its location. In all cases you get to approve or decline the bid. In some cases a vehicle will not generate a bid and unfortunately we would need to dismiss your vehicle.

You can apply online at www.retireyourride.ca or if you do not have internet access you can call 1-888-510-0919‬ and we will do the application for you. Please note you will need the vehicle registration with you when you call.

Once you have filled out the online application your vehicle information gets sent out to local authorized recyclers who then have two (2) business days to bid on the vehicle for part and scrap value. Once the bidding process has ended, you will receive an email (the email will come from [email protected] – so check your Spam Folder if you don’t find the email) the next day letting you know what the highest bid for your vehicle is. You can then choose to accept or decline the bid. If you accept the bid, the authorized recycler will contact you within five (5) business days to arrange pickup of the vehicle, original registration, keys and make payment to you. If you decline the bid, your application will be cancelled.

We pick up in most major areas, if your vehicle is located in a small or remote area please contact us at [email protected] to make sure we can service your area.

There is no cost for pickup of the vehicle. If you have outstanding fees, tickets, liens, etc on the vehicle, these must be paid prior to pickup. Retire Your Ride is not responsible for any outstanding fees attached to the vehicle prior to pickup. The statement “I agree to indemnify the Automotive Recyclers of Canada and applicable auto recyclers harmless from cost, damage or expense incurred” in the application process addresses this issue.

At this time we do not accept motorcycles into the program.

The recycler will pay you upon obtaining the vehicle, registration and keys. In certain circumstances, a cheque will be mailed to the Vehicle Owner, as the recycler is using a contract tower to remove the vehicle. In all cases, the cheque will be mailed immediately, and the Automotive Recyclers of Canada association backs up every transaction with Members and vehicle donors to the program.

You will need to provide photo ID showing you are the legal owner of the vehicle; along with the original government registration document signed and dated on the back; and the keys for the vehicle.

The authorized recycler will provide you with a Retire Your Ride receipt containing pickup information along with payment information that you will need to sign off on.

Your vehicle will be environmentally safely recycled by one of our authorized recyclers. The vehicle will be drained of harmful fluids and the mercury switch will be removed prior to dismantling. For more information on this process please visit www.carec.ca, this is the code of practice all our recyclers must follow. In certain cases your vehicles could be resold, but you will be asked this question when you upload your vehicle. In some cases this may generate a higher bid amount.

You will need to remove all your personal belongings from the vehicle.

Your licence plates are yours to keep, please remove them prior to pickup of the vehicle. If you have time left on your plate sticker and are not planning to use the plates for another vehicle you can return the plates to your nearest licence office where you may be entitled to a refund.

The authorized recycler who obtains your vehicle will transfer the vehicle out of your name, you will just need to sign and date the back of the vehicle portion of the registration.

The program started as Environment Canada’s National Vehicle Scrappage Program in 2009. The Automotive Recyclers of Canada took the program over in 2011, and has been running since then.

You can contact us at 1-888-510-0919‬ or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.