6 Best Sites to Sell a Car with a Failed Emissions Test

Four states make the seller provide a passing emissions test, in all or part of the state: California, Colorado, Georgia and Missouri.

In all other states, a failed emissions test is not a legal barrier to selling. You can sell the car as-is to an instant offer service or a private buyer without passing a smog test first.

The buyer takes on the responsibility of getting it compliant for registration in their state.

Yes. Peddle buys cars as-is regardless of whether they passed a smog test. In our test, they gave instant online quotes on all 5 vehicles with emissions issues, including cars with check engine lights active.

Peddle has a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot from 214,087 reviews. The tow company contacts you within one business day to schedule, pickup typically follows within 24 to 48 hours, and you’re paid at pickup, usually by company check, with cash only if the driver offers it.

Yes. CashForCars explicitly states on their website that a failed emissions test doesn’t stop them from making an offer. They gave instant quotes on all 5 of our test vehicles.

CashForCars is owned by Copart and has about 200 locations. They have a 4.3/5 on Trustpilot from 8,874 reviews.

Yes. Wheelzy states on their site that a failed smog test doesn’t prevent them from buying your car.

In our test, 4 out of 5 vehicles were routed to a required phone call rather than an instant online quote, so be prepared to speak with someone to get your number.

Wheelzy has a 4.7/5 on Trustpilot from 85,842 reviews.

Yes. CarBrain buys cars with mechanical problems, accident history, and salvage titles, which puts emissions-failed vehicles in their normal buying range.

They’ve been doing this since 2007 and have made close to a million offers.

CarBrain has a 4.8/5 on Trustpilot from 7,791 reviews. Their quote form let us counter the first offer, worth using if you feel it’s too low.

It depends on what caused the failure. Minor fixes like a gas cap replacement cost very little and might open up more buyers. RepairPal puts an oxygen sensor replacement at $440 to $523, with parts at the manufacturer’s list price.

Bigger repairs like a catalytic converter replacement or an evap system fix cost more, and the increase in your offer often won’t cover that cost. RepairPal puts a catalytic converter replacement at $2,280 to $2,480.

Get quotes first without fixing anything. If the gap between what instant buyers offer and what you’d get after repairs is bigger than the repair cost, fixing it makes sense. If not, sell as-is.

It depends on what caused it. A cheap fix like a loose gas cap causes almost no real drop in value once disclosed.

A catalytic converter failure or a complex engine code can lower offers because the buyer prices in the repair. In our offer data, buyers offer about 18% less for a car with a dashboard warning light on than for one without.

In our test, the 2008 Nissan Frontier with a catalytic converter check engine light still got offers over $1,200 from multiple buyers.

The 2004 Toyota Corolla with a transmission code (P0741) got offers between $428 and $870. The nature of the code matters more than just the fact of failing.

Yes, but you need to disclose the issue. Private buyers often want the car for parts, to fix and register in a different state, or because they’re mechanics who can handle the repair cheaply.

Craigslist listings we reviewed for our 5 test vehicles showed sellers asking $1,500 to $19,900 with the emissions issue clearly listed.

The main challenge is that most buyers will negotiate hard once they see the failed smog test.

Be prepared for lower-than-asking offers and buyer questions about what the check engine code is and how much the repair costs.

For instant offer services like Peddle, CashForCars, and CarBrain, you’ll need basic car details like the VIN, year, make, model, and mileage. A salvage title is fine at all three. CashForCars and CarBrain want the title in your name, and Peddle also quotes cars with no title at all.

You don’t need to fix anything first. Just describe the condition honestly, including the check engine code if you know it.

For private sales on Facebook Marketplace or eBay Motors, you’ll also want the diagnostic code from your last smog test so buyers can research the repair cost before making an offer.

Having that information ready reduces back-and-forth with buyers.

Not at all. Most cars with failed emissions tests run fine.

An emissions failure usually means the car has a stored diagnostic code that puts it outside the legal limit for pollutants or doesn’t allow it to be registered.

If your car won’t start in addition to having an emissions issue, that’s a separate problem.

Instant offer services still buy cars that won’t start, but those typically get lower offers than cars that drive but just can’t pass smog.

With an instant offer service, you can get a quote in a few minutes and have the car picked up within a few days.

Peddle, CashForCars, and Wheelzy all offer free towing, and Peddle and Wheelzy can sometimes pick up the same day.

Selling privately takes longer.

A Facebook Marketplace listing for a car with a disclosed emissions issue may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to find the right buyer, depending on your asking price and location.

Not for instant offer services. Peddle, CashForCars, Wheelzy, and CarBrain all operate nationwide and don’t require the car to pass a smog test before buying.

Your state’s rules only affect whether the next owner can register the car locally.

For private sales, selling to a buyer in a state with no emissions testing requirements (like many rural states) can help you get closer to full market value since that buyer won’t need to repair anything before registering.