SellCarAdvisor is reader-supported, when you sign up through links on this post, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. How We Work.
The bottom line: Online car buyers make instant cash offers on old Altimas, even ones that won’t start. Four old Altimas that wouldn’t start got best offers from $345 to $470. In any condition, a 2007 to 2012 Nissan Altima is typically offered $458, and a 2002 to 2006 Altima $368. A typical junk car is offered $565.
Not starting lowers the offer, but buyers still make one. A 2013 Nissan Altima with 198,000 miles wouldn’t start and had engine and transmission parts missing. Its best offer was still $357.
Tell every buyer that the car won’t start, and anything else that’s wrong. Then the offer doesn’t change when the tow truck comes.
The buyer that offers the most changes from one Altima to the next. Enter your Altima’s details once in our comparison tool and see the offers side by side.
Key Takeaways
- Against its own years: a 2013 to 2018 Altima is offered $760, while a typical car from those years is offered $1,183.
- $1,000 or more: 9% of old Altimas are offered at least that, against 27% of all junk cars.
- Won’t start: the best offer is -47% against a comparable car that drives.
- Biggest cut: with the catalytic converter missing, the best offer is -68% against a comparable car that still has one.
- No title: with the title missing, the best offer is -42% against a comparable car with its title in hand.
- Repairs: a new starter costs $565 to $796, more than a 2002 to 2006 Altima is offered.
Automated assistant — general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
Compare Instant Offers
How Much Can You Sell an Old Nissan Altima For?
It depends most on the model year. In any condition, a 2007 to 2012 Altima is typically offered $458 and a 2002 to 2006 Altima $368, from our own quote data. A typical junk car is offered $565.
Both are offered less than a typical car from the same years. That car is offered $770 for 2007 to 2012 and $470 for 2002 to 2006.
The oldest Altimas are the exception. A 1998 to 2001 Altima is offered $415, a little more than the $390 a typical car from those years is offered. That figure is from only 11 offers on 1998 to 2001 Nissan Altimas, 10 years and older when quoted.
Middle offer on an old Nissan Altima, by model year 186 Nissan Altima offers · 11,862 for all cars of the same years · Model yearsShow the numbers
Model years Nissan Altima Offers All cars of the same years Offers 1998 to 2001 $415 11 $390 1,425 2002 to 2006 $368 56 $470 3,837 2007 to 2012 $458 104 $770 5,398 2013 to 2018 $760 15 $1,183 1,202 
Across all ages, a typical Altima ten years or older is offered $425. By age, an Altima is offered less than other cars of the same age, from ten years old to over twenty.
Middle offer on an old Nissan Altima 184 Nissan Altima offers · 11,630 nationally · Age of car when the offer was made (years)Show the numbers
Age (years) Nissan Altima Offers All cars nationally Offers 10-12 $760 39 $1,240 2,936 13-14 $428 46 $720 1,835 15-17 $405 60 $560 2,843 18-19 $328 24 $465 1,571 20-24 $340 15 $410 2,445
What Online Car Buyers Offered for Nissan Altimas That Won’t Start
Peddle, Wheelzy and CashForCars quoted these five Altimas through our comparison tool. Each car was sent to all three on the same day.
The first four wouldn’t start, and CashForCars asked for a phone call on those instead of an online offer. The last one drives, so you can compare.
| Altima | Condition | Peddle | Wheelzy | CashForCars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Nissan Altima, 160,000 miles | Won’t start, engine not working, broken glass, interior damage | $405 | $439 | No online offer |
| 2006 Nissan Altima, 90,000 miles | Won’t start, engine and transmission not working, flat tire, no battery, broken glass | $345 | $279 | No online offer |
| 2013 Nissan Altima, 198,000 miles | Won’t start, engine and transmission parts missing, warning light on | $300 | $357 | No online offer |
| 2016 Nissan Altima, 177,000 miles | Won’t start, transmission not working, accident, mold inside, warning light on | $470 | $280 | No online offer |
| 2005 Nissan Altima, 116,000 miles | Drives, no damage reported | $450 | $542 | $488 |
No buyer offered the most every time, so get offers from all three. Every Altima that wouldn’t start still got two online offers, and CashForCars may ask you to call.
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
-
Process ease 15% 5/5
- Top offer on the 177,000-mile Altima: $470
- Buys Altimas even if they're dead
- Quote stays valid for 7 days
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 5/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
Process ease 15% 4/5
- Top offer on the 198,000-mile Altima: $357
- Buys non-running Nissans
- Assists with replacement titles
-
Offer amount 30% 4.5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
Process ease 15% 2/5
- Asked for a call on the four that wouldn't start
- Backed by Copart auction yards
- Drop off your car at any yard
How Much Does Not Starting Lower an Altima Offer?
For a car that won’t start, the best offer is -47% against a comparable car that drives. That figure is from cars of every age quoted by several buyers, not Altimas alone, and it compares cars of the same age and mileage.
A missing catalytic converter lowers the offer more. A missing title lowers it by about -42%, close to not starting, so find yours or order a replacement before you sell.
What the condition of a car does to its best offer 1,624 cars quoted by up to four buyers, compared inside matched mileage and age groupsShow the numbers
Condition Change in best offer Offers Catalytic converter missing -68% 412 Sitting at a mechanic -48% 526 Does not start -47% 944 Title missing -42% 588 Starts but does not drive -39% 704 Dashboard warning light on -22% 1,482 Body damage -21% 895 Broken glass, mirror or light -16% 895 Accident history -10% 1,482 Interior damage -8% 770 Loan outstanding 0% 678
The 2005 Nissan Altima with 160,000 miles wouldn’t start, and its best offer was $439.
A 2005 Nissan Altima that drives, with 116,000 miles, got a best offer of $542. It also had fewer miles and no damage, so not all of that gap comes from not starting.
Should You Fix an Altima That Won’t Start Before You Sell It?
It depends on what’s wrong, so find out first. RepairPal puts a new battery at $456 to $493 and a new starter at $565 to $796 at independent shops.
A new transmission costs $6,238 to $6,764, far more than any old Altima is offered. Buyers take an Altima with a bad transmission as it is.
Get the repair quote and the offers for the car as it is, then compare the two.
Selling Your Altima Once You Have an Offer
Accept the best quote, and that buyer sends a tow truck. The driver pulls the car onto the truck, so it doesn’t need to start. Have the title in your name and a photo ID ready.
You sign the title over to the driver and are paid before the car is loaded. Payment is usually cash or check. It depends on the tow company.
Learn more: Sell a Junk Car, every step from quote to paperwork
Compare Instant Offers
Compare Instant Offers
How we got these numbers
The offer figures come from 18,326 instant cash offers made to sellers from 2021 to 2026. They are offers, not sale prices, and “typical” means the middle offer, not the average.
The quotes table and the damage figures come from cars quoted by several buyers on the same day through our comparison tool. The repair prices are RepairPal’s national estimates for independent shops, across all cars. The full statistics and how each one is calculated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sell a Nissan Altima that won’t start?
Yes. Junk car buyers quote Altimas that don’t start, and you don’t need to get it running first.
Check the 12-volt battery before you ask for quotes, since a dead one stops any car from starting.
Learn more: How to Sell a Non-Running Car
How many miles is too many to sell a Nissan Altima that won’t start?
Our quotes show no cutoff. An Altima with 198,000 miles that wouldn’t start, with engine and transmission parts missing, got two online offers on the same day.
More miles means a lower offer, but it doesn’t stop buyers from making one.
Does a Nissan Altima offer change if you wait?
It can. The Altima with 177,000 miles was quoted two weeks earlier too. Peddle’s offer went from $310 to $470, and Wheelzy’s from $312 to $280.
An offer has an expiry date, so ask for a new quote if yours has passed.
Does a V6 Nissan Altima that won’t start get a higher offer?
Our quotes don’t record the engine or trim, so we can’t say.
Pick the right trim on the quote form, so every buyer quotes the right car.
Article Update History
Rewritten around what an old Nissan Altima that won't start is offered, with offers by model year and age, five real buyer quotes side by side, and what not starting and repairs do to the offer.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"Nissan Altima Repair & Maintenance Costs" Accessed Mar. 17, 2026.
"Nissan Altima Values" Accessed Mar. 17, 2026.
"Nissan Altima" Accessed Mar. 17, 2026.
"Common Nissan Altima Problems Consumers Should Know About" Accessed Mar. 17, 2026.
"Here Are The Nissan Altima Years To Avoid" Accessed Mar. 17, 2026.
Middle offer on an old Nissan Altima, by model year, Sell Car Advisor
"186 Nissan Altima offers · 11,862 for all cars of the same years" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Middle offer on an old Nissan Altima, Sell Car Advisor
"184 Nissan Altima offers · 11,630 nationally" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
What the condition of a car does to its best offer, Junk Car Value Statistics
"1,624 cars quoted by up to four buyers, compared inside matched mileage and age groups" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 14 figures from 18,326 instant cash offers, and 3 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
"$565 to $796, starter replacement cost; $456 to $493, car battery replacement cost; $6,238 to $6,764, transmission replacement cost" Accessed Sep. 11, 2026
