Subaru vehicle guide

Subaru Scrap Value 2026: What Is Your Old Forester or Outback Worth?

Old Subarus often sell for more than an average scrap car, because their all-wheel-drive parts stay in demand. Scrap cars average $461 nationally, and we recently paid $2,000 for an accident-damaged Subaru Forester in Southport.

By AK Cash for CarsPublished 10 September 2026

From the AK Cash for Cars purchase collection

What is a Subaru worth in 2026?

The quickest guide is what cars like yours have actually sold for. These are real prices, not online estimates:

Any scrap car, current national average: $461, within a range of $430 to $540 over the last 12 months (CarTakeBack)
Subaru Forester (accident-damaged), bought by AK Cash for Cars in Southport: $2,000

A Forester, Outback or XV that still runs is valued individually and can be worth well above the scrap average. Older Imprezas and Liberties are usually valued on condition and metal. Every Subaru gets its own offer based on its model, condition and the demand for its parts.

Why Subaru parts stay in demand

Subarus are popular with owners who keep them for a long time, and their all-wheel-drive systems, boxer engines and gearboxes are wanted by people keeping their own cars going. That's why a Forester with accident damage can still be worth $2,000.

The flip side is that a Subaru with a failed engine or a worn all-wheel-drive system is often worth more sold as it is than repaired.

What sets the price of your Subaru

Model and age

Forester, Outback and XV models are usually worth the most. Impreza, Liberty and older WRX models are valued on condition, kilometres and modifications.

Whether it runs

A Subaru that starts and drives is worth more than one with a failed engine or gearbox. Tell us about head gasket, oil use or CVT problems.

Condition and completeness

Accident, hail, flood or fire damage lowers the value, and so do missing wheels, panels or engine parts.

Metal prices

Every car has a base value in its steel and aluminium, which rises and falls with world scrap prices.

Which Subaru models we buy most

Forester: the Subaru we see most, from tired family cars to accident-damaged ones.
Outback and Liberty: wagons and sedans valued on kilometres and condition.
XV: a small SUV valued on condition and completeness.
Impreza and WRX: small cars; performance models are valued individually.
Tribeca: a larger SUV, each valued on its own.

How to sell your Subaru in Brisbane

Send the details. Tell us the year, model, kilometres, what is wrong and your suburb, through the quote form on this page or by phone.
Get an individual offer. We value every Subaru on its own merits. Offers go up to $19,999, and higher offers may apply for the right vehicle.
Agree the pickup. Once you accept, towing is free and the agreed payment is completed at collection (by bank transfer in NSW). Same-day pickup is often possible.

We buy Subarus across Brisbane's northside and southside, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Tweed Heads. For a running Subaru you'd rather not sell privately, start with sell my car Brisbane. For accident or hail damage, see damaged car buyers; for a Subaru at the end of its life, see scrap car removal. You can also see the cars we've bought recently.

Selling a Subaru in Queensland: the paperwork

No safety certificate needed. Queensland lists selling to a dealer or a parts dismantler, or selling unregistered, as alternatives to repairing a vehicle for a safety certificate (Queensland Government).
Registered vehicle: the registration must be transferred out of your name within 14 days of the sale (Queensland Government). We go through it with you at pickup.
Cancelling the rego instead: the number plates are normally handed in, unless they are personalised plates you are keeping (Queensland Government).
Unregistered vehicle: keep a signed record with both names, the VIN or engine number, the make and model and the date of sale (Queensland Government).

What happens to your Subaru after pickup

Usable parts are removed for reuse, and oils, batteries and other regulated waste are handled under Queensland's rules (Business Queensland). The remaining metal is recycled. That is the idea behind product stewardship: products and materials managed responsibly through their life, including at the end of it (DCCEEW).

Subaru selling questions

How much is my old Subaru Forester worth?

It depends on the year, kilometres and damage. Foresters are often worth well above the scrap average; we recently paid $2,000 for an accident-damaged one in Southport.

Do you buy Subarus with head gasket problems?

Yes. We buy Subarus with engine, head gasket, gearbox and all-wheel-drive faults. Describe the problem and we value the car as it is.

Do you buy modified WRXs?

Yes. Tell us about the modifications and the condition, and we'll make an individual offer.