Where to Scrap My Car in Singapore — The Honest Guide
What every private car owner needs to know about LTA-appointed scrap car dealers, COE rebate, and what scrap metal yards actually do
What Molten Steel actually buys
We buy scrap metal — not whole vehicles. Molten Steel is a licensed scrap metal dealer, not an LTA-appointed scrap car dealer. We do not deregister cars and we do not handle COE rebates. Our customers are scrap car dealers, yards, mechanics and workshops who already strip vehicles down to recoverable metal.
We buy
- Stripped car bodies (metal shell only)
- Catalytic converters
- Engine blocks, gearboxes, drivetrain
- Copper wiring harnesses
- Aluminium rims, brass fittings
- Loose ferrous + non-ferrous parts
Strip and remove first
- Tyres
- Seat cushions and foam
- Wool, fabric, carpet
- Steering wheel (plastic + airbag)
- Windscreen and side glass
- Plastic trim, dashboard
Are you a car owner trying to deregister an end-of-life vehicle? Use an LTA-appointed scrap car dealer first. Once they strip the vehicle to metal, Molten Steel buys that metal at LME-benchmarked per-kg rates.
Start here if you're a private car owner
Singapore's end-of-life vehicle process is more structured than most people realise. The first — and only — party authorised to deregister your car and process the COE rebate is an LTA-appointed scrap car dealer. Molten Steel is a licensed scrap metal recycler, not an LTA-appointed dealer. We're writing this page in plain language because too many car owners show up at scrap metal yards expecting deregistration help, and we'd rather just tell you the right route up front.
Step 1 — use an LTA-appointed scrap car dealer
LTA maintains a current list of appointed scrap car dealers and export-only dealers. These are the only operators authorised to deregister your vehicle from the road, sign the disposal authorisation, and trigger the PARF or COE rebate that LTA pays directly into your bank account.
- Authoritative list: OneMotoring — scrapping and deregistering a vehicle
- Choose an appointed dealer (not just any scrap dealer)
- Get quotes from 2–3 dealers if your car has remaining COE or is a popular model with parts demand
- Confirm the dealer handles tow-away if your car is non-runner
- Sign the disposal authorisation at pickup — the dealer files deregistration with LTA
Once deregistration is filed, LTA pays your PARF or COE rebate (if any) directly to your registered bank account. The scrap car dealer handles their part, and the rebate is between you and LTA.
Step 2 — what happens to the car after the dealer takes it
Most LTA-appointed scrap car dealers do not actually melt or process the metal themselves. Their core function is regulatory — deregistration, paperwork, and physical handover. What they do with the car after that varies:
- Strip for parts — pull resaleable parts (engines, doors, ECUs) for the used market
- Strip for metal — remove plastics, glass, foam and tyres, then sell the metal stream to a scrap metal yard like Molten Steel
- Sell whole — pass the deregistered shell to a downstream dismantler or exporter
The metal stream eventually arrives at a licensed scrap metal yard. Molten Steel is one of the yards in Singapore that buys this metal — stripped car shells, catalytic converters, copper harness, aluminium engine castings, lead-acid batteries. We weigh, grade and pay per-kg by category. We are downstream from the dealer in the chain, not a substitute for them.
Step 3 — common questions car owners actually ask
“Can I just bring my car to a scrap metal yard?”
No. Scrap metal yards in Singapore (including Molten Steel) cannot deregister your vehicle and cannot give you the COE rebate. We are not authorised by LTA for that. If you bring a registered, drivable car to our yard, we will direct you back to an LTA-appointed dealer because the legal pathway requires that.
“Will I get more money if I strip the car myself first and sell the metal directly to a scrap yard?”
Almost certainly not. The deregistration step is the gating event — without it, the car cannot legally be dismantled. Even if you could bypass that, the labour to strip a car (remove tyres, glass, foam, plastic, extract the cat, separate copper harness) is not worth doing for a single private vehicle. Use an appointed dealer; you get the rebate plus the metal value rolled into one quote.
“Why would a workshop or dealer bring metal to Molten Steel then?”
Because they handle volume. A scrap car dealer processing 20–50 vehicles a month has a continuous metal stream and needs a downstream yard that can take all of it — ferrous shells, copper harness, aluminium castings, lead-acid batteries, and the catalytic converter PGM stream — in one transaction at LME-linked rates. That's our function in the chain. For a private owner with one car, the appointed dealer is your one stop.
“What about online ‘cash for car’ brokers?”
Many of these are legitimate businesses that broker your car to an LTA-appointed dealer for a fee. Some are not appointed themselves and effectively act as an introduction layer. If you use one, verify they will route the deregistration through an actually-appointed dealer; ask which dealer's name will appear on your LTA disposal record.
Quick decision tree
- Car runs and has remaining COE → consider a private sale or trade-in first; if no buyer, get 2–3 quotes from LTA-appointed scrap car dealers
- Car runs but COE expiring soon → LTA-appointed dealer; you keep the pro-rata COE rebate plus the dealer's scrap payment
- Car non-runner / accident / flood-damaged → LTA-appointed dealer with tow-away service; no COE rebate if expired
- You're a workshop, dismantler, or business with metal to sell → that's us — scrap car metal buyer page
If you have stripped metal to offload, we're who you call
For scrap car dealers, dismantling yards, mechanics and workshops with stripped metal to offload, Molten Steel is the metal yard end of the chain. Per-kg rates by material category, weighbridge on site at 170 Gul Circle, same-day payment. Full detail on the scrap car metal buyer page and material-by-material breakdown on the scrap car parts page.
Frequently asked questions
Can Molten Steel deregister my car?
No. We are a licensed scrap metal recycler, not an LTA-appointed scrap car dealer. Deregistration is handled by LTA-appointed dealers; the current list is on OneMotoring.
Will Molten Steel pay me for my whole car?
No. We do not buy whole running, registered vehicles. Once an LTA-appointed dealer has deregistered and stripped the car, we buy the recovered metal stream from the dealer (or workshop, or dismantler).
Where do I find the LTA-appointed scrap car dealers list?
OneMotoring publishes the current list of appointed dealers and export-only dealers.
Does the COE rebate come from the scrap dealer or from LTA?
From LTA, paid directly to your registered bank account once the appointed dealer files your deregistration. The dealer's scrap payment is a separate transaction.
If I'm a workshop or dealer with metal to sell, what should I do?
Strip the load (remove tyres, glass, foam, plastic), then send photos plus rough weights via WhatsApp. We quote per-kg by material category. Drop off at 170 Gul Circle or arrange collection for tipper / container loads.
