Most Junked Cars in the USA in 2022

People junk cars for various reasons. But at the end of the day "junk cars" are usually old, damaged, beyond repair, or unsafe to drive.  Junk Car Medics took a look at the top junked car brands, models, and vehicles in 2022.  Let's dive in.

Key Findings

  • Ford and Chevrolet had the highest percentages of junked cars in 2022.
  • Honda Accord was the most commonly junked car model in 2022.
  • The majority of junked cars were from the early 2000s.
  • The percentages of individual junked car models are relatively low, indicating older cars are still reliable.
  • The most popular car brands for junked cars in 2022 were Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.
  • Mid-size sedans, compact cars, and SUVs were the most common types of junked cars.
  • Luxury car brands and electric vehicles were not present in the data.

Most Junked Car Brands in USA

Most Junked Car Brands in the USA

Rank Vehicle % of Total Junked Cars
1 Ford 12.89%
2 Chevrolet 12.79%
3 Honda 8.30%
4 Nissan 7.39%
5 Toyota 7.27%
6 Dodge 5.91%
7 Chrysler 3.79%
8 Hyundai 3.51%
9 Jeep 3.16%
10 Buick 2.63%

Based on the table above Ford and Chevrolet had the most junked vehicles in 2022, making up 12.89% and 12.79% of the total junked cars respectively. Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota make up the majority of the junked cars in the year, indicating that they are the most popular among general consumers.

Most Commonly Junked Car Brands and Car Model: Ford, Chevrolet, and Honda Accord

Most Junked Car Models in the USA

Rank Vehicle % of Total Junked Cars
1 Honda Accord 3.34%
2 Nissan Altima 2.63%
3 Honda Civic 2.59%
4 Toyota Camry 2.39%
5 Chevrolet Impala 1.91%
6 Ford Explorer 1.63%
7 Chevrolet Malibu 1.57%
8 Ford Focus 1.56%
9 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1.54%
10 Ford F-150 1.46%

According to the data above, the Honda Accord was the most commonly junked car model in 2022, making up 3.34% of the total junked cars for the year.

The top 10 junked car models all come from some of the most popular car brands in the USA, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Chevrolet, Jeep, and Ford. The top junked vehicles include mid-size sedans, compact cars, and SUVs, which are popular among general consumers.

Most Popular Car Years and Car Brands for Junk Cars

Most Junked Vehicles in USA

Most Junked Cars in the USA

Rank Vehicle % of Total Junked Cars
1 2005 Nissan Altima 0.34%
2 2008 Nissan Altima 0.32%
3 2002 Honda Accord 0.31%
4 2003 Honda Accord 0.31%
5 2006 Nissan Altima 0.29%
6 2000 Honda Accord 0.29%
7 2004 Honda Accord 0.28%
8 2002 Ford Explorer 0.27%
9 2006 Chevrolet Impala 0.27%
10 2007 Nissan Altima 0.26%

Based on the data represented above, the top 10 junked cars for 2022 were dominated by the car brands Nissan, Honda, Ford, and Chevrolet.

The 2005 Nissan Altima, 2008 Nissan Altima, and 2002 Honda Accord were the most commonly junked vehicles in 2022.

The majority of junked cars were from the early 2000s with the average junk car being from the year 2004. This indicates that older vehicles are more likely to be junked than newer vehicles.

It is worth noting that the percentages of junked cars for each individual model are relatively low, with the highest being 0.34% for the 2005 Nissan Altima. This suggests that older vehicles are somewhat still reliable. 

Junk Car Trends and Statistics in 2022

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet, Honda, and Toyota vehicles were the most junked cars in 2022, as these brands are very popular in the USA.

The biggest surprise is with Ford and Chevrolet being the top two car brands that have the most junked vehicles in 2022 without having a single make and model ranked in the top three.

The data suggests that older vehicles are somewhat still reliable based on the low percentages of junked cars for each individual model.

Mid-size sedans, compact cars, and SUVs are the most common types of vehicles being junked in 2022, with the car brands Ford and Chevrolet dominating the total percentage of junk vehicles.

It is worth noting that luxury car brands and electric vehicles are not found in any of the data. Thus, indicating these types of vehicles are not popular among Americans to junk, but could be in the future.   

About The Author

Scroll to Top