What is a car breaker? Buying from a breaker's yard
Last updated: 3 Nov 2026
A car breaker (also called a breaker's yard, vehicle dismantler or auto salvage yard) takes apart cars that are written off, scrapped or too old to be worth fixing, and sells the parts that still work. For many repairs it's the cheapest way to get a genuine part made for your car.
What breakers sell
Almost anything that can be unbolted: engines, gearboxes, doors, bonnets, lights, mirrors, seats, wheels, ECUs and small parts like switches and trim. Body panels in the right colour can save the cost of a respray.
Breaker or scrapyard?
A scrapyard (an authorised treatment facility, ATF) is licensed to take in end-of-life cars and issue the certificate of destruction. Many ATFs also break cars for parts; some breakers buy damaged cars from insurance auctions just for parts. Either way, the parts come out of real cars, so they're the original maker's parts rather than copies.
Getting the best from a breaker
- Give them your registration: most look parts up by the car, not by the part's name.
- Ask whether they've got your model in stock now, or due in. Yards often list the cars they're breaking.
- Ask about warranty, especially on engines and gearboxes.
- Some yards pull the part for you; some let you take it off yourself for less.
Find breakers on Vehicle Part Finder
UK breakers list their parts and the cars they're breaking here, side by side with eBay listings, cheapest first. See cars being broken now, search by reg or browse by make.
Run a breaker's yard? List your stock free.