Moving a Car That Doesn't Start

The three questions

Every non-runner job comes down to these, and they are worth working out before you ring anybody.

Does it start? If it runs but is not road legal or not safe to drive, that is still useful, because it can usually be driven onto the transporter under its own power.

Does it roll? Are the wheels free, or are the brakes seized, the handbrake welded on, or a wheel missing? A car that rolls can be winched on in minutes. One that does not needs skates under the wheels, which takes longer.

Does it steer? A car that steers can be guided onto the bed. One with a seized column or accident damage to the steering has to be dragged into position, which is slower and needs more care.

Why it changes the price

Not out of opportunism. It changes how long the job takes and what equipment has to come out.

Rolls and steers is the quick version: winch it on, strap it down, go. Neither of those is a different job, and discovering that on arrival with another booking later the same day is how collections get postponed.

Say it accurately when you book and the quote is right first time. Nobody enjoys renegotiating on a driveway.

Jobs that come up most often

Project and restoration cars. Frequently have no brakes, no keys, and have not moved in years. Perfectly normal, just say so.

MOT failures. The car runs but cannot legally be driven. Easy, and often cheaper than people expect.

Insurance write-offs and accident damage. Needs to be described honestly, including whether the wheels and steering survived.

Cars bought online unseen. The description said 'starts and drives' and it does not. Worth checking before collection day if you can.

Inherited or long-stored cars. Flat tyres, seized brakes, no documents. All workable.

What to sort out before collection

Keys, if they exist. Even for a non-runner, keys let the steering lock be released, which makes everything easier.

Access. Can a transporter get near the car, and is there room to winch it out in a straight line? A car at the back of a garage behind three others is a different job.

Ground conditions. Gravel and grass are fine for a parked car and not always fine for a loaded transporter.

Permission. If the car is on someone else's land, a storage yard, or a garage forecourt, make sure whoever holds it knows it is being collected and will be there.

Paperwork. V5C and anything else the receiving end needs. Not the driver's problem, but it becomes yours later.

Flat tyres and seized brakes

Flat tyres are usually not a problem. A tyre that is flat but still on the rim will roll well enough to be winched.

A tyre off the rim, or a wheel that will not turn at all, is where skates come in. These sit under the wheel and let it be moved sideways or forwards without rolling. It works, it just takes longer.

Seized brakes are common on anything stood for a long time. Again, workable, but worth mentioning, because it is the difference between a twenty-minute collection and an hour.

Where non-runners usually have to come from

The location is more often the problem than the car. A non-runner that is sitting on a flat driveway with space in front of it is a quick job regardless of what is wrong with it.

Inside a garage. Needs winching out, and the door has to open fully. If there are three other things stored in front of it, they need moving first.

Behind other cars. Whoever owns them needs to be there, or the keys need to be available.

On gravel or grass. Fine for a parked car, less fine for a loaded transporter, and worth describing honestly.

In a storage yard or on a garage forecourt. Somebody with authority needs to release it, and they need to know it is coming.

Paperwork worth sorting first

The V5C does not have to travel with the car, and arguably should not. If it is a sale, the logbook change is done separately and online.

What does matter is being able to prove you are entitled to move it. If the car is being collected from a third party, a garage, a storage yard or an estate, make sure whoever holds it has been told, in writing if it is at all complicated.

If the car is uninsured and untaxed, which many non-runners are, it is still legal to transport it on a trailer or transporter, because it is not being driven on the road. It would not be legal to tow it on its own wheels on a public road, which is another reason transport rather than towing is the right call.

What happens at the other end

Delivery is usually easier than collection, because the destination is normally a garage, a drive or a yard that is expecting it.

The car comes off the same way it went on, which for a non-runner means winching or skating it into position. It is worth thinking about exactly where you want it left, because moving it again afterwards means the same effort all over.

Point it in the direction you will eventually want it to go. If it is going into a garage for work, nose-in or nose-out can matter. If it is going to sit for months, leave it somewhere you can get a vehicle to it again.

Common questions