As the year ends, the analysts at Scrap Car Comparison review the most scrapped vehicles of the last 12 months. Find out which makes and models are being removed from the UK’s roads, and the car scrapping trends we’ve seen in 2022.
The Most Scrapped Car Models of 2022
We’ve kept track of each years’ top ten most scrapped cars for more than half a decade now. Roll back the years and check out which cars were sent to the scrap heap most often in 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021, but first, here’s our newest list – the most scrapped cars in 2022.
| Rank | Car Make & Model | 2021 Rank |
| 1 | Ford Focus | 1 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Corsa | 3 |
| 3 | Vauxhall Astra | 2 |
| 4 | Ford Fiesta | 4 |
| 5 | Volkswagen Golf | 5 |
| 6 | BMW 3 Series | NEW! |
| 7 | Ford Transit | NEW! |
| 8 | MINI Hatch (Cooper/One) | NEW! |
| 9 | Vauxhall Zafira | 6 |
| 10 | Renault Clio | 7 |
Initial trends of 2022 are largely reflective of the previous year with the top 5 positions unchanged. Surprisingly though, we have 3 new additions; the executive BMW 3 Series, the trade’s workhorse Ford Transit and the retro Mini Hatch (Cooper/One).
It’s the first time we’ve seen BMW on our top 10 list (but has been noticed by other scrappage networks) and data shows the 3 series is now on a slow decline in the UK since it reached peak popularity in 2014 when there were a staggering 671,000 of these on the road.
The Ford Transit – often the van of choice for tradespeople – is argued to be one of the best selling vehicles in the UK, competing with the best selling cars year over year. Ford compete with Citroen, Renault and Peugeot in this sector but the Transit remains head and shoulders above the rest as the most popular choice for van users. Data shows the van’s popularity peaked in late 2014 before a slow decline until the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since mid 2020 the Transit has started slowly clawing back its number of licensed vehicles showing a renewed popularity going into 2023.
Mini’s fortunes were revived with the launch of the Hatch – sometimes called the Mini Cooper or Mini One – in the early 2000s. The updated car model was well received and since 2001 the car has been upgraded and modified into different variants; Convertible/Cabrio, Clubman, Countryman, Coupé and Roadster. Now produced by BMW, the Mini continues to go from strength to strength with continued quarter on quarter growth to a very respectable 856,000 cars licensed as of mid-2022.
Cars that fell out of the top 10
There were several cars featured in last year’s list that are nowhere to be seen this time around. 2021 included the Peugeot 206, Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Mondeo, with the Polo suffering a constant, slow decline of numbers on the road since records began in 1994, The Mondeo, however, peaked in 2002 before quarter on quarter decline exacerbated by the fifth generation not being sold in the UK. The 206 had its heyday from 2004 to 2010, before being replaced with Peugeot’s 207 from 2006 onwards.
Cars just outside the top 10 include the aforementioned Polo and Mondeo, alongside the Peugeot 207, Honda Civic and the Audi A4.
The Most Scrapped Car Makes of 2022
Next up, we’re breaking down the manufacturers behind the models to find out which companies see their vehicles taken off the roads at the fastest rate.
| Rank | Car Manufacturer | 2021 Rank |
| 1 | Ford | 1 |
| 2 | Vauxhall | 2 |
| 3 | Volkswagen | 3 |
| 4 | Peugeot | 4 |
| 5 | Renault | 5 |
| 6 | BMW | NEW! |
| 7 | Citroen | 6 |
| 8 | Audi | NEW! |
| 9 | Toyota | 8 |
| 10 | Mercedes | NEW! |
Like the individual models scrapped, the manufacturers in the top 5 remain completely unchanged but again, we do see some new additions compared to 2021. Ford and Vauxhall are the breakaway leaders and there was very little in it for the top spot, with Ford just 3.5% ahead in terms of volume. The Ford models we saw most scrapped in 2022 were the Focus (#1), Fiesta (#4), Transit(#7), Mondeo(#13), and Ka (#26). Vauxhall, still seen by some as a British brand, continues to dominate top spots with a range of their vehicles. The Vauxhall models we saw most scrapped in 2022 were the Corsa (#2), Astra (#3), Zafira (#9), Insignia (#22), and Vectra (#27).
Volksagen, Peugeot and Renault all maintain their places due to their prolific sales in the last 10-15 years of compact and family sized cars. ‘Hot’ hatchbacks like the Golf and Polo, 207 and 307, or the Clio and Megane continue to feature highly in our rankings due to commercial success in the 2000s and these manufacturers also have a good range of vans in their brand.
Three from on the continent, prolific German brands break into the top 10 with new entries for BMW, Audi and Mercedes. BMW has been boosted by the number of 3 Series being scrapped, more than the 1 Series, 5 Series and X5s combined. Audi continues to grow as a brand but their A4 model is on the decline from a high of 350,000 licensed vehicles in 2017 to 292,000 by the middle of 2022. The A4 only just pipped the A3 to first spot with less than 4% more cars scrapped in the year, but the A3 looks to have a more secure future as a car with licensed vehicles at a record high. Mercedes C, A, and E Class scrap numbers propelled them into 10th position as well as the Vito and Sprinter from their van range.
Manufacturers that fell out of the top 10
The car makers that fell of out of our top 10 vs 2021 were Nissan (#11), Honda (#12) and Fiat (#13), none of which fell very far!
Nissan continues to be a popular brand with more than 1.7 million cars registered. The most scrapped model was the Micra which has been declining since late 2004. The compact SUV Qashqai, the larger X-Trail SUV and the compact Almera follow up as the most scrapped models. For Honda the most scrapped models were the Civic, Jazz, and CR-V whereas Fiat’s were the Grande Punto, Punto, 500 and the Panda.
What Happens To These Cars Once They’re Scrapped?
After being broken down and crushed, every single one of these cars and vans will be put to good use in a number of different ways. 95% of the mass of every car must, by law, be recycled. This ensures that the absolute minimum goes to waste. Find out more about the car scrapping process.
If your car or van is ready to join the ranks on our top ten lists in 2023, use our scrap value calculator to find out how much it could be worth as scrap today. We offer free collection nationwide, whether you’re up in the Scottish highlands or down in central London and this is possible thanks to our extensive network of scrap dealers that we’ve partnered with over the past decade-plus of operating. So, get a quote and profit from your old, broken or unwanted vehicle now.
