Before you push anything
You don’t have to move a dead car for us to take it. A junk car tow is built around cars that can’t move themselves. Everything below is about making pickup day faster and knowing what to tell the buyer, not about doing the tow driver’s job.
Garages are the hardest spot. Plenty of houses have a detached garage at the back of the lot, sometimes facing an alley, with the car parked nose-in against the back wall. Getting it out needs four things to go right: it has to shift into neutral, the steering has to turn, the brakes have to release and the tires have to hold.
Step by step
- Find the key. Without it, most cars keep the steering locked and won’t shift out of park normally. If the key is gone, tell us; it doesn’t stop a pickup, but it changes how the car is moved.
- Get it into neutral. If the battery is dead, the shifter on many automatics won’t leave park by itself. Look for the shift-lock release, a small slot or snap-off cover near the shifter. With the key in the ignition and your foot on the brake, press it with a key or screwdriver and move the lever to neutral. Your owner’s manual shows where it is on your model.
- Unlock the steering. Turn the key to the accessory or on position while turning the wheel gently. A locked column releases when the key turns.
- Release the parking brake. After months of sitting, a parking brake can rust on and stay stuck even when the lever is down. If the car won’t roll in neutral, this is the usual reason.
- Look at the tires. Flat tires still roll, slowly and badly. Missing wheels don’t roll at all.
- Clear the path. Bins, bikes, boxes and anything stored in front of the bumper.
If any step fails, stop there. A car that’s stuck is a normal pickup; just tell us which step it failed at.
What each problem means for the tow
| Problem | What to say on the call |
|---|---|
| No key | “No key, steering probably locked” |
| Won’t go into neutral | “Stuck in park” |
| Parking brake seized | “Wheels don’t turn” (and which ones) |
| Flat tires | Which ones |
| Wheels missing | How many, and whether it’s on blocks |
| Nose against the garage wall | “Nose-in, back of the garage” |
These answers decide how the car is hooked up. Our guide to flatbed and wheel-lift towing explains why a car with locked wheels usually needs all four wheels off the ground.
Pushing it out yourself
If the car rolls freely in neutral and the driveway is flat, two people can usually push a small car a short distance. Keep these rules:
- Someone sits in the driver’s seat to steer and brake. The brakes still work without the engine, though the pedal is much harder to press.
- Push from the back, never stand in front of or downhill of the car.
- On any slope, don’t do it.
- In Calumet Park, don’t push the car onto the parkway, the grass strip by the curb; the village bans parking there in residential districts. See Calumet Park.
In Dolton, alley parkers must leave 10 feet clear and can’t block a driveway, so don’t leave the car half in the alley either. See Dolton.
When to leave it alone
Leave the car exactly where it is if:
- it’s on any slope,
- the brakes feel soft or don’t work,
- the frame or a wheel is visibly bent from a crash,
- it’s been in a fire or flood,
- you’d need to jump-start it and aren’t sure how.
The driver will deal with it. Getting hurt moving a car you’re about to sell isn’t worth the few minutes it saves.
Get it gone
Once you know how the car sits, the rest is short: get a quote with the form or a call, then follow the checklist for before the tow truck arrives. Towing is free, and you’re paid at pickup by cash, Zelle or Cash App. Our page on non-running car removal covers the rest.