Donate a wagon to the people who specifically want a wagon

Where donated wagons come from

Long-term owners. Wagon people keep them, often to very high mileage, and the car is usually donated because a major repair has finally come due rather than because they got bored of it.

Estates and families with a well-kept car that no longer suits anyone. Wagons tend to have full service histories because the owners cared.

Owners of older European estates facing a specialist bill. That is the most common single reason in this category.

Driven or towed

Driven if it runs and is registered, towed if not. Both covered.

Tell us whether it starts, rolls, steers and stops. On air-suspension European wagons, tell us if it is sitting on the bump stops, because that changes the loading angle.

Clear it out, including the under-floor storage and the spare well. Anything left goes with the car. Send the cargo cover and the load floor panels if they are still with it; missing ones are annoying to source.

What decides what a wagon brings

• Model desirability. Some wagons have a genuine cult following and sell well above what the sedan version brings. Others do not. Tell us exactly what it is.
• Drivetrain. All-wheel drive versus front drive matters in most of the country, and on some models a manual transmission adds real value.
• Service history. More important here than in most car categories, because the buyers are informed and intend to keep the car.
• Known expensive faults. Timing components, air suspension, turbo and head gasket issues by model. Buyers know them; disclose what yours has.
• Rust and mileage. Standard, and high mileage is normal and accepted in this category.

Makes we accept

Wagon buyers search very specifically.

• European: Volvo 240, 740, 850, V70, V60 and V90, Audi A4 Avant, A6 Avant and Allroad, Mercedes-Benz W123, W124, E-Class and C-Class wagons, BMW 3-series and 5-series Touring, Volkswagen Passat and Jetta SportWagen, Saab 9-3 and 9-5 SportCombi.
• Japanese: Subaru Outback, Legacy and Forester, Toyota Venza and Camry wagon, Honda Accord wagon, Mazda 6 wagon, Nissan Stanza wagon.
• Domestic: Ford Taurus and Focus wagon, Chevrolet Malibu Maxx and HHR, Dodge Magnum, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Buick Regal TourX.

Not seeing yours? The list above is a search aid, not a restriction. We accept any make or model in this category, named here or not, including orphan brands and builders long out of business. What decides a donation is the condition and the paperwork, never the badge, so put yours on the form even if it is not listed.

Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own vehicle. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.

The paperwork, and what you can deduct

It is a titled vehicle and the title has to transfer. If it is lost, most states have a duplicate process and the state title rules page walks through yours. If there is a loan against it we need the lien release before the vehicle can be transferred.

Giving Center sells the vehicle and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds, reported to you on Form 1098-C. It is not a guide book value, not what a dealer offered on trade and not what similar vehicles are listed for. A running wagon in sound condition usually lands between $500 and $5,000, where Form 8283 Section A applies. A late-model or particularly desirable wagon can clear $5,000, where a qualified appraisal is required at your expense.

An older European wagon needing a major specialist repair can sell under $500 despite the following these cars have, where the deduction is the lesser of fair market value or $500. If the car is a vintage woodgrain wagon rather than a modern estate, use vintage station wagons instead; those are valued as collector cars and the numbers are different.