As the proud operator of one of New Jersey's finest auto salvage businesses, allow me to shed some light on this oft-overlooked industry. As you correctly surmised, every year thousands and thousands of vehicles are taken off the road permanently. Some are damaged from collisions, others need repairs that outweigh the value of the auto, and sometimes a vehicle just gets too old. The handling of these vehicles has created an industry that consistently rates as one of the twenty largest in the United States every year. It''s a big business dominated by small businesses, although recently Ford Motor Company entered the field by buying up a few yards and placing them under one name.
Autos arrive at the salvage yard in a number of ways.
Some are fixed and resold. Most are dismantled. All fluids are drained and recaptured. Freon is recycled and resold. The auto recycling industry handles enough of this waste yearly to more than equal the amount of hazardous material lost in the Exxon Valdez accident.