A lot of the the charities that receive donated cars will just auction them off at the salvage pool if they have anything wrong with them. They will sell for next to nothing as they need work. My local U-Pull-It yard is full of cars with writing on the windows showing who the charity was. These cars can be a gold mine for parts as some of them have been well cared for, but after many recent repairs, the owner will just call it quits and donate it for an inflated value. (MN has changed their laws to where you can now only deduct the actual cash value of the car that the charity received at auction. The cars usually have next to new rotors, brakes, struts, and maybe even a rebuilt tranny. The charities are happy because they have nothing into the car, and it'* just free money to them. The idea of your car going to someone who is in need of transportation is just not a reallity. But, you can be assured that the cash raised will be appreciated.

I sent my to the yard but never went to the yard I sold it to. Haven't needed to, and didn't want to see it ripped apart (worse than I already did before junking it)