Retire Your Ride Canada: What Happened to the Program?

You may remember an old vehicle recycling program in Canada called Retire Your Ride. The program was designed to encourage Canadians to permanently retire older, higher-polluting vehicles in exchange for modest incentives. While it’s often mentioned online today, many people aren’t sure what the program actually was or whether it still exists.

What was Retire Your Ride?

Retire Your Ride was a voluntary national vehicle scrappage program that ran from June 2008 to march 2011.  It was created to encourage Canadians to permanently retire older, higher polluting vehicles.  The program was launched by the Canadian Government in partnership with the Clean Air Foundation. 

 The primary goal was environmental - to reduce smog-forming emissions and improve air quality. At the time, vehicles built before 1995 produced significantly more smog-forming emissions than newer models. Retire Your Ride was designed to encourage owners of those vehicles to permanently retire them rather than keep them running. This program was similar to the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program in the US.  

How the Program Worked

The program officially launched in early 2009 and ran until March 31, 2011. If you owned a qualifying vehicle—generally a 1995 model year or older, still running, and registered and insured for a minimum period—you could voluntarily retire it through the program.

In exchange, participants received incentives. These weren’t massive payouts, but they were meant to make the decision easier. Depending on where you lived and which partners were involved, rewards could include a small cash payment, transit passes, car-sharing memberships, bicycle discounts, or even charitable tax receipts.

Some automakers also layered on extra incentives if you retired an eligible vehicle and purchased a new one, though those offers came directly from manufacturers rather than the government.

Did Retire Your Ride Actually Work?

Early on, participation was slower than expected. There was debate about whether the incentives were high enough to motivate drivers, especially compared to similar programs in the United States.

Over time, though, participation increased. By the time the program ended in 2011, more than 120,000 vehicles had been permanently retired across Canada. The program met—and in some cases exceeded—its targets, and it removed thousands of tonnes of smog-forming emissions from the road.

One of the biggest long-term impacts wasn’t just the number of cars retired, but what happened behind the scenes. Hundreds of auto recyclers across the country were trained and audited under a national environmental standard, raising the bar for how end-of-life vehicles are handled.

Why Did the Program End?

Despite pressure from some automakers and dealer groups to increase the incentives, the federal government chose not to expand the program. Officials were clear that Retire Your Ride was an environmental initiative, not an economic stimulus for the auto industry.

The program ended as scheduled in March 2011 when its funding period concluded.

Does Anything Like Retire Your Ride Exist Today?

Not in the same way. There is no current federal cash-for-clunkers program in Canada.

That said, Retire Your Ride didn’t disappear without leaving a mark. The environmental standards developed during the program live on through industry-led initiatives, including the Canadian Auto Recyclers Environmental Code. Many recyclers still follow these best practices today, even without government incentives.

If you are looking to retire your ride today, there are no shortage of auto recyclers or scrap yards that will pay a few hundred dollars.  Many offer online quotes.