San Diego Car Donations: An Easy Way to Support KPBS


Support for KPBS—San Diego’s premier NPR and PBS station—comes in many forms ranging from individual memberships to corporate underwriters. You can support KPBS in any way you choose, but if you’re looking for a way that’s easy and free, donate a vehicle!

Your vehicle donation allows us to provide San Diego and Imperial counties with programming from NPR, PBS, BBC, The World, and PRI; featuring national and world news, dramas, documentaries, podcasts, children’s programs and more. KPBS offers locally produced series and podcasts such as Ken Kramer’s About San Diego, Cinema Junkie with Beth Accomando, and Crossing South with Jorge Meraz.

In addition, KPBS’ dedicated newsroom reports original, local content on 89.5 FM (97.7 FM Calexico) and kpbs.org throughout the day. News aficionados can listen live on kpbs.org on their phones, as they enjoy everything there is to love about sunny San Diego, like the Zoo, beaches, hiking trails, Padres, SeaWorld, Balboa Park, USS Midway Museum, and more.

KPBS accepts not only cars but also trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and other motorized vehicles. Donating your vehicle to KPBS is easy, the pick-up is free, and you may even qualify for a tax deduction. Best of all, the proceeds from the sale of your car donation keep KPBS going! Vehicle donations are an important source of revenue for KPBS, allowing us to continue to provide high-quality programs and content for surrounding cities such as Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Oceanside, Escondido, El Cajon and Chula Vista.

In 2003, KPBS formed a partnership with CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) and launched the first vehicle donation program in public broadcasting. CARS has a recipe for maximizing sale prices for each donation to make the most for KPBS and for our donors’ tax benefit. CARS has an established network of vendors and auction yards across the U.S., which allows KPBS viewers and listeners to donate a vehicle from almost anywhere in the U.S. No matter where you are, we can pick up vehicle donations.

How to Donate Your Car to San Diego’s NPR and PBS Station:


  1. Call 877-KPBS-CAR (877-572-7227) or submit the online vehicle donation form at kpbs.org/give/car-donation. Our Vehicle Donor Support Team will contact you to complete the donation and confirm your pick-up information.

  2. Schedule Your Free Pick-up: We are able to pick up and process your vehicle donation from anywhere in the U.S.. In most cases, we can schedule the vehicle pick-up on the initial call once the donation record has been completed.

  3. Receive a Donation Receipt: Our vehicle donation program handles everything including the paperwork. You will receive an initial donation receipt from the tow driver at the time of your vehicle pick-up. If the vehicle sells for $500 or less, we will mail a thank-you letter within 30 days of the sale of the vehicle, which serves as a tax receipt. If the vehicle sells for more than $500 and the donor has provided their tax identification number, we will mail out an IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days of the sale stating the gross amount received from your donation. Vehicle donations may be tax-deductible. For specific tax-related questions, please consult a tax advisor.

Whether or not your car, boat or other vehicle donation is operational, your donation has the potential to bring significant revenue to KPBS. If you’re not sure if KPBS can accept your vehicle donation, please review the list of basic requirements for donating a vehicle to KPBS San Diego below:

  • Vehicle has a clear Title. If you do not have the Title, please call us anyway.
  • Vehicle is in one piece and towable
  • Vehicle is accessible for safe towing
  • Vehicle does not need to be running
DONATE NOW!

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