An X video shared by @WallStreetApes shows a woman claiming a Pennsylvania salvage yard employee told her the U.S. government had ordered junkyards to destroy engines more than 15 years old instead of reselling them. The allegation has X users discussing government regulation, vehicle tracking, and the right to repair.
However, as The Daily Dot notes, there is currently no publicly available evidence that such a nationwide federal policy exists.
The woman says she visited a Pennsylvania salvage yard with her husband while looking for an engine for a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado. She claimed an employee told them they had been instructed to "get rid of all of the motors that are 15 years old," and that any newly arriving engines of that age should be crushed rather than removed for resale.
WOW ? This woman is at a junkyard buying an old engine with her husband
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 21, 2026
They are told by the junkyard that the government is cracking down on old engines and mandating them be destroyed
“The guy at the salvage yard said that the government has told them that they need to get… pic.twitter.com/1ESGzYEiM8
Later in the video, another creator searched for corroborating information using an artificial intelligence chatbot. The chatbot reportedly responded that there was no evidence of such a government directive. The creator nevertheless speculated that the alleged policy could be new or not yet publicly documented, though offered no evidence to support that theory.
As a result, on X, users expressed skepticism and frustration about newer vehicles. "I would rather sacrifice all modern cars and car companies aside from Tesla, just to go back to cars that had little to no tracking in them," one wrote, as they believe that older vehicles were easier to repair independently. Another commenter said they had been maintaining an older vehicle specifically to avoid purchasing a newer one. "I've been repairing my own car myself for a while now… I can't afford an EV or newer car, so just easier to keep fixing this one," they noted.
Others said the alleged policy makes sense as they are concerned about government oversight or increasing vehicle technology. Not everyone accepted the allegation, however. For example, one self-described commercial auto salvage worker who commented:
I work for a commercial auto salvage company we haven't heard of anything like this sooo I'm not convinced unless ur in California then I'd believe it...
— ?? MECHANIC_X ? (@NClark0759) July 22, 2026
Another user argued the story conflicted with recent right-to-repair developments and claimed manufacturers have been pressured to make repairs more accessible to independent owners and mechanics. Consumer advocates have also pushed for right-to-repair laws that would give independent repair shops and vehicle owners greater access to diagnostic tools and replacement parts.
On the other hand, automakers cite cybersecurity and safety concerns.
Regardless of the right-to-repair debate, no such destruction mandate appears to exist: At the time of publication, neither the EPA nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced any nationwide rule requiring salvage yards to destroy engines solely because they are more than 15 years old.
