Used car engine prices differ significantly depending on your vehicle’s type, the engine replacement option, and the facility rate. On average, used car engine prices range from as low as $400 to as high as $15,000 on parts only. Labor cost ranges from as low as $1000 to as high as $1800.
Dealing with engine failure is one of the most challenging situations any driver might deal with. Engine failure happens suddenly in most cases, and thus, as a driver, you need to be prepared and understand the used car's engine prices.
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
Installing a new engine is not a wise decision unless your vehicle is worth a lot. That’s why most automotive experts recommend installing a decent used engine that can save you a lot of money.
The used car's engine prices differ significantly depending on your vehicle’s make, model, and year. It might also differ depending on the location where you get your used engine.
Used engine price should not be your top priority because cheap engines don’t always reflect the quality and vice versa.
Since engine replacement costs are at the higher end of any car repair costs, you need to evaluate the situation properly and understand whether it’s worth replacing your car’s engine or write it off and buy a used vehicle instead.
What factors affect the used car engine prices?
Engine replacement cost is a big deal. It can cost thousands of dollars depending on several factors:
-
Your vehicle’s make, model, and year
The first and most important factor determining your used engine price is the vehicle’s type. Installing a new Ford engine requires different costs than a Kia vehicle. Similarly, if you’re planning to buy a used 2008 Ford vehicle, the price will be much different from purchasing a 2021 Ford vehicle.
-
Your engine’s size and complexity
Your engine’s complexity is another important factor determining how much you will pay for a used engine.
4-cylinder engines are much cheaper than V6 or V8 engines. Of course, when installing an engine for a luxury vehicle.
-
The facility’s rate
Installing a used or new engine requires intensive labor costs, which means that labor is a major contributor to the total engine’s costs.
Some newer engines might come with a warranty to cover engine installation costs. Other used or rebuild engines require heavy labor costs with very limited warranty coverage.
Deciding on which facility to install the engine makes a big difference in your total engine replacement cost.
While it's much cheaper to replace an engine at a small repair shop, several owners of modern vehicles prefer to get the job done at one of the automaker’s dealerships to ensure quality.
Some drivers might risk replacing their engines; however, it is important to keep in mind that you might introduce other major problems to your engine’s block requiring higher repair costs if you don't have the required level of mechanical skillsets.
-
The engine replacement option
Finally, deciding on the engine replacement option is another important aspect to keep in mind when calculating the total engine replacement cost.
For instance, if you decided to go with a brand-new engine, expect to pay much higher costs than someone planning to purchase a used engine.
On the other hand, if you would like to go with an engine rebuild, the prices will be significantly different.
Used cars engine prices
As we discussed in the previous sections, engine replacement costs vary significantly depending on several factors.
This only addresses one category in the different used cars' engine prices: parts costs, labor costs, and other costs.
To give you a general idea about used cars engine prices, let’s take a closer look at the different costs categories:
-
Used cars engine prices: parts cost
If you decided to go with a brand-new engine, the 4-cylinder engine replacement cost starts at around $4000, while the V6 engine might require about $5500. On the other hand, the V8 engine is expected to cost you about $7000.
When going with a used engine, prices drop significantly, and you can expect a minimum of $400 for any vehicle. This price can go as high as $600 in some scenarios. Of course, keep in mind that the used engine price has many factors to consider, including the engine’s age, condition, and mileage.
While many people might immediately think that installing a used engine is a better option all the time, this is not necessarily the case.
Some junkyards might provide you with a short-term warranty, while others might not. If you compare this to the full warranty coming with the new engine, you might have a different perspective.
Risks of dealing with accidents when installing the engine are not rare, and thus, keep in your consideration the different warranty options you will get.
-
Used cars engine prices: labor cost
Whether you decided to go with a brand-new, rebuild, or used engine, there is an intensive labor cost to keep in mind and add to the total engine replacement cost.
Labor cost is usually calculated by multiplying the total number of hours needed to get the job done by the facility's hourly rate.
In general, engine installation requires between 10 and 12 hours of labor effort. Yes, the process is very complicated, and this range doesn’t assume any hiccups along the way.
If you were lucky enough and found an experienced mechanic, you might get a quote for only 8 hours. However, more complicated engines might even require about 15 hours of effort.
Once you determine the total number of hours needed to replace the engine, the next step is to understand the facility’s hourly rate. Labor hourly rate ranges from as low as $90 to as high as $150.
Therefore, the total labor cost for installing an engine ranges from $1100 to $1800.
-
Used cars engine prices: another cost
Installing the engine itself is not the only job done during engine installation. You will still need to add engine oil, Freon, and top off other low fluids in your vehicle.
These additional fees might add up to $100 as a maximum.
However, if you’re vehicle has some other issues, you might need to consider additional costs, including installing:
- Water pump
- Fuel pump
- Hoses
- Belts
- Intake
- Exhaust manifold
- Tensioners
- Pulleys
Keep in mind that replacing these minor components also requires a certain level of labor costs which is in most scenarios much higher than the price of the part itself.
Used cars engine prices: popular engines
To give you a broader idea about how much exactly used cars engine prices look like, let’s take a quick look at some of the popular engine’s replacement costs:
The Chevrolet 305 vehicle comes with a 5.0-liter engine. Whether you decided to purchase a new, rebuilt, or used engine, Chevrolet engine replacement cost ranges from $1000 to $3000.
On the other hand, the Ford 302 comes with a 5.0-liter engine but replacing the same engine for this vehicle requires between $800 and $3500. Did you know that some more complex engines associated with the Ford 302 vehicle range from $10,000 to $15,000?
Finally, the Honda Acura K20 comes with a 4-cylinder 2000c engine. This engine requires between $1000 and $7000 on replacement costs.
Is it worth replacing my car’s engine?
As you might notice, engine replacement cost is very expensive, and going from a brand-new to a used or rebuild engine doesn’t resolve the issue and reduce the price much.
Therefore, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is: is it worth replacing my car’s engine?
Well, the answer differs on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you have an extended warranty to cover the engine replacement cost, why not go with it?
On the other hand, if you don’t have such coverage, compare your total repair costs to the overall value of your vehicle.
If you noticed that total repair costs are getting close to 75% or more from your vehicle’s value, it’s never worth fixing it, and instead, you should write it off and purchase a better vehicle.
Even if repair costs didn’t get close to 75% of your vehicle’s value, compare whether installing the new engine will add much to the vehicle’s value.
In most scenarios, customers end up selling their vehicles instead of dealing with the major and very high repair cost of installing a new engine.
Who buys cars with failed engines?
There is a common misconception that when your engine fails, your car is worthless. Did you know that there are many buyers interested in purchasing your car even if it has major engine problems?
-
Sell your car to a private buyer
Yes, the engine is one of the most components in your vehicle. However, many interested private buyers have experience dealing with engine issues and see it as a good deal to buy a vehicle with engine issues for a good price.
However, you need to be as honest as possible with the buyer and indicate its problems. That’s why you need to include this information in your advertisement, especially if you’re planning to post it on larger platforms like craigslist, eBay motors, CarMax, cars.com, and others.
-
Trade-in your car with a dealership
Did you know that there are plenty of dealerships that might be interested in trading in your failed engine vehicle? Yes! If there is a high demand for your vehicle around your area, dealerships will pay you even a good price.
Keep in mind that dealerships are the last option to select if you’re looking for a good deal. Dealerships usually pay under the used cars market value.
-
Sell your car to Cash cars buyer
The last and best option for you is to sell your car to Cash Cars Buyer. Cash Cars Buyer is one of the top-rated car removal companies in the nation that guarantees to buy your car despite its type or condition.
We understand that your vehicle has major issues with the engine but, that doesn’t mean we won’t buy it. We see value in every vehicle and pay you the top dollars your vehicle can make around your area.
Furthermore, cash cars buyer doesn’t have any hidden fees, and all our towing service is free of charge for all customers despite their location.
We also have the top customer service to help you throughout the process and make your car selling process as easy as possible.
As a 24-hour car removal company, we can remove your car within one to three days! Yes, we work evenings, weekends, and the same day if this works for you.
The best thing about Cash cars buyers is that we accept any vehicle, even those without titles. We will ask you to provide additional paperwork to prove ownership, like valid car registration and a photo ID.
Our process is very simple and shouldn’t take much time. We require the following three simple steps:
- Provide additional details about your car’s make, model, year, and condition.
- Receive your instant free offer that’s usually generated within 30 seconds!
- Get your car removed within one to three days and receive your cash payment immediately on the spot!
Our company decided to go with cash payments to reduce the hassle in the car selling process that has to do with checks bouncing back your bank account and other third-party payment options.
Used cars engine prices: the bottom line
Dealing with engine problems can be challenging, and things get more complicated if your mechanic said you need a new engine.
Used car engine prices differ significantly depending on your car’s type, engine replacement option, and the facility rate.
On average, used car engine prices range from as low as $400 to as high as $15,000 on parts only. Labor cost ranges from as low as $1000 to as high as $1800.
Before investing in installing a new, used, or rebuild the engine, you need to evaluate whether it’s worth replacing the engine or not.
If you noticed that repair costs are getting very high, it’s recommended to sell this vehicle instead.
Cash cars buyer is one of the fewest companies that guarantee to buy your damaged engine vehicle despite its type or condition!
To learn more about our process and our team, you can reach out to us by giving us a call at 866-924-4608 or visit our home page click on the free instant online offer