Can you trade in a car with engine problems or even one that isn’t running at all? Repairs can be costly and likely to not make a positive impact on your trade-in value.
Believe it or not, your car, van, or SUV doesn’t have to start or run to be worth money. If you’d like to get money for your car with a blown engine now, click here to get an instant value calculation.
So today, we’re going to cover a few things you should know about trading in a car with mechanical problems.
Our expert evaluators can help you get an accurate estimate for your car's value, FAST!
How to Determine the Value of a Car with a Blown Engine
Engine problems in your car don’t automatically mean you have a blown engine, but they are often signs of impending engine failure. If you neglect to address these signs of engine problems in your vehicle, it could likely lead to a blown engine.
The most common cause of a blown engine is a loss of fluids, whether by a sudden loss or a gradual leak. However, anything that results in overheating in the engine could cause it to blow. Signs of a blown engine include:
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White smoke coming from the engine
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Water or antifreeze in the oil chamber
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Grinding or metallic noises when the engine turns
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The engine refuses to turn
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Extremely low compression in the cylinders
Engine replacement costs for most cars can range between $3,000 and $5,000 on average. Depending on how complex the engine is, the costs can jump upwards to $6,000. Most four-cylinder vehicles, however, will need around $4,000 to complete a total engine replacement.
If your vehicle is 15 years old or more, then $4,000 may be more than the car’s actually worth. That money would be better off put towards a new vehicle, but what do you do with your car without an engine?
The fastest and easiest way to determine your car’s value is to use the online pricing tool here at CarBrain. Even if you’re not planning to sell it right away, we’ll give you a guaranteed, top-dollar offer in just 90 seconds on practically any vehicle.
It doesn’t matter whether your car is totaled, has a salvage title, or major damage, we’ll give you an instant online quote to set your baseline price.
If you’re comfortable with our offer let us know, and we’ll send a tow truck out to pick up your vehicle for FREE and put payment in your hand within 24-48 hours. Depending on your location, you might qualify for same day pickup.
We’re committed to making it as easy as possible to get rid of your old clunker and put cash in your pocket.
Trading in A Car With A Bad Engine
Once you’ve got a baseline idea of what your car is worth from CarBrain, selling it becomes much easier. Most local dealers will give you very low trade-in values on a car with damage, and much lower if it isn't running.
Since used car dealers sell cars in pristine condition, they will have to sink large amounts of money in order to flip your car. As a result, they won't give you much value on a car trade-in.
And all those valuable parts and features we talked about before? They might try to tell you those parts are worthless since they’re just going to scrap your car anyway.
In reality, those parts are where many local junkyards make their biggest profits. Especially if they’re advertising themselves as “you-pick” junkyards. They’re almost certainly going to sell those parts for extra cash.
But if you’re in a hurry, and you decide to trade in a car that needs work to a local dealer, make sure they include towing.
Some junkyards try to charge for towing. But practically all of the cars they buy aren’t running, so they should be prepared to pick up your vehicle.
Who Buys Cars With Blown Engines?
When it comes down to selling your vehicle with a blown engine, you have a few options. However, which option you choose depends on your needs:
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Junkyard/Scrap Yard: Faster sale. Lower payout.
Junkyards and scrap yards specialize in taking in undesirable vehicles. You’ll likely get the vehicle’s weight in scrap metal as payment, because these yards make their money off buying low and then selling the individual components for more profit.
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Dealership: Faster sale. Lower payout.
Dealerships will allow you to trade-in your car with its blown engine. They specialize in vehicles that are roadworthy and ready to be sold. An engineless car isn’t their first choice, so they are likely to give you an extremely low offer. Furthermore, the offer might be in the form of credit on a new vehicle from that exact dealership (as opposed to cash you can spend anywhere).
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Private Buyer: Slow sale. Potential for higher payout.
Selling your car to a private individual is a great way to get more money for your engineless car. Sifting through prospects in order to find a serious buyer can be a long and frustrating process.
As a final option, there's us. CarBrain is one of the most trusted names in the industry, with a nationwide network of approved junk car buyers. We have a web-based pricing tool designed to get you the best possible offer on your car with mechanical issues within 90 seconds.
CarBrain offers:
- FREE towing in 24-48 business hours
- Quotes that are guaranteed for seven days
- Top-quality customer service to help you through the process
- On-the-spot payment when we pick up your vehicle!
Rather than calling every junkyard in town and haggling for the best price on your car, you can just sell your vehicle directly online.
Why not get a free online quote from CarBrain? Our experts have made over a million offers on less-than-perfect cars and we’re happy to help you get rid of a car that isn’t running!
