Are you selling a car that needs engine work or some other expensive repairs? Is it wrong to sell a car with problems? That depends on whether or not you disclose the issues.
If you want to sell a car that needs repairs of any kind, CarBrain can help: we buy cars in any condition, nationwide.
How to Sell A Car With Engine Problems to CarBrain.com
CarBrain has been buying damaged cars since 2007, so we know how to make the process easy for you. First, the benefits:
We offer guaranteed quotes in 90 seconds.
Our offers are guaranteed for seven days.
We always include FREE towing with our offers — no fees.
We can come to you in as little as 24-48 hours.
You get a dedicated file manager assigned to help you sell your car.
Sound good? We’ve got even better news: selling a car to CarBrain is as easy as 1-2-3:
Get an instant offer. We’ll generate your quote in 90 seconds based on the information you provide in our form.
Accept the quote. Like the price? We can schedule your pickup on your behalf and work with the partners to ensure it goes smoothly.
Get paid! The last step is to simply wait for the driver to arrive. He or she will pick up your vehicle and hand you your check on the spot.
If you want to know more about whether it is illegal to sell a defective car, we can break it down for you in the sections below.
Our expert evaluators can help you get an accurate estimate for your car's value, FAST!
Can I Sell My Car With A Blown Engine?
The short answer is ‘YES’. You can sell a car with a blown engine.
From a legal standpoint, your car has to be in the condition you describe it in. If your engine is blown and won’t start, it’s pretty clear to a buyer: they’re going to need to do some engine work. There’s no good way to pull the wool over a buyer’s eyes when the car just isn’t going to run.
Selling a car that does not run is not an easy task, though. With a blown engine, there aren’t many people who are willing to invest money in that type of vehicle. A few reasons:
They have no idea what the cost will be to fix the engine issues.
Once the engine is fixed, are there going to be other surprises hiding underneath?
Most car buyers just want to drive a car, not dump time and money into repairs right away.
It’s clear cut to sell a car that doesn’t start, but what if there are other mechanical issues instead?
As a private seller, you have an obligation to accurately represent the vehicle you are selling to potential buyers, just like with an engine problem. But if the issues are mechanical, electrical, or an intermittent condition, they might not be as obvious.
If you’re considering selling a car without disclosing the issues you know about, be very careful.
Is it illegal to trade in a car with problems? No, but the law gives car buyers a few rights that act as protection. If you haven’t fully disclosed the problems you know about, the buyer could sue you to recoup repair costs.
Your car must be in merchantable condition – that is, what someone could reasonably expect a car in used condition to look like. And once again, you have to represent the car properly to the buyer.
Can You Sell A Car With Engine Problems?
Here’s a scenario: what if your car has engine issues and you can’t afford to pay for the repairs or the downtime? Are you stuck with it?
No. You CAN sell a car with engine problems. It needs to be clearly detailed to the buyer. If you know how to sell a car that needs repairs, you can do it the same way:
List your car in the classifieds online – Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or a local site.
Write out all the positive things about your car along with attractive photos.
Add details about the car trouble you’re having. You don’t have to explain it all or give a cost estimate for repairs, just let the potential buyer know what they’re actually getting.
Wait for responses, especially low-ball offers.
How Much Is A Car With A Blown Engine Worth?
The biggest thing you need to know about selling a car with a blown engine is how to accurately price it. Your listing won’t get any traction whatsoever if you overprice your car, but you don’t want to give it away either.
Like previously mentioned, buyers need to account for unexpected expenses along with the cost of the engine repair. They don’t know what else could be wrong if they can’t test drive it! If your engine isn’t running at all or it’s blown, prepare yourself for a low sale price.
The value of a car with a blown engine isn’t as easy to calculate as simply taking the cost of a new engine off the price. You’ll have to account for incidentals too.
For example, if your car was worth $5,000 in running condition and a used replacement engine is $1,500, you might expect to list your car at $3,500. But you should probably set it at $2,500 because a buyer needs to assume there will be more wrong than just the cost of the engine.
