We specialize in cars with mechanical problems, and we’re happy to make an offer for yours no matter what’s wrong with the engine. You could trade it in to the dealership and buy a different car. We are A+ rated business at BBB. Because your car doesn’t drive — or at least, doesn’t drive well — the dealer can’t be sure of the rest of your car’s condition. If your car is worth repairing, the dealership will try to resell it. CarBrain specializes in evaluating damaged cars and giving you the true value of your vehicle. Engine replaced at XX,XXX miles with used engine that had XX,XXX miles on it, then provide the reason why. The deck is stacked against you when you want to sell a car that has problems. The dealer is going to take the cost of a new engine off your trade-in value, and you’ll be left with very little. The better condition your old car is in, the better its private sale and trade-in value, obviously. However, a scrap yard is going to also be looking to protect its bottom line. You aren’t hiding anything when your car is appraised for a trade-in. 4 Symptoms That Show It Is! In fact, many of the buyers that you're going to find on Craigslist aren't just people looking to buy a new car but actual dealers. If the car is say 20 years old, the prospective buyer is expecting flaws. We specialize in less-than-perfect cars, including non-running vehicles. However you want to go about selling your car with engine problems, you need to know that. If you feel like your car is a lost cause and that a dealer is just going to junk it anyway, you may want to cut out the middleman and go straight to a scrap yard. Dealerships often send damaged cars that they take on trade into these auctions to try to turn them over quickly and get some cash. Most dealerships take cars on trade, even if they have problems. Replacing a blown engine often runs into thousands of dollars, sometimes up to $5,500 for the engine and labor costs. Electrical issues are some of the worst. On many cars, it needs to be replaced at around 100,000 miles. This is probably the first thing you think of when you're interested in trading in your car. If you accept the offer, CarBrain will pay you the real cash value for your car and pick it up from you at no cost. You actually might be able to sell your car online for more profit. You can keep checking around for a lender, but it doesn't sound good. On the other hand, CarBrain specializes in cars with problems. Sure, it’s possible with some dealers. We’re talking about issues like a blown engine, a head gasket leak, or a differential that’s not working as it should. Consider the age and mileage of the car. Whether you choose to get the engine repaired or have a new one installed, you can expect to spend big bucks. Your car starts and runs but it doesn’t drive? Rebuilt engines are often a much more cost effective option. The average buyer for a private sale is going to want a car that they can drive away, no problems and no repairs needed. It was far better, to us, than trying to buy another vehicle that we hadn't been in the market for. The easiest way to find out what your wrecked car is worth and to get paid for it is to request an offer through CarBrain’s lightning-fast quote generator. You might encounter transmission problems. This isnt like not disclosing frame damage, a new engine is a good thing. When trying to trade in a car in bad condition, usually massive dealerships like CarMax are your first option. Other Car Dealers Figuring out what a car is worth is impossible without getting some help. If so, when the day arrives to finally trade your vehicle, you can show the dealer receipts for all the purchases and repair work done on the car. 3. At that point, you just know that you’re not getting much for it on trade. We’ll make an offer for your car with motor problems in 90 seconds, schedule your pickup within 24-48 hours of accepting our offer, and provide you with on-the-spot payment for your car! But they are also industry trusted and many people will turn to these when they're looking to come up with a dollar value for your vehicle when you're trying to sell it or, Since we can't know the make, model, year of your car or the condition that it's in we can use an example to give you an idea of what to expect here. I think it depends a lot on the age of the car and obviously the engine that was replaced. It might, however, make sense to rebuild the engine in a car that's on the newer side. To start with, there's nothing you need to worry about. You can overdo it and make the car look phony. Trading in a car with engine problems is possible, but you won’t get much for it. If you head to the Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds website, they will both allow you to input the make, model, and year of your vehicle as well as trim options to help you get a pretty good estimate of the value of your vehicle. Just request a guaranteed offer online. Major repairs are best left to the pros—they can do it for less money, and they won’t add the cost you paid for repairs to the trade-in value. So, whether your car is running like a dream or if the engine is completely destroyed, we're going to be honest and upfront about what it's worth and what we could offer you. If I wanted to trade in my current car at a dealership. They need to account for the cost to repair the car, whatever that might be. Let's pick the 2010 Toyota Camry as an example. I got an engine that only had 17,000 miles on it for a great deal. Even something like a cylinder head replacement it's going to cost you probably between $3,200 and $3,700. Our car is a 2016 that has an oil burn issue. A better option would be to sell your car to a business like CarBrain, which knows what your car is worth and knows how to make a fair market offer for it fast. Cars all have problems eventually. If you’re wondering who buys cars that don’t run, we’ve got the answer. IMO, they are a dealer and should have replaced your engine with a factory replacement, or compensated you for diminished value for having a used engine put in the car. And it’s not an insurance write-off. Don't fix it. What’s not obvious is how much work you should put into your old car before bringing it to the dealership for a trade-in appraisal. Get paid the real cash value of your car in 24-48 hours! But for the average car, the time and money involved in doing major repairs is simply not worth it if you're just going to trade it in anyway. But your best shot is to find a replacement engine from a junk yard and replace what you need and keep paying the bank on the car to keep up your credit. Trading in your car for a new vehicle is a no-fuss way to dispose of your old car, but it’s not the only way to unload it. We have only had the car a few months and the issue arose within the first few weeks. There are a number of factors that need to be taken into account before you can come up with a ballpark figure here. They’ll play it safe and pay you a penance for your car with transmission problems. A car with a blown engine is nearly worthless. If you’re trading in a car with known problems, it’s best to be upfront about it. This is a very normal procedure and plenty of other drivers in the past have done it. A blown head gasket allows coolant to seep into the combustion area where it is converted to steam and smoke. It's true that a dealer can take a car off your hands even if it does have engine problems. Maybe. Explaining Used Car Price So if you know ahead of time that your engine has problems, and either the vehicle doesn't drive at all or it has some serious problems, you need to adjust your approach. Trade Benefits. But if you’re asking, “should I trade in my car or sell it myself,” the answer isn’t as clear as you’d hope. You can get paid on the spot in just a few days! Also take the increase in insurance premiums on a new car into account. That could determine whether they can give you a good price for the car, or just scrap value for it. And when you have a bad engine on your car, it's definitely much harder to sell for cash. Toyota Camry from 2010 with no options in average condition has a trade-in value of $3,402 according to edmunds.com. And of course, condition is very important. Repairing a blown engine can cost as much as $6,000 or more since the engine likely will need to be replaced. Be prepared to answer, "Why are you selling it?" Traded it never said a thing and I got top condition trade in according to Red Book. And almost all of them are willing to do just about anything to attract people to their lots. After your engine stops working your car gets 'broken' status, but can you trade in a broken car? Trading in your car for a new vehicle is a no-fuss way to dispose of your old car, but it’s not the only way to unload it. You might get more money for it. If your car is paid off, just figure out what a car payment for a new car would be and then do the math. After all, if your car were still in perfect working condition there's a good chance you wouldn't want to trade it in and get a new one anyway, right? is just what their car is worth. But beware, you’re probably not going to get the most value for it. Trading in a non-running car or a car with a blown engine will typically yield very little value. Since we can't know the make, model, year of your car or the condition that it's in we can use an example to give you an idea of what to expect here. Because the dealer needs to fix it or sell it as is AND make money, your appraised value will be lower than you expect. When repairing a broken engine it is advisable to always change the cylinder head gasket. That can be a good thing for long-term reliability. Of course, you can still try to do a private sale on Craigslist even if your car has engine problems. Scratches and dents, perhaps accident damage — you need to know what to expect for a damaged car trade-in value. or require to return the car. You can get paid on the spot in just a couple of days. Major repairs are best left to the pros—they can do it for less money, and they won’t add the cost you paid for repairs to the trade-in value. The mileage on the new engine can be found in the engine bay. Don't be afraid to reveal that you recently replaced the radiator or that the air conditioning is on the blink. Trading in a non-running car or a car with a blown engine will typically yield very little value. Just like those dealers on Craigslist, they're going to be most concerned with their own bottom line. You don't need to worry about getting around other people during covid-19. If you've only had your car for a few years now and still owe a lot of money on it, you would be the perfect person to consider rebuilding your engine. For more about selling a car with the check engine light on to CarMax, see below. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the amount you’ll get for the vehicle depends on the severity of the hail damage. If you trade in a car that doesn’t run, the dealership will lowball the value. You have your answer. It’s possible, but you might want to explore other options instead. Fixing your car may not always be the best option. The age of the car is typically the biggest factor in determining value, along with the make and model of the vehicle. Best of all, you can get this kind of diverse information from both companies: All of the numbers that you get from Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds are estimates. Wondering what to do with a car that doesn’t run? The wear and tear of daily driving will make sure of that. With this, you can trade in your car to help pay for a new one. The average buyer for a private sale is going to want a car that they can drive away, no problems and no repairs needed. There are actually a few things the dealership is likely to do with a car that is in need of repairs. All Rights Reserved. . The manufacturer is replacing the engine as they want our engine returned in order to diagnose the oil issue in an effort to head off issues for others. The CarFax shows "ENGINE REPLACEMENT HOLY SHIT" in huge letters and the potential client hits the fucking ceiling. It was far better, to us, than trying to buy another vehicle that we hadn't been in the market for. Very good condition all over. Im looking at buying a lovely looking car. Consider Trading Your Old Car in for a New One There are more than 16,000 new car dealerships scattered across the country at this time. They are qualified to look over the car, take if for a drive and assess the condition and the cost of reconditioning it for sale. The resulting white plume of smoke from the tail pipe is a tell-tale sign your head gasket is blown. In some cases, putting an effectively new engine into a very old vehicle, might even improve the value of the car, but if it was a new car, say less than 5 years old and the engine was replaced, I think a lot of buyers would be wanting to know why it was replaced, and that … Investing in the repairs could increase the trade-in or sale value of your used car, too. Alternatives to Trading In Your Car. 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