My son’s Sub Impreza 4 cyl. AWD 5D WRX Wagon needs engine replacement quoted at $5,000. The blue book value for trade in is $6700. He wants a newer vehicle. Should he fix and sell or can he sell it without doing the repair. Are there buyers out there for this car with a blown engine? Thanks.
If it’s low mileage and otherwise great shape, you might do the new motor. High mileage and semi-shot, probably not.
Ah sorry, forgot to mention it has 120,00 miles.
A kid driven WRX with 120K is probably thoroughly thrashed. Has he considered a used engine from www.car-part.com? Shop around for a low cost installer. Finding a low mileage WRX engine that has not been rode hard a put away wet for most of its life will be difficult.
Unless he is paying for his own car and related expenses, don’t let him buy anything remotely like a WRX again.
That year at that mileage for that model, it would be expected for it to have blown head gaskets. That is not the same as a blown engine. I would strongly urge you to get a second opinion. If it only needs new head gaskets, you should be able to get it repaired, with a new timing belt for under $1500.
If the timing belt snapped, then you may need a reman engine and $5k would be about right.
There are probably buyers for that car, but a push pull or drag $3500 credit might be your best bet, my guestimate for resale would be 1200 to 1500, at that age it is a tossup, but would lean towards new newer vehicle myself.
I’d hate to offer advice without knowing whose money is involved and why the engine “blew up”.
Its my son’s (age 30) car and money. He said it wouldn’t start and was very low on oil despite regular oil changes. Said repair shop got it running so I guess its not blown.
" was very low on oil despite regular oil changes " That statement isn’t worth a reply.
Kweezen wrote:
He said it wouldn’t start and was very low on oil despite regular oil changes.
This is why his owner’s manual tells him to check the oil regularly. They aren’t saying that for fun.
Invest in a tear-down to see what’s ‘‘blown’’, as Keith said. The terminology leaves a lot to the imagination and a repair may be the way to go.
Why ?..
( years ago ) I was driving home from Albuquerque in my 80 Bronco ( 130k ) and after about 120 miles of boring cruising it started coughing , sputtering , smoking, cackling, steaming, knocking, and generally KA-BLUIE.
–your stereotypical BLOWN engine.
Dead on the side of the road, would not re-start, walked to a phone to get a ride and towed it to the shop the next day resigned to be buying an engine.
– BUT –
I told my tech to tear it down first to, at least, find out why.
an extra expense , yes, nut I needed to know.
long story short ?----- ONE ten dollar used piston…and it started right up purred like a kitten.
MORAL ;
your …’‘blown’’ engine may be more repairable than you can know without a tear down.
OK guys. He gets it.
If the engine has survived, great! If not…Google “Japan Engines” for several sources of imported, low-mileage engines removed from cars salvaged in Japan…
In Japan, even relatively minor accidents result in the car being totaled. Parts from salvaged cars can not be sold in Japan so they export them. It’s a regular industry…
No harm done to offer it up for sale on CraigsList or the like. With full disclosure, tell them it would make a good parts car. Somebody who owns the same car with missing/broken parts could make use of it.
You can buy a new Subaru and not worry about engine problems. We have solved all the engine problems we had 5 years ago. That is what your Subaru dealer will tell you.
The only problem is they have been telling it for 25 years.
The Acura dealer is a Subbie dealer too. When we couldn’t agree on a price on an Acura, the salesman suggested a Subaru instead. I said nah, the CVT, engines, and seats are issues to me. Styling was an issue to the wife.