I had a leak in my engine that caused all of the oil to blow out in a very short time. No warning, no smoke, no overheating on idiots lights until after engine started clacking. Needless to say, I need a new engine. A trusted repair shop in town can replace my motor with a rebuilt for $4598. parts and labor. My question. should I even bother fixing. Car is fairly nice looking and basically will be like new with new engine but then it blue books at 3k and has a seven year old, 163k transmission. Part of me wants to junk it and buy a new car and part of me thinks if I fix this one I will probably get another 100k miles out of it. Any thoughts?
There is almost no correct answer to your problem. The engine price sounds fair and the transmission repair would happen anyway. You should ask yourself how would you feel about other repairs you might need after the engine replacement. I would lower the expectations of how much more use you can get out of the Dodge, it is 7 years old.
If you do get another engine I’d recommend making sure you get a “remanufactured” engine from a reputable company like JASPER with the warranty paperwork to go with it. Otherwise you don’t really know what you’re buying.
http://www.jasperengines.com/gas-engines.php
For the price you were quoted, they should be installing a JASPER engine or equivalent. If not, you are not getting your money’s worth.
I would look for a good used engine, some of the wrecking yards around here install them pretty cheaply.
I agree with oldtimer. If you find a low miles engine from a yard reasonable enough then why not ask for a combo price with the low miles transmission attached to it.
@jesdmed1 is correct that for the price you are being quoted you should be getting a very high quality re-built engine, built by a professional shop. Not just some engine somebody decided to rebuild in their spare time. If you are satisfied the engine will be a good one, and it comes with a good warranty, I think replacing the engine is a good plan.
I’m not sure I’d want to put that kind of money into a car that’s already blown its first engine. When you say “reliability” nobody says “Dodge Avenger”. Personally, I’d sell it “as-is” and get something that’ll last longer.
Has the transmission been serviced on a regular basis?
But regardless, I’d junk it.
You will likely need a new transmission very soon costing another $3000 or so. You will now have $7500 in a vehicle worth $3000. If some dim-bulb hits your car even just a little bit, it will be totaled and the insurance payout will be $3000 at best. You are out $4500. Is this car worth that risk?
It is time to roll this one to the junk yard to feed other Avenger owners trying to keep theirs on the road or make new Darts.
Idk, this is certainly a toss up. I’ve been through several 2000 and older models and had to make the same decision. It usually comes down to price. What can you get at your local scrap yard? There are a few alternatives to scrapping your car. But my preferred scrap yard allows me to do a quick instant quote. From there I can make an informed decision.