# Imported used Toyota engines

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [February 24, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084 "2008-02-24T22:47:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fishwife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85e7bf/32.png) [@Fishwife](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fishwife)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084/1 "2008-02-24T22:47:49Z")

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Anyone ever buy or know anything about these engines?

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**Author:** ![winarth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@winarth](https://community.cartalk.com/u/winarth)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084/2 "2008-02-24T23:30:40Z")

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Some time in the past I was told by a repair shop that little used parts such as engines and transmissions were available from Japan where cars were routeinely ditched with low mileage–something about tax structure maybe. I was needing a Subaru transmission and ended up getting one from a salvage yard in the US. The used import was more expensive but came with a warranty. That’s all I know.

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**Author:** ![03impreza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/0/51bf81/32.png) [@03impreza](https://community.cartalk.com/u/03impreza)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084/3 "2008-02-25T02:04:03Z")

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Japan has very strict emissions laws, so that vehicle owners typically swap out their engines at about 30K miles. The swapped out engines are usually in very good condition so are shipped over here and sold at reasonables prices. Do on-line search for the engine you need, and it can be shipped to wherever you want.

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**Author:** ![Bill\_Russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Bill\_Russell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Russell)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084/4 "2008-02-25T02:13:21Z")

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Dunno, if I know I was going to have to swap engines at 30K, I’d change oil just once at 15k.

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/imported-used-toyota-engines/11084/5 "2008-02-25T03:18:12Z")

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We had a thread about these a while back. Stories about mandatory scrapping or engine swaps and the like are pure fabrications, but there are many factors that lead to Japanese cars tending to not stay on the road as long as their American counterparts, such as lower relative purchase prices on new cars and higher costs to keep a car on the road.

I wouldn’t treat them any different than any other used engine-- if you can get a good deal on one, go for it, but don’t pay too much more than you would for one in a US scrapyard.