Is it a good idea to repair a cracked engine block? It’s a 2002 Honda Civic with 140,000 miles which I bought used last year for $6000. I rear ended a pick up, sliding under his bumper and so have lots of hood/radiator damage. I wasn’t even going fast enough to activate the ari bags. But when the shop says the engine blocked is cracked and they estimate repair at $6,045 total +/- 10% .
Is it worth it? Am i going to end up with problems afterwards? Is it safe to repair an engine block? Any thoughts would be welcome
I think it is a classic definition of the write off. The price is a 2002 Honda Civic with major accident is not even 6000. I would not say that it will be worth to go for it.
Walk away I say.
Take the $6K and buy another one. At the very least you won’t know for sure that it has been in an accident!
How are they proposing to fix the block? The only reliable way to fix a cracked block is with a new block-- i.e. a new engine! Is the 6,000 just the estimate for their block repair? How much will the body damage cost to fix? I can’t imagine an accident that would damage the engine like this that wouldn’t have caused devastating body damage.
The other posters are right-- this is almost certainly a write-off situation.
If the impact was great enough to crack the engine block, the engine is no good.
However, you might look into having a used engine installed from a local auto recycler if you want to keep the vehicle. It’ll be far cheaper than the $6,000 you were quoted.
Tester
The grim reaper of the scrap heap is tapping on your cars shoulder. Let it go.
I agree with Tester…Why were they even quoting you a price for a new or rebuilt engine. Was this the dealer??? Doesn’t make sense putting in a new engine into a car that’s 6+ years old.
If the impact was enough to crack the engine block . . . think about what the engine is attached to . . . transmission . . . mounts . . . CVs . . . what about the suspension? If this were a low mileage car I’d look at it in a different way, but 140,000 miles is a little high, even for a Honda, to go rebuilding the whole front end. I’m curious as to what the insurance company said . . . are they even considering the repair? Kelly lists a 2002 Civic with auto in excellent condition as $8940 . . . so I’m betting that an insurance company will consider the repair. Rocketman
Think about this. Before you send it off to the crusher, ask your mechanic if (s)he might want to remove the air bag system. Perhaps the mech. would consider it as payment for a pre-purchase inspection by your mech. when you purchase another vehicle? If your mechanic doesn’t want that kind of a deal, perhaps they can refer you to someone who would go for that type of a deal. The mechanic just might want some other parts off of your Civic? Maybe the transmission, sound system, whatever? That sweetens the deal for a free pre-purchase inspection. You might also think about scrounging still-good light bulbs and fuses. Make it a learning experience for you. There will come a time when you’ll need to change out a burned headlight bulb or other lamps on your replacement vehicle. Maybe your mechanic will show you how to perform these bulb and fuse changes. Even if you end up not changing these things out yourself, you will have learned what it takes to do these relatively simple chores and also get a little auto dirt under your nails! I have also found it to be really cute and sexy to see a female with some auto dirt on her cheeks, forehead, whatever. Also throw in that you’d like the mechanic to get the murdered Civic to the crusher. He should know how to handle the paperwork. In many states, it’s the law that the crusher has to report that vehicle as being scrapped. Just some thoughts. Scrap it and get another vehicle. Your mechanic might be able to help you find a good dependable replacement. When I owned and operated a small repair shop, I often had people whose cars I had been doing work on for a while. I knew the condition of every part of those vehicles. Often, when a customer was ready to trade it in for something else, I’d check the Kelly blue book and hook the customer up with someone looking for that kind of vehicle. Matches made in heaven! Heck, I knew the vehicle, knew the owner, knew the prospective buyer, so I just hooked them up together. They made their own deal. I never had a bad experience and guess what? I was both parties’ mechanic for many years until I “semi-retired”. They had the benefit of a totally honest opinion on the condition of the vehicle directly from me, the mechanic. It’s the old saying of “what goes around, comes around”.
I’m assume you do not have collision insurance, or they would have probably totaled it. So, how attached are you to this car? If you are not, take you $6K and buy something else.
Excellent advice.