# What is the best way to sell a car with a "new" engine, but a bad transmission?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-a-car-with-a-new-engine-but-a-bad-transmission/91870>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** jetta\
**Created:** [December 4, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-a-car-with-a-new-engine-but-a-bad-transmission/91870 "2015-12-04T23:46:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wmhooker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bb73d2/32.png) [@wmhooker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wmhooker)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-a-car-with-a-new-engine-but-a-bad-transmission/91870/1 "2015-12-04T23:46:52Z")

</div>

I currently own a Volkswagen Jetta 2005. I burned the engine (my fault, no oil) and got it replaced with a newer engine that had 26,000 miles (cost was $3200) on it 3 months ago. Now the issue with the car is that it needs the transmission to be replaced. I do not want to put any more $$$ on it and sell it. Should I try to sell the engine since it is still “new” or try to sell the whole car? Where should I advertise to get the most $ out of this situation?, i.e. craigslist, AutoTrader, etc.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-a-car-with-a-new-engine-but-a-bad-transmission/91870/2 "2015-12-05T00:32:31Z")

</div>

Someone will want to buy it for parts. If you disclose the true condition there will be mechanics who will find a transmission from a wreck and make a whole car out of it.

Personally I would be very leery of buying a car with a “new” engine like yours. My immediate concern would be what else on the car had been neglected and was ready to fail!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-a-car-with-a-new-engine-but-a-bad-transmission/91870/3 "2015-12-05T01:15:16Z")

</div>

An engine with 26K on it though is not a new engine. It is a used engine with an unknown history. The quickest would be to simply trade it in and take the hit.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-a-car-with-a-new-engine-but-a-bad-transmission/91870/4 "2015-12-05T02:16:55Z")

</div>

Easiest way… and perhaps the most lucrative… is to trade it. I doubt that anybody would pay any decent amount of money for a ten (pushing 11) year old car that’s had the motor replaced and now needs a tranny.