It’s a bad day when you discover your vehicle needs a new engine.
You must decide if your car is worth fixing. Sometimes it is. Other times it makes more sense to take the money you’d spend on a new engine and invest it in a replacement vehicle instead.
Only you can decide which option is best for you.
If you do decide to fix it, you don’t have to pay full retail price for a new engine. You can save a bundle of money by buying a used one. That’s because used car parts cost much less than new ones. Buying a used engine can help get you back on the road without spending as much in car repairs.
But, if you buy a used engine from a shoddy salvage yard, or purchase a random one from Craigslist, you may end up in a worse situation than before.
If the used engine you buy doesn’t work, you’ll be out the money you spent, and your vehicle still won’t work. Then you’ll have to start the process over, while trying to deal with getting your money back for the junk engine you purchased.
So if you’re going to buy a used engine, make sure it’s a good one.
Here are five specific things you want to know before purchasing. These will help reduce your risk when buying a used engine.