Does your car need to have a new engine put into it? As you might expect, this is probably going to cost you a pretty penny.
There are some instances in which you might be able to put a new engine into your car yourself for right around $1,000. But generally speaking, you should expect to pay more like $4,000 or $5,000 to put a new engine into place with help from a licensed mechanic.
That being said, the engine replacement cost can vary depending on a bunch of different factors. You should keep these factors in mind prior to agreeing to pay to have a new engine installed in your vehicle. It’ll stop you from experiencing sticker shock later on.
Check out a few of the factors that are going to have an impact on your engine replacement cost below.
Do You Definitely Need a New Engine?
First things first: Before we begin talking about your potential engine replacement cost, it’s important for you to figure out whether or not engine replacement is even necessary.
Oftentimes, vehicle owners will jump right into trying to replace an engine when they could easily get away with doing engine repair instead. You can save yourself quite a bit of money if you’re able to avoid having to ask an auto repair shop, “How much to replace an engine?”
Some of the signs that you will need a new engine as opposed to engine repair are:
- Loud knocking sounds coming from your engine
- Exhaust smoke billowing out of your engine
- Metal shavings sneaking into your oil supply
- A serious lack of power from your engine when driving it
You can usually steer clear of seeing any of these signs by taking good care of your car at all times. This guide to tuning the VAG 2.0 TDI provides you with some tips on how to do it.
But there may come a time when you need to invest in a new engine regardless of how hard you work to maintain your car. If you see any of the signs that we just mentioned, it won’t be long before you’re considering what the engine replacement cost is going to be.
What Kind of Engine Do You Need?
If you discover that you do, in fact, need to replace your engine rather than repairing it, the next thing you’re going to want to do is find out what kind of engine you’ll need for it. Is it:
- A basic four-cylinder engine?
- A V6 engine?
- A V8 engine?
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to hear that, the more advanced your engine is, the more it’s going to cost you. While a relatively simple engine should only cost a few thousand dollars to install, you’re likely going to creep up closer and closer to the $10,000 mark if you have a bigger engine in your vehicle.
If you’re not 100% sure which kind of engine you have in your car, check your owner’s manual. It should give a detailed breakdown of what type of engine you’ll need to put into your car when replacing your current one.
Who Is Going to Install Your New Engine?
As we touched on a little bit earlier, you will have the option of saving a bunch of money on a new engine by installing it in your car yourself. If you have extensive experience working on cars, you might want to cut out the middle man and install an engine on your own to save yourself a nice chunk of change.
But if you don’t really know your way around a car, installing a new engine in it is not going to be for you. Outside of tinkering around with a transmission, working on a car’s engine is one of the most complicated car repair jobs you can do.
Rather than testing out your auto repair skills, you should contact a trusted mechanic to get the job done the right way. You should shop around for the right mechanic and keep the engine replacement cost in mind when speaking with different auto repair shops.
You’re probably not going to find a huge discrepancy in engine replacement cost from one auto repair shop to the next. But by doing your due diligence, you could very well come across a shop that’s willing to replace your engine for you for just a fraction of the cost of other shops.
How Quickly Do You Need Your New Engine Installed?
One of the reasons why the engine replacement cost is as high as it is is because it takes mechanics a long time to install a new engine in a car. Even the most experienced mechanics will take more than 10 hours in most cases to get an engine replacement job done.
If you’re in a huge hurry and need your car’s engine replaced ASAP, a mechanic can typically take on the job for you and get it finished in a timely fashion. But you’re going to pay the price for it. They might have to work overtime to make sure that they’re able to meet your demands.
If you can afford to go this route, you’re welcome to do it. But if your ultimate goal is to keep the engine replacement labor cost down, you’re better off giving a mechanic all the time they need to work on your car.
Find Out Your Engine Replacement Cost Prior to Scheduling Service for Your Car
Are you getting ready to replace the engine in your car? This is not something that you want to rush into if you can avoid it.
The engine replacement cost can be very high through certain mechanics. It’s why you should call around to a few of them to see what kinds of prices they can give to you.
By taking this approach, you should be able to find a mechanic that’s willing to replace your car’s engine for a reasonable price. You’ll be glad that you took the time to do your homework in advance.
Want to learn more about engine repairs and replacements? Check out all the engine-related content on our blog.