My engine is shot, and needs a replacement. The Toyota dealer is quoting me $7.8k for a 100k mile used engine with installation. The engine isn’t Toyota certified, and the warranty is only 60 days. I feel like this is too expensive. Is this a fair deal?
RUN from the dealer!!!
Yeah, that’s a terrible deal. You can get a remanufactured engine with a 1-year warranty for way less. Installing it is a whole different story though.
Holy cow, man… get out of there! You can find a reman engine for $1,800 to $3,000. Any skilled mechanic can swap the motor and handle the hybrid system too.
You’re missing some important details…
What’s the mileage of your vehicle?
What’s the condition of the car overall?
What’s the price of a new or rebuilt engine?
What’s the status of the battery and generator?
@Audrey
My car’s in great condition with 120k miles, always well maintained.
The battery’s in excellent shape.
The replacement engine is used, not rebuilt.
Quince said:
@Audrey
My car’s in great condition with 120k miles, always well maintained.
The battery’s in excellent shape.
The replacement engine is used, not rebuilt.
You should consider a remanufactured or other cheaper options.
Engine replacement usually runs $4k to $5k. It might be worth trying to finance that repair instead of replacing the car.
This seems like you’re being taken advantage of. I’d ask for a detailed breakdown of the engine, parts, and labor costs.
Depending on where you are, a used JDM engine might run $1,500 to $2,000 with 55k to 80k miles. The installation cost will vary depending on the shop, but it’s usually $8 to $12 per hour.
Try to get a quote from a Toyota-specific independent shop. You might find a better deal.
The cost seems way too high. I’d skip the used engine and look for a short block instead. What caused the failure?
Orin said:
The cost seems way too high. I’d skip the used engine and look for a short block instead. What caused the failure?
The cooling line broke, causing the engine to overheat and warp some parts.
@Quince
Gotcha. So you might need a new cylinder head and water pump too. But you could get a new long block, including the bottom end and cylinder head, for under $4,000. That would give you essentially a brand-new engine. A short block is about $2,000, and a new cylinder head is around $750 to $800. A water pump costs a couple hundred. For $7,800, you should be getting a brand-new engine that will last for at least another couple hundred thousand miles. I’d also recommend replacing the coolant hoses while you’re at it. Where are you located?
Only a 60-day warranty on the engine? Where I work, our engine suppliers usually give at least a 1-year warranty. Granted, 60 days might be enough time to know if the engine’s good, but you could still run into issues a few months later. I’d get some quotes from independent shops around you. $8k seems steep for such a short warranty. I’d expect something like $4k to $6k with a longer warranty outside of the dealership.
Have you replaced the hybrid battery yet? That will run about $3,000 when it comes time to replace it.
Stormy said:
Have you replaced the hybrid battery yet? That will run about $3,000 when it comes time to replace it.
No, I haven’t replaced it yet. It’s still at about 90% capacity, but I know it’ll need replacing in a few years.
Stormy said:
Have you replaced the hybrid battery yet? That will run about $3,000 when it comes time to replace it.
Replacement traction batteries are about a third of what you’re quoting, just FYI!
@Raleigh
Yeah, just giving you the realistic price if you decide to buy a new battery and factor in labor costs.
Stormy said:
@Raleigh
Yeah, just giving you the realistic price if you decide to buy a new battery and factor in labor costs.
I’ve worked at a Toyota dealer for 14 years, and the service advisors can’t even mention aftermarket options, even though they know about them. When replacing the traction batteries, the dealer will charge $3,000+, and that’s for a 12-month warranty on the new battery. However, Greentec offers a mobile service with installation that costs between $100 and $450.
@Raleigh
100 bucks? Maybe for delivery, but there’s no way they charge that little for full service installation.