Advice: what to do with a car after the engines dies

[elvis14]

My wife's car pretty much died yesterday. I won't bore you too much with the details but the mechanic is pretty sure the engine is toast. After doing some reading online last night, I suspected that was going to be what they told me today. It's a 2014 Mazda CX-9 with 150k miles on it. When I look at the value of the car (I used edmunds) it was around $9k with a good engine. The shop gave me 2 estimates to replace the engine: used engine $8k, new engine $9.5k. They said the new engine was on backorder until August 23rd and they might take weeks to get the used one installed as well.

If I decide not to replace the engine we'll look to sell the car in some way. I suspect it'll be a salvage yard. Anyone have any experience with this and know what our options are? Anyone have any idea what a salvage yard might give us for an SUV in decent shape (except for the actual engine)?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

If you don’t need the money you could get
from a salvage yard, (I’ll wait for you to stop laughing……) you might consider donating it to Kars for kids (they advertise on the radio all the time 1-800-kars4kids. They’ll give you a retail donation receipt for tax deduction purposes and tow it away for free.

[jimsumner]

My wife's car pretty much died yesterday. I won't bore you too much with the details but the mechanic is pretty sure the engine is toast. After doing some reading online last night, I suspected that was going to be what they told me today. It's a 2014 Mazda CX-9 with 150k miles on it. When I look at the value of the car (I used edmunds) it was around $9k with a good engine. The shop gave me 2 estimates to replace the engine: used engine $8k, new engine $9.5k. They said the new engine was on backorder until August 23rd and they might take weeks to get the used one installed as well.

If I decide not to replace the engine we'll look to sell the car in some way. I suspect it'll be a salvage yard. Anyone have any experience with this and know what our options are? Anyone have any idea what a salvage yard might give us for an SUV in decent shape (except for the actual engine)?

I assume her car was running Internet Explorer.

On the non-flippant side, my son had a similar problem earlier this year when the engine on his Corolla (165K miles) died, in Manning, South Carolina, of all places.

Fixing it was decidedly not cost-effective. We don't fix things anymore. We just replace them with something new and shiny.

He ended up selling it for scrap.

The car. Not Manning, South Carolina.

I believe he got low four figures.

And then had to fly to Maryland to get the car he wanted, a Rav-4 hybrid. Don't know if the market has improved since then, but finding the replacement you want might be your biggest issue.

On the positive side, he really does like his Rav-4. And your new vehicle will have safety features not even imagined when the 2014 Mazda was coming off the factory floor.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

If you don’t need the money you could get
from a salvage yard, (I’ll wait for you to stop laughing……) you might consider donating it to Kars for kids (they advertise on the radio all the time 1-800-kars4kids. They’ll give you a retail donation receipt for tax deduction purposes and tow it away for free.

Because that song will now be earwormed in my head for the rest of the weekend, it is actually 1-877-Kars-4-Kids (donate your cars today).

My colleague told me recently that he used them in New Jersey and had a good experience - they do this all the time so they make it as easy as possible for you in terms of picking up the car, getting you the documentation, etc. But as Ozzie noted, you don't get any cash, just a write-off. And I believe the car my colleague donated was drivable - I'm not 100% they would take your car, but it is worth asking.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I'll chime in with the donation group. There's a great local charity here in Asheville that takes any car. They use some for parts, sell some for scrap, and sell others to needy families at very low cost. I'm very good friends with the fellow who runs the program.

Check out Working Wheels in Asheville. I bet there's something similar wherever you are.

[OldPhiKap]

Goodwill used to take cars, and used them to train people for employment in the auto repair business. Not sure if they still do, but that’s what I did with a Bonneville many moons ago.

The tax donation laws have a changed a bit too — you may be limited on the value you can claim.

[elvis14]

If you don’t need the money you could get
from a salvage yard, (I’ll wait for you to stop laughing……) you might consider donating it to Kars for kids (they advertise on the radio all the time 1-800-kars4kids. They’ll give you a retail donation receipt for tax deduction purposes and tow it away for free.

If I'm being honest, the $$ wouldn't hurt...we have 2 kids in college right now and was hoping to hold out a few more years.

I assume her car was running Internet Explorer.

On the non-flippant side, my son had a similar problem earlier this year when the engine on his Corolla (165K miles) died, in Manning, South Carolina, of all places.

Fixing it was decidedly not cost-effective. We don't fix things anymore. We just replace them with something new and shiny.

He ended up selling it for scrap.

The car. Not Manning, South Carolina.

I believe he got low four figures.

And then had to fly to Maryland to get the car he wanted, a Rav-4 hybrid. Don't know if the market has improved since then, but finding the replacement you want might be your biggest issue.

On the positive side, he really does like his Rav-4. And your new vehicle will have safety features not even imagined when the 2014 Mazda was coming off the factory floor.

If we could get a grand or two, that would be at least a little something to offset the loss.

I am looking forward to the improved safety features. We bought a Kia Niro for my daughter and I paid more than I wanted to because I wanted the safety features. This was our second CX-9 and I will say that the blind spot alert system in the Mazda was really good (although exactly the same as the 2008 we had). We have an extra vehicle, my old 2007 Tacoma with 180k on it that we mostly use a few times a week for our charity. So we can be patient while we shop for our next new or gently used car. Toughest part might be trying to get my wife to look at cars and figure out what to buy. Her best friend has a somewhat new Hyundai Santa Fe, I asked my wife if she liked it and she was like "I really haven't paid any attention to it" (they went to the mountains together a couple of months ago...3 hours each way plus adventures...sigh).

I should start another thread on advice or anyone buying a car in 2022, which is a little different than any other time I can remember!

[willywoody]

Next time someone’s car dies in Manning make sure it is when Mccabe’s BBQ is open.

[jimsumner]

Next time someone’s car dies in Manning make sure it is when Mccabe’s BBQ is open.

I'll be sure to tell him to plan his next breakdown better.

[-jk]

Goodwill used to take cars, and used them to train people for employment in the auto repair business. Not sure if they still do, but that’s what I did with a Bonneville many moons ago.

The tax donation laws have a changed a bit too — you may be limited on the value you can claim.

Our local school system takes cars for student vocational training, then sells the rebuilt, working cars.

-jk

[BigWayne]

When repair cost >= the value of the vehicle, only get it repaired if the rest of the car is in above average shape and you really love the car.
Otherwise you're best bet is either calling picknpull where you will get some minimal cash for it or to call a donation organization.
If you do a search for car donations in your town, you will find multiple options. You can choose which charity you have a preference for.
Regardless of whether you call pick and pull or any of the charities, the same tow truck guy will probably show up at your place to collect it.

[JNort]

That’s so soon for an engine to fail?!? Sorry for not being helpful with the issue but did they say what caused it? Toyota and Honda easily make 300k to 400k miles on the original engine with basic upkeep.



Heck even my Chevrolet made it 250k with abusive driving

[elvis14]

When repair cost >= the value of the vehicle, only get it repaired if the rest of the car is in above average shape and you really love the car.
Otherwise you're best bet is either calling picknpull where you will get some minimal cash for it or to call a donation organization.
If you do a search for car donations in your town, you will find multiple options. You can choose which charity you have a preference for.
Regardless of whether you call pick and pull or any of the charities, the same tow truck guy will probably show up at your place to collect it.

Yeah, we are at the point where the repair cost is about equal to the value of the car. It's not in above average shape and we don't love it enough to have a new $10k engine put in it or a used $8k engine put in it that'll have the same flaw as the one that just went belly up.

Apparently, this is just not going to be our week. Lightning just struck VERY close the house...scared the heck out of all us. When I went into the garage to grab a beer, I noticed by beer fridge wasn't on. The lighting strike came thru the sprinkler system, blew the door to the sprinkler control open, blew the dial off the controller, fried the two electrical outlets in the garage and triggered the breaker. I flipped the breaker back but the outlets are no good. The one where the sprinkler system was plugged up is blackened. I'm actually glad that the garage door openers still work (different circuit). Guess my next post will be "Advice: how much will an electrician cost" so I know if I should make an insurance claim. Sigh I'm going to need more (warm) beer.

[YmoBeThere]

Two words: LS swap...

[burnspbesq]

Yeah, we are at the point where the repair cost is about equal to the value of the car. It's not in above average shape and we don't love it enough to have a new $10k engine put in it or a used $8k engine put in it that'll have the same flaw as the one that just went belly up.

Apparently, this is just not going to be our week. Lightning just struck VERY close the house...scared the heck out of all us. When I went into the garage to grab a beer, I noticed by beer fridge wasn't on. The lighting strike came thru the sprinkler system, blew the door to the sprinkler control open, blew the dial off the controller, fried the two electrical outlets in the garage and triggered the breaker. I flipped the breaker back but the outlets are no good. The one where the sprinkler system was plugged up is blackened. I'm actually glad that the garage door openers still work (different circuit). Guess my next post will be "Advice: how much will an electrician cost" so I know if I should make an insurance claim. Sigh I'm going to need more (warm) beer.

As long as you’re having an electrician in the garage, have them run a 50A, 240V line out there, with a 14-50 outlet. Then call your local VW and Hyundai dealers and see if you can get an ID.4 or Ioniq5.

[Tooold]

If you decide to donate it, you might consider Duke’s Pratt school of engineering. They have various student design projects that might make use of body and engine parts.

[budwom]

not sure that a car of that age with a blown engine is worth much at all...

[OZZIE4DUKE]

If I'm being honest, the $$ wouldn't hurt...we have 2 kids in college right now and was hoping to hold out a few more years.



If we could get a grand or two, that would be at least a little something to offset the loss.

I am looking forward to the improved safety features. We bought a Kia Niro for my daughter and I paid more than I wanted to because I wanted the safety features. This was our second CX-9 and I will say that the blind spot alert system in the Mazda was really good (although exactly the same as the 2008 we had). We have an extra vehicle, my old 2007 Tacoma with 180k on it that we mostly use a few times a week for our charity. So we can be patient while we shop for our next new or gently used car. Toughest part might be trying to get my wife to look at cars and figure out what to buy. Her best friend has a somewhat new Hyundai Santa Fe, I asked my wife if she liked it and she was like "I really haven't paid any attention to it" (they went to the mountains together a couple of months ago...3 hours each way plus adventures...sigh).

I should start another thread on advice or anyone buying a car in 2022, which is a little different than any other time I can remember!

I love my Hyundai Santa Fe. It’s a 2019 awd turbo and just passed 50,000 miles on the odometer. Gonna keep it a while. It replaced a 2017 Santa Fe which replaced a 2015 Santa Fe. Before those I had three Hyundai Sonatas (2007, 12 and 13s). The reliability and drivability of Hyundais has been outstanding.

[BigWayne]

Yeah, we are at the point where the repair cost is about equal to the value of the car. It's not in above average shape and we don't love it enough to have a new $10k engine put in it or a used $8k engine put in it that'll have the same flaw as the one that just went belly up.

Apparently, this is just not going to be our week. Lightning just struck VERY close the house...scared the heck out of all us. When I went into the garage to grab a beer, I noticed by beer fridge wasn't on. The lighting strike came thru the sprinkler system, blew the door to the sprinkler control open, blew the dial off the controller, fried the two electrical outlets in the garage and triggered the breaker. I flipped the breaker back but the outlets are no good. The one where the sprinkler system was plugged up is blackened. I'm actually glad that the garage door openers still work (different circuit). Guess my next post will be "Advice: how much will an electrician cost" so I know if I should make an insurance claim. Sigh I'm going to need more (warm) beer.

If it just fried the one circuit that the sprinkler was on, then the breaker did it's job and you're cost won't be too bad. You need to open up your panel and see if there is any sign of other damage. Also, check every electronic device in the house plugged in to see if they are still OK.

[budwom]

definitely need to have an electrician check everything out...his assessment isn't likely to be too expensive, but the repairs could be (if necessary)...