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Can You Get A Car Engine From A Junkyard? A Detailed Guide For Affordable Engines

Can You Get A Car Engine From A Junkyard

If you're searching for “Can you get a car engine from a junkyard,” the short answer is yes. If you follow the right recommendations, experts recommend junk yards for affordable car engines.

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The vehicle engine is a core component in your car; if it goes bad, you won't be able to drive it. It gets you stuck in nowhere, and we'll send you thousands of dollars in repair costs, considering the expensive repairs needed.

While there are many ways to use a brand-new engine, many experts do not recommend investing this amount of money because you might find more affordable solutions that help you get your vehicle going.

One common question from many readers is, “Can you get a car engine from a junkyard?” In this article, we will answer this question and provide more details about what needs to be considered if you plan to shop for an engine from a junkyard.

What is the junkyard?

Before we dig into the details of your question, “Can you get a car engine from a junkyard,” you must understand the meaning of a junkyard in the first place. This way, you can understand what type of engines you can find and whether you can even find it.


The junkyard is the last resort for any old vehicle. It's considered the end-of-life location for old, dismantled cars. While you'll mostly expect damaged vehicles to be in junkyards, it doesn't mean that the whole components in the car are completely damaged. In other words, you can still find some working components in any vehicle, but the vehicle itself might not be operable and unsafe to be driven on public roads.

How Do I Know If My Junkyard Engine Is Good

Can you get a car engine from a junkyard?

Many people go to junk yards to purchase used components as an affordable source to save on repair costs. If you're planning to shop for any car component, even an engine, you should find good examples, but finding the right engine takes some time and effort.

While it's a great idea to consider junk yards for purchasing used parts, you need to keep in mind that many risks go into purchasing such components. This is because many of the car parts might be damaged and might have internal problems that you're not clear about or familiar with. Therefore, I have to be careful about purchasing an engine from a junkyard, and I have to follow some recommendations by automotive experts to help you avoid purchasing A damaged or bad engine from the junkyard.

What Is LKQ Junkyard and How Does It Work 

What are the benefits of getting an engine from a junkyard?

Many people hesitate to purchase an engine from a junkyard, thinking all engines will be bad. However, there are tons of benefits that you'll enjoy if you go this route:

1-   Saving money

The first and most obvious benefit you'll enjoy is saving money. If you decide to purchase a brand-new engine, you'll pay tons of money that might not even be worth it. However, if you go this route, you'll be able to find something affordable that helps you get your vehicle going for some time; although this time is not going to be as long as when you go with a brand new engine, that's what you can afford.

2-   Finding rare engines

Another challenge many people face when trying to replace their engine is finding a part replacement. In other words, if you're writing a vehicle with very rare components, it'll take forever until your mechanic finds a brand-new engine, and it might take some time to import it from a different country.

On the other hand, if you go to a junkyard, there's a high chance you can find all these rare and vintage engines easily without any hassle. Remember that sometimes you might need to go to multiple junk yards until you find your vintage engine, but it has a higher chance of getting what you want.

3-   Helping the environment

Finally, you'll achieve another great benefit from purchasing an engine from a junkyard, which is helping the environment. Think about it this way: if you go and purchase this used engine, you don't have to waste the resources creating a new engine that the company needs to put into designing and transporting it.

Similarly, if you don't take this used engine, it'll go to waste, and processing this waste somehow takes a lot of resources that might also consume the environmental resources.

Can You Buy A Second-Hand Engine

What are the risks of purchasing an engine from a junkyard?

While it might sound like a great idea to purchase a used engine from a junkyard, there are some risks that you should keep in mind. These risks should help you make an informed decision about whether you should go this route or not:

1-   Compatibility problems

The biggest challenge many people find when shopping for a used engine from a junkyard is compatibility issues. They might go with the first incident they buy, thinking that this exact brand will match their car, but that is not enough, and you have to dig into detail to figure out which engine is compatible with your car.

2-   Condition and reliability

Even if the engine looks great to you or, sometimes, it's not pure, in other words, there might be some hidden internal problems in the engine that you won't figure out until you install it in your car and try it, which is too late for deciding on whether you should buy this engine or not.

3-   Warranty and return policy

Finally, if you're planning to purchase an engine, it is a great impression investment, so you have to understand what the return policies are like and whether there is any warranty. Typically, junk yards won't provide a lot of good warranties, and even they might not provide that warranty at all. That's why you must be careful about which engine to purchase.

Highest Paying Junkyards

Tips and tricks for shopping for a used engine from a junkyard

If you decide to try it and want to purchase a used engine from the junkyard, you must follow recommendations by automotive experts. The list below provides some advice that could help you avoid purchasing a bad engine and figure out what the real engine that your vehicle is looking for:

–       Bring an expert

No matter how good you are at looking for engines and how familiar you are with your car, some things are not easy; therefore, most automotive experts typically recommend bringing someone with previous experience, like a mechanic or a family member or friend, with such experience.

–       Bring all your tools

Depending on which junkyard you choose, they might ask you to take out your parts yourself. This involves bringing in some tools and requires certain mechanical skill sets that you have to have; otherwise, we can easily damage the engine before you take it out.

–       Ask about the return policy

You must understand all the details about the return policy in case something happens or you purchase the wrong engine. This becomes very significant and critical if the engine is expensive and you don't want to deal with any complications.

–       Evaluate your situation carefully

Finally, before you decide to buy an engine from a junkyard or not, it's important that you evaluatoituation carefully. In other words, if you feel that the investment is not worth it and will not add so much value to you, it might be worth selling this car rather than wasting your time and effort.

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Can you get a car engine from a junkyard? Final Thoughts

If you plan to replace your car engine, you'll need to look for all the available resources to help find the best engine that serves your needs. Many wonder, “Can you get a car engine from a junkyard?”

As highlighted in this article, you can purchase a used engine from a junkyard, but you have to keep in mind some pros and cons that will help you make an informed decision about whether you should purchase such an engine.

If you get to a point where you think that your vehicle is not worth the repairs and it's going to be a lot of money, even with a used engine from the junkyard, it might be the perfect time for you to sell this car and buy a better one.

Are you looking for someone to buy your car? Call Cash Cars Buyer at 773-791-4363.

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