Guide
What engine replacement costs
Anyone quoting a single national figure is guessing. What you can do is understand the five components of the number and get a real quote against them.
The five components of the cost
Every engine replacement is the sum of the same five things. Knowing them lets you compare quotes properly and spot the ones that have quietly left something out.
- The engine itself — driven by application, condition and whether it is used, rebuilt or remanufactured
- Freight — pallet shipping to your address, with liftgate and residential delivery costing more
- Labour — hours vary enormously by vehicle; a transverse V6 in a tight engine bay is not a body-on-frame truck
- Fluids, gaskets and consumables — coolant, oil, filters, seals and hardware
- Related parts — the items it would be uneconomic not to replace while the engine is out
Why labour varies so much
Access dominates labour cost. A longitudinal engine in a truck with a large engine bay comes out comparatively quickly; a transverse engine in a tightly packaged front-drive car, or an engine that requires subframe removal, takes considerably longer.
Turbocharged and diesel engines add hours for the charge-air, exhaust and emissions systems. Four-wheel-drive vehicles can add hours for driveline clearance. Ask your shop for hours, not just a total, so you can compare like with like.
The parts you should replace while it's out
Some items cost very little in parts and a great deal in labour if done separately. With the engine out, they are nearly free to address.
Discuss this list with your installer before the job starts. It usually adds a modest amount to the quote and removes the most annoying category of follow-up repair.
- Timing set on a belt-driven engine, or where chain wear is suspected
- Water pump, thermostat and hoses
- Rear main seal and any accessible gaskets
- Clutch on a manual vehicle, or flexplate inspection on an automatic
- Motor mounts, if they have any age on them
How to decide whether it's worth it
Compare the total installed cost against the vehicle's value and against what you would spend to replace the vehicle. Include the condition of everything else — transmission, suspension, rust, tyres — because an engine in an otherwise tired vehicle buys less time than it appears to.
A specialist should be willing to tell you when the numbers do not favour replacement. On an older economy car with a high-mileage transmission, that is often the honest answer.