When your car engine fails and you come to the grim realization that you have to start looking for another engine, it may not have occurred to you to look for a used engine instead of a new one. However, relatively speaking, installing a used engine in your car is not much different than purchasing a used car; in fact, it’s a lot cheaper! Keeping the car you have and looking for a used engine is generally the most cost-effective solution to the issue of having a car with a busted engine. Like purchasing a used car, there are several advantages and disadvantages to purchasing a used engine; however, they could simply just be facts to keep in mind while searching for the right used engine to install in your existing vehicle. Whether or not you should choose to install a used engine depends upon your budget and willingness to step outside your comfort-zone a bit in order to save money. The only catch is, you will need to be aware of what a reliable used car engine looks like. Before you begin the process of buying a new engine, consider the following information about used engines.

It will save you a lot of money

Although previously mentioned, it is not emphasized enough how economically sound it is to purchase a used engine. If you find the right one, it will be significantly cheaper than buying a new engine and it will perform just the same. The money saved alone is reason enough for looking into purchasing a used engine. When a car owner gets the news that their engine is out of commission for good, it can place a huge amount of stress on his shoulders just imagining the hefty amount of money he will have to dish out to get the engine replaced. Some car owners might even think, “What’s the point? Why not just look for a new car?” However, most car owners do not consider the concept of purchasing a used engine. The dilemma of a failing engine can be further stressful if one doesn’t know anything about engine reliability and is not familiar with the components of an engine to begin with.

It will lessen the environmental impact

Beyond the cost-effective aspect of purchasing a used engine, there is another benefit that has recently come to the awareness of many consumers worldwide; lower environmental impact. Used car engines help the environment because we are recycling perfectly good engines by utilizing them for as long as possible before they need to be disposed of. This eliminates a huge percentage of engines that are thrown away for no apparent cause—ones that can be fixed or reused. Imagine a car engine rusting in a waste plant somewhere; recycling those engines by repairing and using them for as long as possible is a great way to lessen our environmental impact. By choosing only to install recycled engines, you can make a significant difference in your carbon footprint for an entire lifetime.

Choose a reliable mechanic for its inspection

Again, the engine is the most vital component of any vehicle; without its optimal functioning, everything else goes by the wayside. The engine you install as a replacement for a broken one should be reliable, even if it’s used. There are plenty of reliable, used engines that need to be recycled and are perfectly fine given a thorough inspection. If you need a new engine installed in your vehicle, first be sure to go to a mechanic that is familiar with the process of inspecting a new engine. In fact, some professional automotive repair shops encourage the installation of used engines over new ones because they understand the environmental impact that they are responsible for, in addition to saving their customers money. Some of the things that auto specialists look for in used engines are low mileage and indications of previous repair work—they find out what issues may come up, if any, and how to fix them before installing them into another vehicle. Sometimes used engines even come with warrantees; this is another way to ensure that your purchase of a used engine remains protected for an extended period of time. Purchasing a used engine seems like a no-brainer, and for the reasons listed, it is in your best interest to look into buying only used engines in the future.