Every time a car experiences a mechanical failure, it gives the owner a stark choice -- to repair or not to repair. Depending on the age of the car, the cost of the car and the type of repair, the fix is often worth it. In some cases, however, it's best to just cut your losses and sell. So how do you know which is the right choice?
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Owners will often attach sentimental value to their vehicles beyond the real value. While no one can tell you a car's personal worth, here are the times when the expense simply doesn't make financial or practical sense.
Engine Replacement
"Major engine damage" are three words that no driver ever wants to hear. If you're still protected by your powertrain warranty, an engine replacement should be covered. If not, that means that your car is more than five years old and/or has more than 60,000 miles on it.
In some cases, powertrain warranties last up to 10 years or 100,000 miles, which makes repairs that cost as much as a down payment or even an entire car hard to justify.
So how much will it cost you? New engines start at $4,000 for a 4-cylinder, then go up to $5,500 for a V6 and tap out around $7,000 for a V8, according to the Family Handyman. If you have a diesel engine or a performance or luxury car, expect to add 50% more or even double the cost.
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Engine Rebuild
If you're worried about how to pay for an engine rebuild, here, too, your car is old enough to have outlasted its powertrain warranty. The $2,000-$4,500 you could pay for a rebuild is certainly cheaper than a full replacement, but it's also nearly 20% of the down payment on a brand new $20,000 car with a brand new engine and a brand new warranty.
Replacing a Head Gasket
A head gasket creates a seal between the engine block and cylinder head, a critical function that keeps combustion gasses, oil and coolant from leaving the engine. It's an expensive repair that starts at close to $3,456 but can jump up to $5,459 Consumer Affairs reports.
Cost, however, isn't the only reason why a blown head gasket might be too big to fix. According to RepairPal, it's work that usually takes place as part of an even bigger, more comprehensive and more expensive repair.
Engine Block Repair
A cracked engine block is usually a repair that isn't worth making. It's a difficult, time-consuming job that requires technicians to remove the engine from the car. Such a repair will run you at least $3,000-$5,000, but can be even more, according to CarBrain, and can often cost as much as a new engine.
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Cylinder Replacement or Repair
Like cracked engine blocks, broken cylinders and pistons require mechanics to remove the entire engine in order to fix them. That makes for a big, expensive job that requires a lot of time and labor. Also, like a cracked engine block, a cylinder replacement is likely to cost you as much as a whole new engine.
Transmission Replacement
Few jobs are bigger, more complex, more time-consuming and more expensive than replacing a transmission. You can expect to spend between $4,000-$7,000 for this kind of service, according to Consumer Affairs, but that's not the only reason you should likely opt to save that cash for a new car. Transmissions usually fail only when they're in six-figure mileage and they tend to be only one part of a series of large, significant repairs.
Transmission Rebuild
Even if your transmission can be repaired, a rebuild can easily cost just as much as a replacement -- it's certain to cost thousands in both parts and labor. Here, too, it's rarely worth the expense because the car is likely to be older with higher mileage and the repair is usually just one part of a larger and more expensive overhaul.
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Bent Frame
Like an automotive skeleton, your car's frame provides structural support and is one of any vehicle's most important safety features. A bent frame is a car-wide problem that can disrupt many critical systems and make the car unsafe to drive -- the frame, for example, provides radiator support. According to CarBrain, a bent frame can cost you as little as $600 or as much as $10,000 to fix depending on the damage. If you have a bent frame, it's likely the result of an accident; which means that it probably isn't the only repair you're facing.
Steering Rack
Fixing a broken steering rack is DIYable for just about no one, and if you encounter this repair, the cost will make you stop to think if it's even worth making. According to Spend On Auto, it will cost you on average $1,000 on the low end just for the rack, but it could creep much closer to $2,000 with labor factored into your bill.
Catalytic Converter Replacement
Catalytic converters prevent toxic emissions from passing through the tailpipe. Without one, your car isn't safe to drive and won't pass inspection or emissions tests. Think hard before getting this repair, however, as it's an expensive part to repair-between $933 to $4,414 on average. Labor accounts for very little of the nearly $2,500 that this kind of work can run you, but that fact doesn't make it any cheaper.
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Rust Removal
Depending on the location and extent, it might not be worth it to have a mechanic eliminate rust and replace components that are succumbing to metal-eating oxidation. According to Consumer Reports, surface rust is often indicative of serious trouble within, particularly when it's on the body panels, suspension-mounting points, trunk, hood and wheel wells.
Heater Core
If your defroster is on the fritz, if you're noticing moisture buildup and if your coolant is mysteriously disappearing, you likely need a heater core replacement. This can cost between $1,054 and $1,329 according to RepairPal, but the trouble doesn't stop there. If your heater core has failed, it's likely that related systems were strained or damaged, which will send you back to the mechanic soon after the core is fixed.
Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Repair
Your power control module (PCM) or engine control module (ECM) is the brains of your car, and although replacing it isn't terribly complicated, getting to it sure can be. It involves work on both the engine and the transmission, and according to RepairPal, it can cost as much a$960 and $1,033 with labor priced between $884 and $937. Not only is it a costly repair, but it's one that's usually required only on cars that are too old to justify dumping thousands of dollars into.
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Replacing an Axle Shaft
A broken axle shaft is a major expense on its own, but the other problem is that "on its own" rarely applies. According to RepairPal, it costs as much as $1,623 to replace an axle shaft, but this kind of work is usually done in conjunction with a larger and more expensive series of repairs.
Replacing an Electric Car Battery
Traditional car batteries are fairly cheap and easy to replace, but there's nothing traditional about the batteries that power fully electric vehicles. Replacing them costs close to as much as replacing an engine on a gas-powered vehicle -- $4,000 on the low side, $18,000 at the cap -- but the cost isn't the only reason to skip this repair. Electric cars generally come with warranties that span eight or 10 years, according to AutoTrader, which means if you have to pay for it yourself, you'll be pouring thousands into a car that's a decade old or more.
Airbag Replacement
If your airbags deploy, they must be replaced, and that repair alone can cost between $1,000-$2,000 on average. In many cases, however, related parts and systems like control modules must also be replaced, which will make the bill even higher. Also, if the airbags have deployed, it's probably because you were in a significant accident, which means you're fighting a repair war on more than one front.
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Complete Suspension Overhaul
Replacing individual shocks or struts is a fairly common, fairly affordable repair, although it does cost hundreds of dollars. If the entire suspension has to be overhauled, however, it will cost thousands of dollars and can equal even an engine or transmission replacement. In this case, it might be time to consider putting that money toward a new car with a new suspension.
Camshaft Repair
Camshafts are critical components that regulate how engines take in air. Change your oil regularly, because failing to do so is one of the most common ways to kill a camshaft. If that happens, it's likely your car is fairly old -- too old to justify the $2,000 or more it can cost to repair or replace one.
Air Conditioner Compressor Replacement
If your air conditioner compressor goes, you can expect to spend more than $1,000 to get it fixed, according to RepairPal. The problem is, the work usually takes place as part of a larger, more significant package of repairs. It's also a repair you can simply put off if you must -- it's usually safe to drive, albeit uncomfortably, without one.
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Turbocharger Assembly Replacement
Turbocharger assemblies, on the cars that have them, are complex systems that are difficult and expensive to repair. According to RepairPal, this kind of work starts at just shy of $2,446 and can often go much higher. Another reason to consider abandoning the vehicle if you encounter this problem is that it rarely exists in a vacuum -- it's usually part of a bigger and costlier set of repairs.
Clutch Replacement
Clutches wear out, and when they do, you can expect to spend as much as $2,119 to fix the problem, according to RepairPal. The problem, however, is that they mostly happen only on older cars that might not be worth fixing at such a high cost. Also, they're often just one part of a larger, more expensive problem with the transmission.
Fuel Injector Replacement
You can spend close to $1,300 to replace a fuel injector, according to RepairPal -- a hefty sum on its own. This kind of work, however, is often just one component of sprawling, systemwide repairs that might involve work on things like the exhaust manifold, intake manifold, intake valve and ignition coil.
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Radiator Replacement
You can replace a radiator for under $1,000 in most cases, according to RepairPal, but if a radiator has to be replaced, chances are good it's a repair that will require other repairs. If the radiator is no good, you'll likely have to also put money into components like thermostats, hoses and pumps. Additionally, if your radiator fails, it's likely that your car is on the older side.
Diesel Particulate Filter
If you drive a vehicle with a diesel engine, you have several pricey parts that standard car owners don't have to worry about. Among the most expensive of which is a diesel particulate filter, which reduces soot buildup and pollution. If yours goes, chances are good your car already has a lot of miles on it. You can pay to clean diesel particulate filters for anywhere between $2500 to $8000 or replace it with a new filter in the range of $1,000 to $10,000, according to AirTasker, but it might not be worth the money.
A Complete Brake Job
Replacing brake pads, rotors or calipers a la carte is a manageable repair, coming in at several hundred dollars. When your entire brake system needs to be replaced however, it's time to wonder whether this repair -- which easily costs more than $1,000 -- is worth making. Not only do you have to consider the cost of the repair, but the fact that often only older cars need complete brake jobs, which means that the next mechanical failure is likely not far away.
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Jake Arky contributed to the reporting of this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Most Expensive Car Repairs That Will Make You Want To Sell
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