[kylies0211]

so for my first car my parents got me a 2006 fwd rav4. it ran great for about 7 months then starting acting weird and then one day on my way to class gave out on top of the bridge. i brought it to a mechanic and he said the engine was done for and i’d have to get another one. i kinda gave up hope on it, as i have it sitting on the side of my house right now. but recently i found out about jdm engines ( i know very little about cars) and i was interested in getting one for my rav. my dad is more mechanically inclined and has replaced engines in boats and a few cars, but they were older and more simplistic. so i guess i am wondering how complicated would it be to replace the engine? is it even realistic? and if not how much would it cost to just put a new one in?

 

[DL175]

First off why do you need a new engine? Is it a head gasket failure or a seize engine? You do know some 2006 to 2008 4 cylinder engines burn oil right? It may not even be a bad engine unless the mechanic is lying to trick you to pay more.

If you know very little about cars then don't even think about replacing the engine. It is way too complicated to replace an engine. The older V8 style engines in the gas guzzling days were easier to replace and todays engine are more complicated. Unless your dad is a mechanic he may have difficulties installing an engine. A used engine would cost around $1500-$2500 ? Labour around $2000-$3000. A new engine would be around $4000-$5000 not including labour and taxes.

 

[JKrew]

Did the mechanic say what specifically was wrong? If that mechanic won't tell you, it would be good to get a second opinion where they explain exactly what could be wrong. Even if you don't understand everything they say, you could pass it along here for further advice. The mechanic saying the engine is bad is way too vague though, there are many smaller parts of the engine that could go bad and would be much cheaper than replacing the whole engine itself.

Of course there are issues where it would be better to replace the whole engine, but the mechanic should be able explain those reasons.

When you say it started to act weird before finally giving out, what were the symptoms of it acting weird?

 

[Ike Carlson]

Same here, we need details. Exact details...noises, vibration, etc...