2007 Versa with blown engine. Not sure what to do.

[AndrewYoung]

I'm not mechanically inclined whatsoever. I googled and found this great site, am in awe of all you guys for your mechanical know-how. One of our company cars is a 2007 Versa, has done almost 100,000 miles, my boss wants me to sell it. At the end of 2009 apparently the engine blew. We missed five of the 3,750 mile service events on the maintenance schedule after 50,000 miles, and Nissan won't replace the engine on warrantee and it has sat in the Nissan yard since. Looking at the local CraigsList (we're in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco in California), a Versa in good shape with low miles is $8,900 - $10,700. Googling shows the price for a new engine is $2,999 and I can't see a bill less than $4,000, probably more, by the time the engine is replaced. I'm not sure what to do. If we spend $4,000 + getting the engine replaced, I can't see the car selling for more than $8,000 at best. On the other hand, I can't see anyone taking the vehicle off my hands as it is for $4,000, but if we could get $4,000 for it, that might be the best thing to do. I'm hoping one of you guys might be able to give me some direction here, I'd greatly appreciate anything you'd have to say. Thanks, Andrew.

[Eikon]

Hi Andrew,

Glad to have you on board this great forum!

Here's my advice... Why put a brand new engine in a used car?... especially one that you are planning to sell. I would buy a used engine for it.

Try searching on http://www.car-part.com here's an example of what I found:2007EngineNissan Versa RG TG 46,000 R3968 $400 AutoGator Roseville-PRP,PAR Member USA-CA(Roseville) Request_Quote 1-800-833-9292

There are a number of used Versa motors in CA for well under $1000... most of which should be in perfect running order. Shipping will probably be another couple hundred bucks.. but you should still be able to get a used motor delivered to a mechanic's shop for under $1000.

First... find a local mechanic who is reasonable and get a quote for an engine swap. Check your dealer's labor quote as well.. but at the typical dealership labor rates, be prepared to have a local mechanic or shop do the work. I would think you'd be able to get it done for $600 to $800 or so.. including new fluids, some belts, and other maintenance items that it makes sense to replace when the engine is swapped.

So I would imagine you'd be somewhere around $2k or less installed.

As for selling the car... check edmunds.com as well to see what they recommend for a fair market value. I would think that with 100k miles you would be closer to $6500 or so than $8000... But i could be wrong... especially if gas prices go up again this summer...

If I owned the car, here is what I would do. 1.) Check and compare prices for labor to install the new motor. 2.) Call around to the different salvage yards on http://www.car-parts.com and find a good deal on a used motor. 3.) Put the car on criagslist as-is.. but with the information on the exact motor and price as well as the quote to install.. If it can be done for $2000 including labor.. advertise the car for about $2500 less... the buyer should get a little better deal for taking the risk and doing the legwork.. Give it week or two to see what happens. 4.) If it doesn't sell on Craigslist... then see if your boss is willing to spend the $2k to have the new motor put in. 5.) Then sell the car on craigslist with the new motor installed and all mechanical issues taken care of...

Good luck!

[AndrewYoung]

Eikon, you're my new Best Friend.

Thank you, sir, for your excellent guidance. Will feed this to my boss in five minutes. Yes, we have a mechanic nearby who services the vehicles, I'm sure we can do all that. Thank you again.

Anybody else reading my original question, I'm satisfied with Eikon's answer, thank you for any time you spent on considering this.

Andrew

[Eikon]

Glad to help!

One more little tidbit... most of the salvage yards that resell on http://www.car-part.com will include a warranty on the motor to insure you don't get a bad one. To be sure, you should always ask about the warranty when you call to get a quote on the motor. Also, ask them to arrange shipping instead of trying to do it yourself.. in my experience, they always get much better rates. They should have no problem putting the motor on a pallet and arranging an in-state ltl truck delivery for you.

Keep us updated on the progress.. I'm curious to see how things turn out.

Also, keep in mind that we have a classifieds section on this forum as well. You've already become a member, and it's free to post.. so you might as well.zeroforum/144You could also post it in the Versa trading post thread. http://forums.nissanversa.org/zerothread/359701

Good luck with the project and sale.

[NCJack]

You could always part it. Some members on this site have been looking for panels, cupholders, armrests, sunglasses holders, etc. Just a thought.

I personally would like a carpeted Nissan Versa brand mat for the sedan trunk, but I dont like the prices ive seen.

Just food for thought!

Regards,Jack