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Here's what to do with a car with a blown engine

March 1, 2023

Does your car have a blown engine? You may be wondering what to do with your car's engine. You could donate your car with a blown engine, sell your car, fix it, or sell it it for scrap metal.

We have experience dealing with this problem. If your vehicle has experienced engine failure, it's natural to find what is your car worth. Your car's motor doesn't need to run for you to get fair market value.

Don't let blown engines hold you back from getting the most our of your used car! Damaged cars can still get fair market values!

What To do when your car engine blows

  1. Bring it in to a trust mechanic to see the extent of the damage. If it is worth it to fix it, pay to repair your engine.
  2. If your vehicle is totaled from a blown engine, research how to get the most value from it. Consider donating it or selling it.
  3. We've done the research for you! Read on to see what to do when your car engine fails.

Donating Your Car With Engine Failure

Wheels For Wishes is a unique car donation charity that accepts most vehicles, even junk cars with blown engines. We come to you with free towing from an experienced tow truck driver, and we take care of most of the work for you! Making blown engine car donation convenient for you is very important to us.

Why choose donation for your car with a blown engine? We compete by getting you fair prices often exceeding trade in value. As a nonprofit 501(c)3 charity, we pay you with a tax deduction.

Your tax-deductible receipt reflects the auction price for your damaged car. You might get an instant offer for damaged cars from scrap dealers. However, it won't be for what your bad engine car is worth.

After you donate your vehicle, our experienced team recycles, auctions, or tries to sell your car. We get the most value we can for every donation of less than perfect cars.

Your tax deduction will match how much we sold your car with a blown engine for! It's that simple. Your tax deduction reflects what your blown motor car is worth.

If we sell a car for less than $500, you can claim the fair market value up to $500 on your tax deduction.

Cars With Blown Engines Benefit Your Local Chapter Of Make-A-Wish

Wheels For Wishes is a car donation charity! Who do we benefit? We benefit your local Make-A-Wish kids!

Yes, we accept most cars with a bad engine, damaged engine, seized engine, blown engine, engine problems, busted engine, running engine, engine problems, engine issues, etc.

The proceeds from your car with a blown engine help fund life-changing wishes for local kids! That is what motivates our amazing team to get the most possible value from your blown motor donation.

If a seized engine can help fund an amazing wish for a child, we will get the most out of that car with a blown engine! That's great news for you because your tax deduction reflects the price when we sell your car.

Should You Sell, Fix Or Donate A Car With A Seized Engine?

You should donate your car with a blown engine. Here's why:

  • Sell a car with a broken engine for an instant offer, and you will get less than what it's worth. That's because local junkyards and car dealerships need to make a profit. Not all dealerships will even consider buying a car with a blown engine.
  • Sell a car with a bad engine using classified ads, and you may deal with more hassle and costs than it's worth. An online junk car buyer usually knows the worth of your vehicle, and is willing to buy cars with blown engines.
  • Most vehicles with a bad engine or engine problems won't be accepted for trade in. If they do accept your bad engine issues for trade in, you may not make as much as you do through our great tax deduction.
  • Fixing your car can be very expensive. Engine replacement costs are often more than the blown engine worth. A blown engine means engine replacement often, unless it has fixable common engine symptoms. If you have blown engine, you'll often be looking for a new vehicle.
  • Donating your blown engine car to Wheels For Wishes benefits you! You get free towing, a great tax deduction, a convenient donation process, and your donation benefits kids!

What to do with a car with a blown engine?

If your car has a blown engine, the best option is to donate it! You get free towing, and a great tax deduction. Plus, Wheels For Wishes benefits Make-A-Wish kids with the proceeds from your donation.

How much is a car with a broken engine worth?

A car with a blown engine is often worth more than you might think! The scrap metal alone can garner a pretty penny. When you try to sell a car with a blown engine, you will often find buyers. That's because they know they can make money from the many parts of your vehicle.

How much is your car with a broken engine worth specifically? The best way to find out is to donate it to Wheels For Wishes. We will get the most value from it that we can, and your tax-deductible receipt will show you that value. We are motivated to sell your car for a lot of money because we benefit the amazing children of Make-A-Wish.

Will a dealership buy my car if the engine is blown?

Car dealerships may offer a rate well below fair market to make a quick profit off your car. Not all dealerships will even consider buying or doing a trade in with a broken engine vehicle.

A dealership buys cars to make profit, and a dealership buys cars from people looking to make a quick buck. Buying cars is a business for them after all. If you sell a car there, you will get under the fair market for your blown engine vehicle.

Does a blown engine mean the car is totaled?

Bad engines could be due to:

  • Cracked block
  • Poor cooling
  • Extremely low compression
  • Compression segment failure
  • Damaged cylinder head
  • Damaged exhaust valves
  • Damaged Connecting rods
  • Low oil pressure
  • Blue smoke
  • Cooling system problems
  • Catastrophic internal mechanical damage
  • Damaged cylinder head gasket
  • Damaged engine components
  • Etc.

Typically, an experienced mechanic can diagnose the extent of your engine damage. They'll let you know if your engine trouble can be fixed with engine repairs. For some vehicles, you may even consider a new engine.

That mechanic can tell you if your car engine problems are enough to total your vehicle.

Donate Your Car Today In 3 Easy Steps

  1. Call us at 1-855-278-9474 or fill out an online donation form. This step will determine if we accept your vehicle with engine seizure.
  2. We will contact you within 24 hours of the next business day to schedule your FREE towing. That's right, we come to you with free pickups.
  3. After your donation is complete, we send your tax-deductible receipt in the mail. Use it on your 1o98-c form at tax time to claim your tax deduction!
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CDF also runs the following programs:
Wheels for Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish®, Wheels for Wishes & Wellness benefiting local children's hospitals and charities, Vehicles for Veterans benefiting disabled veterans, and Animal Car Donation benefiting animal rescue organizations.

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CDF's mission is to help these benefitting charities fulfill their missions with proceeds from CDF's car donation programs. CDF and all benefitting charities are separate and unaffiliated 501c organizations.
© 2009 - 2023 Wheels For Wishes (Car Donation Foundation)
A federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
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