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Replacement Engine For 2000 Corolla Ve

by The Flush June 9, 2011



The engine in my 2000 Corolla VE with 147,000 miles has been using oil for quite a while. I have added oil at every gas fillup, but either the problem got worse or I some how forgot to do it one time because this week the engine started acting funny and when I checked the oil there was none on the dipstick. I am assuming the engine is fried although I have not done any diagnostics to verify it. The engine will start, although it certainly does not start easily and does not run well. What does it cost to replace an engine and is it even worth it for this old of a car?

Thanks.

Pretty loaded question - cost will depend on whether you are repairing/rebuilding the existing engine, replacing it with a used engine/reman/new engine, and if used - where the engine was sourced from.

I've seen used, good condition 1ZZ-FE engines, depending on model years they were pulled from - run anywhere from $500 to $1600, more if there is a warranty attached to the engine. Then from there, depending on which model year engine was sourced, need to swap over other hard parts (ECM, wiring, etc.) Labor is what will get you - if you are doing this yourself, could easily save $500-$1000+ in labor costs alone, assuming you feel comfortable doing so. To have a shop drop in a reman engine with usually a 12 OR 24 month warranty + labor - could easily be looking at $2500-$3000.

If it is worthwhile to rebuild the engine - depends on its condition. Definitely get a compression test before you drop any time and money on the engine - if compression is toast, likely looking a good chunk of money to rebuild it. You could spend as much or sometimes more on a rebuild than an engine swap - but the advantage of rebuilding is you know exactly what parts are changed. You can target the most likely causes of the initial oil consumption - pistons, piston rings, gaskets, valve seals, etc. As there is no guarantee that the replacement engine will NOT consume oil, even if you opt to get one of the 9th gen Corolla engines.

Is it worth it for this car? That is up to you. If there is some sentimental value attached to the car, then might be worth investing in rebuilding or replacing the engine, especially if the body is in great shape. If the car is standing on its last legs, needs lots of other work - might not be worth investing any more money into the car. The valuation of the car relies on many factors that cannot be controlled or anticipated. Good example is the rising fuel costs. Every time gasoline tickles the $4+ mark, value of this car will skyrocket. Some dealerships are selling 8th gen Corollas with less than 100K miles on them for well over $7K-$8K. Some very clean models are selling even higher - one place close to me is selling a mint 2001 Corolla LE w/64K miles for $11K! Does that mean the cars are worth that much? Depends on who is buying them.



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