How Much Does an Engine Repair and Replacement Cost?

The cost of a full engine replacement can vary significantly. If you replace an engine with a used or reconditioned one, it can cost anywhere from £1000 to over £5000 depending on your vehicle. A mechanic should be consulted on whether the engine or parts of it can be repaired if there is no catastrophic damage to the engine. ClickMechanic does not provide a full engine replacement or engine rebuilds but we are able to help with most engine-related repairs.

Your location can also be a key factor in determining the price of a car engine replacement job. For example, average hourly labour rates and demand in cities like London is around £50-£100 while in towns with lower demand, the labour rates can range from £35-£50. The type of mechanic, for example, a mobile mechanic vs a dealership garage technician can also affect the total cost of an engine replacement.

Average cost of an engine repair and replacement by location

In most cases, it is not the full engine that needs to be replaced, but rather individual components of it such as the head gasket or even something relatively minor such as a rocker cover gasket repair. Depending on the job required, it can cost as little as £100 to over £2000 to repair and replace engine problems.

Average cost of an engine repair and replacement by manufacturer

How do you know if your engine needs to be repaired?

• Strange knocking sounds coming from engine
• Check engine light on
• Poor fuel efficiency
• Engine is running rough or frequent idling
• Engine is overheating
• Coloured smoke coming from exhaust
• Loss of engine power or struggles to accelerate

Some common signs that may mean your engine needs a repair:

The engine is making knocking noises

A knocking sound from the engine can mean that there is a problem with the engine's pistons, valves or bearings.

Check engine light on

An illuminated EML light indicates there may be something wrong and diagnostic equipment will be needed to find the exact cause.

The engine is running tough or idling

This does not necessarily mean engine damage but can also point out other issues such as a clogged fuel filter, worn spark plugs or ignition system components (petrol) or faulty injectors (diesel), etc which can eventually lead to engine damage.

The engine is overheating

This can be caused by a variety of things, such as a coolant leak, a problem with the thermostat, or a problem with the water pump all of which need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Frequently asked questions about engine repair cost

Is an engine worth fixing?

Whether a damaged engine is worth fixing or replacing really depends on the severity of the damage and the make/model/year of the car. In some cases, it may be worth fixing the engine, while in others it may be more cost-effective to replace the car. It is typically not worth fixing a car engine when the cost of the repairs exceeds the value of the car.

If you need help with determining what may be wrong with your car engine and if it can be repaired, fill out this free technical assistance form and one of our in-house mechanics will help you. Note: we do not provide full exchange engine replacement services.

Is it better to replace an engine or buy a new car?

This depends on what type of damage has been caused to the engine - for example, if it needs a head gasket replacement it can cost around £500-£1000 whereas if there is irreparable damage to the engine in which case it would require a whole new engine replaced.

It is better to sell your old car if the cost of replacing the engine (or doing the repair) is much higher than the car's value, and you can use that cash to invest in another vehicle instead. In other cases, if the car has had a good life, for example, done 150,000 miles, it might be worth selling it for parts instead of spending money on getting it repaired.

How long does it take a mechanic to replace an engine?

In the case of a full engine replacement, it can take a mechanic 8-12 hours to replace it, and the vehicle is usually left overnight or for a few days at the garage.

In the case of engine repair jobs such as crankshaft pulley replacement or oil sump change, it takes around 2 hours to complete the job.

A head gasket replacement is a bigger engine-related repair and can take around 6 or more hours to complete and is sometimes left overnight at the garage due to the complexity of the repair job.