Engine died - is it worth replacing

[alexg]

We have a 58 plate S-max with 106,000 miles on the clock. We bought this 2 years ago when it had done 81000 miles. 

The other day while driving in motorway the engine started to make a noise then smoke came out of it. A mechanic says he cannot turn over the engine and it has basically died. 

We have a 3 year AA warranty we bought from Car Giant. They want us to pay approx £900 to have engine removed for diagnostic testing to decide if the engine is covered by the warranty or if it was caused due to wear and tear. We have had regular services since we owned it. 

If they decide it isn't covered we would then need to decide to pay for a new or rebuilt engine which I understand could cost £3-5k. 

Does anyone have experience of claiming for engine failure on such warranties? Should engines pack in after this kind of mileage?

This could be cheaper than a new car I guess, but is a new engine likely to ensure we get another couple of years at least out of the car? Is the fuel economy likely to be improved with a new engine?

This whole situation is rather a big headache for us! I would appreciate any feedback on the above! Many thanks. 

[Russ]

2nd hand car Warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on. My father in law had a Granada years ago and the camshaft went on it, when they stripped it down the old 'oh that's wear and tear' was mentioned so he had to pay for it himself. He later found out, granadas had been recalled due to camshafts not being hardened to the correct spec! Good luck with any claim because most things on cars can be put down to wear & tear!

[tazzman600]

That was bad luck there Russ but I have to disagree. A number of years ago I had a car which developed a clutch fault (pedal stuck to the floor, no return). Nursed it home. Car got picked up for repair and returned fixed (for a short while anyway). The garage changed (I think) the master cylinder but a few days later the same stuck pedal. It went back in for the clutch to be stripped to get the slave cylinder. Car worked great and it didn't cost me a penny. Warranty Direct.

[MarcusB]

You don't mention whether petrol or diesel. I assume diesel. I have a 2008 diesel 2.2 with 108,000 miles and consider it has at least the same again in it. I would think a garage could do some work for next to nothing to see what the issue is (I'm an engineer and can think of several reasons why it won't turn that could be less than fatal!)

Contact the warranty provider and explain the position, but £900 to take the engine out and have a look is madness. I have a warranty and if they have given you if with 80 odd thousand miles on the car, they v would struggle to get out of paying out with me! If the rest of the car is fine, is go for it, as even a recon engine will come with a warranty, and I'd expect 50-100,000 out of a diesel that is well looked after and regularly serviced.

[stef123]

50-100k out of a well serviced diesel? Shouldn't that be 500k to 1 million miles lol.

time for a second opinion on the car if you can get it to someone else. 

You could source and fit a second hand engine cheaper than £900! 

[Max Power]

£900 to take out an engine just to have look to see what's wrong with it! Utter madness. 

Diesels if regularly and properly maintained should go on for at least a few hundred thousand miles they are built for high mileages. We have vans where I work that have gone round the clock. Seriously!

Your choices are ...

1/ Fit a 2nd hand engine if you can find a good one at a reasonable price.   

2/ Fit a new engine if the cost doesn't exceed the value of the car and the rest of the car is in tip top condition. This option also depends on what the actual car is worth to you personally?

3/ Sell it for spares, put whatever money you get for it towards another. I recently changed my 2006 Titanium diesel model which had 84000 miles on the clock for no other reason than I wanted a newer Titanium X model, it ran like a train. In fact I sometimes regret selling it. I sold it for £ 5000, the new owner has got a brilliant car for not much money. The point I'm making is there ARE good ones out there if you look.

4/ Get someone to fix it on the cheap providing it can be fixed of course.  

Hard choices to make I'm afraid