Japanese Engines - why Junk Yards are not worth it ?

An ENGINE is the driving force of any vehicle. It is the heart and soul of any vehicle. When your engine lets you down, buying it from a junk is not the best option. There are only three options available to you:

- buy a the cheapest but lowest quality, non tested engine from a Junk yard with basic 30 days warranty

- buy from a Japanese importer who tests everything & gives around 6 months warranty

- or find a used car to replace your current one.

I would say any prudent person would go with the second option because it gives you good value for money. Makes no sense to spend even 50% less and gift the money to a junk yard because they don't test anything at all. In USA people drive around 40,000 miles on an average so these engines will from junk yard will have around 150 to 200k miles.

Japanese Importers lay greater emphasis on quality of the motor. First of all these are low mileage engines from Japan, second of all, precautions are taken to check every mechanical aspect of the engine. Many check compression, leak down & oil pressure.

We recommend you should also find Japanese Engines from a vendor who has been doing this for long, who has a good reputation because people who have been doing business for around 10 years are serious.

It does not make sense to buy a used engine for cheap and feel happy, the truth comes out after it is installed or while it is being installed. Most vehicles in USA are crashed from front which Junk Yards buy from salvage auctions, what if engine actually has low mileage but while installation you discover a small piece of power steering bracket, AC compressor bracket or even block is cracked. It evidently happens very often because Junk Yards / salvage yards don't bother to check at all. In this case you will have to pay for installation to a mechanic and then also pay to pull it out.

Therefore we recommend this is not worth it. We recommend everyone should just shun junk yards and focus on quality, return on investment and buy low mileage used engines that are fully tested by serious importers because Junk yards can't even afford to test or inspect like they do.

The last option we would like to consider would be replacing the vehicle with new or used car. Well.. when money is tight then this is the biggest out-of-pocket expense because any used car with fair amount low mileage, around 50k will cost around 7000-8000k.Therefore spending money carefully and buying from a Japanese importer is the best option.

Most people will definitely agree with us.

Are Japanese Engines really low mileage ?

Engines run your vehicle and without an engine your vehicle has no value. If the engine or transmission of your vehicle breaks down the car loses its value until it is fixed. This leaves you with 2 options; either buy a new vehicle and get rid of the one that has bad motor or buy a new engine. As far as cost effectiveness is concerned the least out-of-pocket expense is when you buy a good used engine for your vehicle...provided you find one. Another engine plus installation may cost you around $2000 but another vehicle with decent mileage around 40,000-50,000 will cost you over and above $7000. So one thing is clear that least out-of-pocket expense is in buying another motor.

Now lets look at our culture on the road. In the U.S everyone drives around 40-50k each year so a 2000 model vehicle will have more than 200,000 miles...logically speaking. In Japan the story is totally different. Japanese people have no option but to resort to another vehicle because transportation laws are so expensive that registration becomes costly due to shaken inspection fee etc as the car becomes older. It is cheaper to commute in subways, bullet trains and other public transport in Japan because Japan is very well connected so it makes sense to go to work using public transport. This is the reason why Japanese shun their vehicles on weekdays and drive mostly on weekends. Also parking is so expensive in Japan. One needs to have a parking permit before buying a new car in Japan. All this forces Japanese people to get rid of their vehicles withing 4-5 years. In Japan their are no salvage yards but Government controlled exporters who can export complete used vehicles and also parts.

These are the reasons that make Japanese Engines imported from Japan the best Used Engines in the world because they are driven less, well kept and proves to give better value than high mileage Junk yard engines from United States. Therefore Japanese Motors are the best bet if you want your vehicle back on the road.