What to Do With a Dead Vehicle?

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ZeeOSix

ZeeOSix

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I'm posting this to get some ideas. Friend has a 2005 Ford Escape 4x4 with 178K miles, and the automatic transmission went out. Per the dealership, it has burnt fluid and clutch plate and metal debris in the fluid - sounds like the clutches burned up.

It was a maintained vehicle and had a couple of tranny fluid changes by the dealership, so unknown why it went out - just the high mileage it seems, it never towed anything. Ford dealership said it would cost about $5200 total to put a new transmission in it. Problem is, the SUV is worth less than that, even with a new tranny in it.

Gal that owns the vehicle would like to get whatever she can out of it as is. The dealership doesn't want to give her anything for it as is on a trade-in (understandable).

She doesn't want to fix it, again understandable. So what would you guys do in this situation to try and get something for it. Even if the dealership gave her $300 for it she'd probably take it. It's sitting at the dealership, and she has no place to store it, and it was flat bedded there, so if she moves it then that's more cost into it. Maybe Craig's list it for cheap and have the buyer go to the dealer snd haul it off? That's all I can come up with.
 
I hope everyone gets this stupid song stuck in their head all day!
grin2.gif
 
A couple of options: sell it to a salvage / wrecking yard. How much you get can depend on what scrap iron is going for on commodities market. There used to be a specific commodity called "scrap auto bodies". I seem to recall getting $200 for a 1998 Ford Contour V6 that was totaled. Another option- sometimes wrecking yards have a service bay, and will install used transmissions. The one time I used this option was for a 700R4 in a Camaro Z28- the trans came out of a 1989 Trans Am and into the 1985 Z28. Although it was over 10 years ago, the full cost was $800 which was a bargain at the time. The car had 130k on it, and the used trans went until the next owner wrecked it at 180k. I think there was a bit of good luck in that swap- I got a guy at the wrecking yard who was knowledgeable, they had a perfect donor vehicle, and whoever did the install did a perfect job.
 
If the rest of the vehicle is OK then fix it. Much cheaper than buying another used ride with all of it's unknown problems. Poor maintenance.
 
Get a second opinion from a tranny shop or else call a "we buy junk cars" guy and they'll take it away and give a couple hundy for it.

If you donate the car, you'll get a tax deduction for whatever they sold it for. So, it they sell it for $200, you'll deduct $200 from your income if you itemize which will be much harder to do with the new tax code and the you'll net like $50 instead of $200 in your pocket.
 
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Around here there are guys with rolloffs that will pay 250 to 500 for a complete vehicle. I`v sold four in ten years. would imagine scrappers are everywhere
 
Originally Posted by tig1
If the rest of the vehicle is OK then fix it. Much cheaper than buying another used ride with all of it's unknown problems. Poor maintenance.


She was going to trade it in the next few months on something much newer and with less miles. So putting $5200 into it to maybe be lucky enough to get $5000 (book value) for it fixed up doesn't make sense. The same Ford dealer has a one owner 2013 loaded Escape with 44K miles which she's interested in.

She did talk to an independant transmission shop and it would be around $1000 less, but that was just a verble over the phone. Problem is it would probably cost about $200 to flat bed it there - it's a ways to that shop. Wouldnt leave much to get any profit out of it. Getting $500 for it as is somehow might be less pain.

Supposed to try and deal on the 2013 Escape tommorow afternoon, so maybe the dealership knows guys who buy vehicles in his kind of situation.
 
Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Another option- sometimes wrecking yards have a service bay, and will install used transmissions. The one time I used this option was for a 700R4 in a Camaro Z28- the trans came out of a 1989 Trans Am and into the 1985 Z28. Although it was over 10 years ago, the full cost was $800 which was a bargain at the time.


This concept is common in Texas, and almost always works out to be the most cost effective option.
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Another option- sometimes wrecking yards have a service bay, and will install used transmissions. The one time I used this option was for a 700R4 in a Camaro Z28- the trans came out of a 1989 Trans Am and into the 1985 Z28. Although it was over 10 years ago, the full cost was $800 which was a bargain at the time.


This concept is common in Texas, and almost always works out to be the most cost effective option.


I can do some calling around with some of these suggestions - thanks guys!
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
See what an independent trans shop says it will cost to fix.



That's what Id start with...

178k is a lot of miles for a $5200 repair on a vehicle that isnt particularly special, but if a good used AT or something can be done for a few thousand less, it may be worth it, at least to make it saleable.

Beyond that, often you can get like 12c/lb. Id start on an escape/Ford forum, then a pick and pull.
 
Up here you just phone the Kidney Foundation. They send a wrecker to pick it up and you get a tax deduction for the scrap value of the vehicle. Done deal. The car usually gets sent to Pick and Pull.
 
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https://carbrain.com/

This place worked for me. I did my homework on them and they checked out OK.
They bought my GC with a dead engine last July for $150 over what the local wrecker offered. They did what they said they would do with no headaches.
They even came up a little from their original offer.
 
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Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Another option- sometimes wrecking yards have a service bay, and will install used transmissions. The one time I used this option was for a 700R4 in a Camaro Z28- the trans came out of a 1989 Trans Am and into the 1985 Z28. Although it was over 10 years ago, the full cost was $800 which was a bargain at the time.


This concept is common in Texas, and almost always works out to be the most cost effective option.



Was going to say same thing...

We've got a wrecker who does log book servicing at the other end.

Can get used parts within 48 hours, so not beholden to what's in his yard, and will do work such as this very economically...even moreso if you can leave it for a week or two as a fill in time project.
 
If it has the CD4E transmission, then I am both surprised it lasted that long, as well as surprised an indy would want within $1000 to rebuild it. Need to shop around. In these parts that rebuild would get done for less than $2000.
 
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