Owning a car isn’t the cheapest of things, is it? There are so many factors at play that can make having a car costly including repairs, servicing, and yearly registrations. Unexpected repairs can put a severe dent in your bank balance. To get an idea of what some of these repairs are and just how costly they can be, we’ve listed the five most common expensive repairs that lead people to sell their junk cars below.

1. Blown Head Gasket

Average cost of repair: $1,000-2,000

A blown head gasket brings with it a ton of other car problems. We’re talking overheated engine, a smoking exhaust, not to mention leaking oil and coolant. There are no negotiations about whether you need to fix the broken gasket or not. You just have to repair the head gasket because open engine cylinders and leaking coolant will make your life a nightmare… And speaking of cylinders…

2. Broken Cylinder

Average cost of repair: $5,000-8,000

Broken cylinders are no laughing matter. If you have an older car, you may not be willing to part with $5,000 to repair a broken cylinder. If you take good care of your car, and have regular maintenance and servicing however, you may be lucky enough to avoid having to go through such an expensive repair. If not, you might find yourself on the unlucky end of an expensive quote from a mechanic.

3. Electric Car Battery Replacement

Electric cars are known for having lithium ion batteries. These batteries haven’t been around long which means they are still quite expensive to purchase. Expect to pay as much as $150 per kWH and even more for these precious batteries. Replacing these batteries can be nightmarishly expensive. The upside to all of this is that once you’ve bought a new lithium battery, you’ll have a very reliable battery in your car for a long time to come.

4. Transmission

Average cost to repair: upwards of $1,000

Your car’s transmission is one of the key elements of the car. Failures in the car’s transmission are often the result of car owners forgetting to top up transmission fluid. As a result the transmission is worn out when you change gears repeatedly or when you ride the clutch in a manual car and repairs of the transmission will cost you upwards of $1,000.

5. Blown Engine

Average cost to repair: $1,000 - $4,000

It goes without saying that without an engine, there is no car. A car is its engine, and an engine makes the car. When a mechanic tells you that you have blown the motor, what they really mean is that the engine is so badly damaged internally that the repairs alone will cost a fortune or that the engine needs a complete replacement. And this folks doesn’t come cheap whichever way you look at it.

Repair or Sell?

It’s clear to see that car repairs don’t come cheap. This is why most people often end up selling their cars to junkyards when the costs are just too much, and the car isn’t worth trading in. The best way to find a place willing to buy your used car is to simply type in ‘junkyards near me’ in your browser and see what comes up. In the end, for most, selling the car is the best decision they can make.