Did you know that 80 percent of your car can be recycled?
If you're dealing with an old or damaged car that is ready to get scrapped, you might be wondering which of the parts in good condition are worth some money.
Lucky for you, we're here to tell you how you can salvage a few car parts.
Read on to learn more about the most expensive car parts and how much they're worth.
Engine Control Unit
In this day and age, you know that computers play an important role in almost everything we do, including our cars.
Car computers, also known as the engine control unit (ECU) are responsible for interpreting sensor information and managing all of the electronic components such as the air, radio, and more.
Due to all of these reasons, an ECU is an expensive auto part. If this vehicle part breaks down, some or all of the functions of your car will be disabled.
Buying a new ECU can cost you between $500 to $1,500 depending on the type of vehicle. Used junk cars ECUs can cost at least $250 depending on the quality and make of the vehicle.
Turbocharger
Although many people associate turbochargers with sports cars, many vehicles such as cars, trucks, and SUVs have them. The job of a turbocharger is to conserve fuel while it provides power to the engine.
Turbochargers are expensive auto parts to replace. A new piece can run anywhere between $500 and $2,500, plus the cost of installation.
To ensure you always keep the turbocharger in top condition, it's important to check the oil regularly.
Fuel Pump
The fuel pump is another expensive car part to replace. Fuel pumps have to supply the fuel to the injector while keeping the correct pressure.
If you fail to perform regular maintenance or you have poor driving skills, the fuel pump will get damaged.
The cost of replacing a fuel pump can set you back anywhere between $700 to $2000.
Airbags
Airbags are an important car part because they can help save your life. Since having working airbags can make the difference between surviving a crash with very little injuries, they don't come cheap.
The cost of replacing airbags will set car owners back anywhere from $1,700 to $2,5000. Of course, this amount depends on the number of airbags in the vehicle.
All cars have driver-side and passenger-side airbags to protect you from the wheel and dashboard in the event of a collision. Newer cars also have side-curtain or knee-level airbags to protect all passengers.
The more airbags your car has, the more it could cost to replace them and have them professionally installed.
Catalytic Converter
Has your car ever failed the emissions test? If you have ever experienced this issue is due to a problem with the catalytic converter.
The catalytic converter takes harmful byproducts produced in your vehicle and transforms them into harmless ones.
Replacing this car part is expensive and can cost about $1,500.
Hybrid or Electric Car Battery
Although hybrid or electric cars help get reduce gas emissions, the parts are also more expensive than regular vehicle parts.
While the cost of a regular car battery runs anywhere between $50 and $200, the cost of a hybrid or an electric car battery will set you back a lot more.
On average, you can expect a hybrid battery to cost anywhere between $1,000 to $4,000. Have you ever noticed your electronic devices don't hold a charge as well as they get older, this is the same concept for electric vehicles?
Depending on the manufacturer of the battery, hybrid car owners have a battery warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles. This gives you an idea of how long the battery will last.
Of course, there are ways to extend the life of the battery such as regular maintenance.
Brake Line Repair
Having functioning brakes is extremely important if you want to feel safe in your vehicle.
If the brake line in your vehicle gets damaged, your brakes will have no pressure and you will be in trouble.
Because this is such an important car part, it's not the cheapest one to replace.
Getting a new brake line will cost you about $1000.
Transmission
It's a car owner's worst nightmare when the transmission light turns on in their car. The transmission is a critical car part, and without it, your car cannot function properly.
It's responsible for making your car move back and forth, turn, and it also ensures the right amount of power gets to the wheels so you can go at a certain speed.
Because of the importance of the transmission, it's one of the most expensive car parts to replace.
Replacing the transmission costs between $4000 and $5000.
Engine and Cylinders
If your engine blows, your car is pretty much useless. If a mechanic tells you about the blown engine, you will need to pay the costly repairs or scrap your vehicle for cash.
The cost of replacing and rebuilding an engine costs about $7,000 to $10,000. This is a price not many car owners are willing to pay. Most decide to simply replace the vehicle altogether.
Head Gasket
Have you ever seen cars parked on the side of the road with smoke coming out of them? If you have seen or experienced this, the car most likely has a blown gasket.
Although the part itself won't break the bank, the repair cost will. A professional mechanic will charge an average of $2000 to replace it.
Camshaft Replacement
If you are one of those people that skip on their regular oil changes, you could be causing great damage to the camshaft.
When this happens, debris and dirt will prevent the engine from working properly. Think of replacing the camshaft as a type of lung transplant for your car.
The camshaft replacement will set you back $1500 to $3000.
Most Expensive Car Parts
Now that you know which are the most expensive car parts, you can get an idea which ones are the most valuable in your scrap vehicle.
Some of the most expensive car parts include the camshaft, transmission, head gasket, and airbags.
If you're a vehicle enthusiast, check out the rest of our blog for more tips.
