There are countless car repairs that almost anyone with the right tools and bit of research can do on their own.
However, not all vehicle issues can or should be attempted by those with limited mechanical experience.
Trying to take on a car repair that is too difficult for your skillset could result in further damage to your vehicle or injury to yourself in the attempt.
Here are some of the most challenging car repairs to make that you’re better off leaving to the professionals.
Replacing a car engine
Arguably, the most challenging vehicle repair to make is replacing a car engine.
In some cases, replacing the engine of a vehicle is more cost-effective than purchasing an entirely new vehicle. However, those who seek to carry out this challenging task have their work cut out for them.
Unfortunately, replacing a vehicle’s engine isn’t as simple as pulling out the old one and plopping a new one in.
The approach necessary to successfully replace a vehicle’s engine will vary depending on the make, model, and year of the vehicle.
As such, it’s important to consult a service manual that is specific to your exact vehicle before attempting to replace your engine.
When taking on this project, you should also be prepared to replace other parts of your vehicle that connect to the engine, depending on how much mileage your vehicle has accumulated.
Automatic transmission issues
By far, one of the most complex components of any vehicle—especially newer automatic models—is the transmission.
Depending on the model, an automatic transmission can have upwards of 400-500 different parts.
Due to their complexity, transmission issues are often incredibly difficult to resolve and require the aid of a skilled professional mechanic.
Because transmissions are composed of so many interconnected parts, even determining the cause of the transmission problem that you need to resolve can prove exceedingly difficult.
Swapping out a clutch
Another one of the most challenging car repairs to make is changing a clutch.
Many people might not consider changing a clutch to be an especially challenging or complex procedure. However, in order to replace a clutch, you’ll often also have to remove your vehicle’s engine or transmission as well.
Having to remove such complex and heavy vehicle components transforms what would otherwise have been a relatively simple repair into a highly difficult process.