Written for importers
Buyer's guides
What we know about moving containers of used engines, written down. Compliance regimes, how to assess an engine, documents, costs — with the numbers, not the marketing.
Wholesale onlyRegular orders are one full container — 90 engines in a 20-ft or 130 in a 40-ft, or with gearboxes 45 + 45 / 65 + 65. New customers can make their first purchase from 10 engines (10, 20, 30 or 40), with gearboxes and consolidated shipping, at list price, with no first-order surcharge (LCL freight quoted separately): first-order offer. A second order can start from 45 engines, also at list price. We do not sell single units.
More modelsBeyond the models on this page we hold many more — 488 engine and gearbox families in our warehouse list, always subject to inventory changes. Tell us how many units you need so we can give you the best price: full stock list.
These guides exist because the questions arrive over and over, and because most of what is published about this trade is written to sell rather than to inform. Each one answers a question a real buyer asked us: whether a used engine needs SONCAP in Nigeria, which HS code a customs broker should file, what a 40-ft container of engines actually costs, how to tell a trading desk from a warehouse.
They are written by Juan Alejandro Bettiz, who runs ENGICOR, and they are dated: the regulatory ones cite the issuing authority so you can check the rule yourself rather than take our word for it. Where a regime changed after we published, the page carries an updated date.
Nothing here is gated. If a guide saves you from a bad container bought from someone else, it has done its job.
Three reference pages sit alongside the guides: the global used engine trade in 2026 (where engines come from, where they go and what each region buys), used engine import rules by country (23 jurisdictions, each with its official source) and the used engine glossary.
How to import used engines from China, step by stepWritten for the importer placing a first or second container. No theory — this is the sequence that actually happens, and the points where money gets lost.Updated 4 October 2026How to check a used engine before you payYou are buying across a border from photographs. This is what those photographs need to show you, what a supplier's check can and cannot prove, and what to ask when the evidence is thin.Updated 23 September 2026Used engine HS code: 8407.34 for petrol, 8408.20 for dieselShort answer: a used petrol car engine over 1,000 cc is declared under HS 8407.34, and a used diesel car, pickup or van engine under HS 8408.20 — the same codes as new engines, with the used condition stated on the invoice. Each country adds its own digits and duty rate, so your customs broker confirms the final code.Updated 22 October 2026SONCAP and used engines: what Nigeria actually requiresUsed engines are exempt from SONCAP as published: the programme regulates new parts, and its exemption list excludes used products other than automobiles. Half the suppliers quoting Lagos will still tell you otherwise — here is what actually applies.Updated 23 September 2026Toyota 1KD vs 2KD: the difference, and which diesel is better for your marketShort answer: for most used-engine counters the 2KD-FTV is the better buy — the 2.5-litre D-4D (about 102–144 hp) fitted to the volume Hilux, Hiace and Innova, with far more units to sell and cheaper injectors to put right. The 1KD-FTV (3.0 litres, about 163–171 hp) is the stronger engine, but it is scarcer, dearer and carries an injector-seal history, so it pays only if the Prado and top-trim Hilux trade is your customer.Updated 22 October 2026How to plan a container mix of used enginesThe container is the unit of this trade. The difference between a profitable box and a slow one is decided before anything is loaded — in the mix.Updated 4 October 2026Import used engines to Kenya: KEBS PVoC and MombasaKenya is one of the busiest used-engine lanes in Africa, and one of the most orderly — if the conformity paperwork is arranged before the container sails, not after it arrives at Mombasa.Updated 23 September 2026How much does a container of used engines cost?Most suppliers answer this question with 'contact us'. Here is the actual arithmetic, using the per-unit prices we publish, so you can budget a container before you ever message anyone.Updated 23 September 2026Import used engines to Ghana: G-CAP and TemaTema is one of the most orderly ports in West Africa — for the importer whose conformity paperwork was arranged before the vessel sailed, not after it berthed.Updated 4 October 2026Import used engines to Tanzania: TBS PVoC and Dar es SalaamTanzania buys the small Toyota petrol families as steadily as any market we serve. The lane rewards one habit above all: arranging the TBS conformity certificate before the container sails.Updated 23 September 2026How many used engines fit in a container?130 used engines fit in a 40-ft container and 90 in a 20-ft — or 65 + 65 and 45 + 45 when gearboxes share the box. Those are ENGICOR's commercial configurations for bare engines of 87 to 166 kg; exporters who ship engines with the gearbox attached quote 100 to 110 and 70 to 80. Here is where the numbers sit against container payload and cube, what each model weighs, and a video of a load going in.Updated 3 October 2026How to verify a used engine supplier before you payEvery buyer in this trade knows someone who paid for a container that never sailed. The fraud is rarely sophisticated — it survives because buyers skip six checks that take one afternoon.Updated 4 October 2026Buying used engines in bulk, without the usual surprisesWritten for the buyer comparing wholesale suppliers. What a serious bulk offer looks like, what decides your per-unit economics, and the paperwork that separates a wholesale operation from a yard with a phone number.Updated 4 October 2026Used engine wholesale prices, without the mysteryThe range importers pay for Grade A units, the three things that move the number, and why the cheapest quotation is usually the most expensive container.Updated 4 October 2026Toyota 1NZ vs 2NZ: which petrol engine should you import?The 1NZ-FE is the 1.5-litre and the 2NZ-FE the 1.3-litre of the same Toyota NZ family: same block architecture, same chain-driven VVT-i head, different stroke. In the used trade the 1NZ is the volume engine and the 2NZ follows the 1.3 Vitz, Yaris and Probox — both carry the same published price at ENGICOR.Published 23 September 2026Hyundai G4KD vs G4KE: Theta II 2.0 or 2.4 — which should you import?The G4KD is the 2.0-litre and the G4KE the 2.4-litre of Hyundai and Kia's Theta II multi-point-injection family: same aluminium block design and chain-driven dual-CVVT head, different bore and stroke. The G4KD follows the Sonata, Tucson, Sportage and Optima 2.0 parc; the G4KE follows the 2.4 Santa Fe, Sorento and Sonata — and costs more per unit.Published 23 September 2026Hyundai G4FA vs G4FC: Gamma 1.4 or 1.6 — which should you import?The G4FA is the 1.4-litre and the G4FC the 1.6-litre of Hyundai and Kia's Gamma multi-point-injection family: same aluminium block design and chain-driven CVVT head, different stroke. The G4FC is the volume engine — Accent, Verna, Rio, Elantra and Cerato 1.6 — and both carry the same published price at ENGICOR.Published 23 September 2026Nissan QR25 vs VQ35: which to importThe QR25DE is Nissan's volume four-cylinder; the VQ35DE is its best-known V6. They sell to different customers at very different prices — here is how to split a container between them.Updated 4 October 2026Isuzu 4JA1 vs 4JB1: which to importTwo members of the same Isuzu diesel family, often confused at the counter. The difference is displacement, and it decides which vehicles each engine fits and which customers ask for it.Published 25 September 2026Used, rebuilt or remanufactured: what is the difference?Three words that sellers use loosely and buyers pay for differently. Here is what each one should mean, where each fits in a market, and the questions that reveal which one you are really being offered.Published 25 September 2026Half-cut vs engine only: which to importA half-cut brings the engine with everything around it; a loose engine brings only what you need. The choice changes how many units fit in the box, how customs sees them and who you can sell to.Published 25 September 2026The landed cost of a container of used enginesThe FOB price is where the calculation starts, not where it ends. This is the full sum an importer should do before ordering, with a worked example you can repeat with your own figures.Published 25 September 2026Toyota 2TR-FE vs 1GR-FE: which pickup and SUV engine should you import?Short answer: import the 2TR-FE for four-cylinder Hilux, Fortuner, Hiace and Prado customers (supplied on request at ENGICOR) and the 1GR-FE only where the vehicle is a V6 — Prado and Fortuner V6, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser. The 2TR-FE is a 2.7-litre in-line four of about 150–160 hp with a cast-iron block; the 1GR-FE a 4.0-litre aluminium V6 of 237–267 hp that weighs about 166 kg bare. They are not interchangeable, and the 2TR gearbox we list is two-wheel drive only.Updated 4 October 2026Hyundai G4NA vs G4KD: two 2.0-litre engines, and how not to order the wrong oneThe G4NA (Nu 2.0 MPI) and the G4KD (Theta II 2.0 MPI) are two different 2.0-litre Hyundai-Kia petrol engines that were fitted to the same nameplates — Tucson, Sportage, Sonata, Elantra and Cerato/Forte — in different years. They do not share bore, stroke or internal parts, so ordering by "2.0 Tucson" alone is a common mistake; at ENGICOR the G4NA is US$ 740 and the G4KD US$ 500 per unit.Published 25 September 2026Hyundai G4KA vs G4KD: Theta or Theta II 2.0 — which should you import?The G4KA is the first-generation Theta 2.0 and the G4KD the Theta II 2.0 that replaced it from 2007: same 1,998 cc and same 86 × 86 mm dimensions, but the G4KD adds variable timing on the exhaust camshaft and a two-stage variable intake. The G4KA follows the early Sonata NF and Optima/Magentis; the G4KD the later Sonata, Tucson ix35 and Sportage — at ENGICOR US$ 450 and US$ 500 per unit.Published 25 September 2026Hyundai G4FC vs G4FG: Gamma 1.6 or Gamma II 1.6 — which should you import?The G4FC is the first Gamma 1.6 MPI and the G4FG the Gamma II 1.6 MPI that replaced it from 2010: both are 1,591 cc with 77 × 85.4 mm bore and stroke, but the G4FC has variable timing on the intake camshaft only and the G4FG dual CVVT. The G4FG follows the Elantra MD/AD, Cerato/Forte YD, i30 GD and later Soul and Rio — at ENGICOR US$ 490 against US$ 340 for the G4FC.Published 25 September 2026How to identify the exact engine model before you orderThe only reliable way to identify an engine model is to read it from the engine itself — the engine number stamped on the block, or the model cast on the block or printed on an identification label — and confirm it against the vehicle's identification plate and year. Vehicle name and engine size alone are not enough, because several makers fitted two different engines of the same or similar size to the same car.Published 25 September 2026Toyota 2AZ-FE vs 2AR-FE: which Camry engine should you import?The 2AZ-FE is the 2.4-litre engine of the 2002–2011 Camry, RAV4 and Highlander; the 2AR-FE is the 2.5-litre that replaced it from 2009 onward in the same bodies. They are not interchangeable. At ENGICOR the 2AZ-FE is one of the seventeen published models at US$ 520 per unit, FOB, inside a full container; the 2AR-FE is supplied on request.Updated 4 October 2026Toyota 1ZZ-FE vs 2ZR-FE: which 1.8 does your Corolla need?The 1ZZ-FE is the 1.8-litre engine of the 2000–2008 Corolla, Allion, Premio, Wish and Matrix; the 2ZR-FE is the 1.8 that replaced it from 2007. Same displacement, different engines — they are not interchangeable. Both are among the seventeen published models at ENGICOR: 1ZZ-FE US$ 670 and 2ZR-FE US$ 410 per unit, FOB, inside a full container.Published 28 September 2026Nissan MR20DE vs QR25DE: which X-Trail engine should you import?The MR20DE is Nissan's 2.0-litre engine of the X-Trail T31, Qashqai, Sentra and Serena; the QR25DE is the 2.5 of the X-Trail, Altima, Teana and Rogue. The X-Trail T31 was sold with both, and they are not interchangeable. Both are among the seventeen published models at ENGICOR: MR20DE US$ 340 and QR25DE US$ 470 per unit, FOB, inside a full container.Updated 4 October 2026Toyota 1NZ-FE vs 2ZR-FE: the 1.5 or the 1.8?The 1NZ-FE is Toyota's 1.5-litre engine of the Vitz, Yaris, Probox and Corolla 1.5; the 2ZR-FE is the 1.8-litre of the Corolla from 2007 onward. They belong to different engine families and are not interchangeable. Both are among the seventeen published models at ENGICOR: 1NZ-FE US$ 780 and 2ZR-FE US$ 410 per unit, FOB, inside a full container.Updated 4 October 2026Toyota 1KZ vs 2KD: the old 3.0 or the 2.5 D-4D?The 1KZ-TE is Toyota's 3.0-litre indirect-injection turbo diesel of the 1990s Prado, Hilux Surf and Hilux; the 2KD-FTV is the 2.5-litre common-rail D-4D that followed in the Hilux, Hiace, Innova and Fortuner. They are different generations of diesel and are not interchangeable. Neither is among ENGICOR's seventeen published models; both are supplied on request as a commercial enquiry.Updated 4 October 2026Toyota 1TR vs 2KD: the petrol 2.0 or the diesel 2.5?The 1TR-FE is Toyota's 2.0-litre petrol engine and the 2KD-FTV its 2.5-litre D-4D turbo diesel; both were fitted to the Hiace, Hilux and Innova, so the same vehicle exists with either. They are not interchangeable. Neither is among ENGICOR's seventeen published models and both are supplied on request; the related 2.7-litre 2TR-FE petrol is also supplied on request.Updated 4 October 2026Used engine exporters in the UAE, Japan and China: how to choose oneShort answer: the best used engine exporter in the UAE for you is the one that can show a licence you can check, the actual engines for your order, a written grade, a published price and a staged payment against a proforma in its own legal name. The UAE label alone tells you little: exporters registered there range from yards that hold stock in Sharjah to traders who ship directly from Japan or China and never touch the engines.Updated 30 October 2026
Price a container yourself
Build the mix you want in the online quoter — 90 engines in a 20-ft or 130 in a 40-ft, or 45 + 45 / 65 + 65 with gearboxes — and the FOB total reaches your inbox the same minute, at our published per-unit prices, every engine Grade A. Prefer to ask? Tell us the destination country and the models you need and we reply within one business day, usually within hours.
New customer? Your first order can start with 10, 20, 30 or 40 engines, with gearboxes and consolidated shipping available — first purchase only, at list price, with no first-order surcharge. See the first-order offer →
Engine families
Toyota 1NZ · 2NZ · 2ZRToyota 2TR · 1GRToyota 2KD-FTV · 1KD-FTVToyota 2AZ · 2ARToyota 1ZZ · 1AZNissan QR25 · VQ35Nissan MR20 · HR16Hyundai · Kia Theta · Nu · G4Isuzu 4JA1 · 4JB1 · 4HK1
Export markets
NigeriaKenyaGhanaSaudi ArabiaTanzaniaUgandaPakistanIraqEgyptUnited Arab EmiratesZambiaSouth AfricaMozambiqueDR Congo
Buyer's guides
How to import used engines from China, step by stepHow to check a used engine before you payUsed engine HS code: 8407.34 for petrol, 8408.20 for dieselSONCAP and used engines: what Nigeria actually requiresToyota 1KD vs 2KD: the difference, and which diesel is better for your marketHow to plan a container mix of used enginesImport used engines to Kenya: KEBS PVoC and MombasaHow much does a container of used engines cost?Import used engines to Ghana: G-CAP and TemaImport used engines to Tanzania: TBS PVoC and Dar es SalaamHow many used engines fit in a container?How to verify a used engine supplier before you payBuying used engines in bulk, without the usual surprisesUsed engine wholesale prices, without the mysteryToyota 1NZ vs 2NZ: which petrol engine should you import?Hyundai G4KD vs G4KE: Theta II 2.0 or 2.4 — which should you import?Hyundai G4FA vs G4FC: Gamma 1.4 or 1.6 — which should you import?Nissan QR25 vs VQ35: which to importIsuzu 4JA1 vs 4JB1: which to importUsed, rebuilt or remanufactured: what is the difference?Half-cut vs engine only: which to importThe landed cost of a container of used enginesToyota 2TR-FE vs 1GR-FE: which pickup and SUV engine should you import?Hyundai G4NA vs G4KD: two 2.0-litre engines, and how not to order the wrong oneHyundai G4KA vs G4KD: Theta or Theta II 2.0 — which should you import?Hyundai G4FC vs G4FG: Gamma 1.6 or Gamma II 1.6 — which should you import?How to identify the exact engine model before you orderToyota 2AZ-FE vs 2AR-FE: which Camry engine should you import?Toyota 1ZZ-FE vs 2ZR-FE: which 1.8 does your Corolla need?Nissan MR20DE vs QR25DE: which X-Trail engine should you import?Toyota 1NZ-FE vs 2ZR-FE: the 1.5 or the 1.8?Toyota 1KZ vs 2KD: the old 3.0 or the 2.5 D-4D?Toyota 1TR vs 2KD: the petrol 2.0 or the diesel 2.5?Used engine exporters in the UAE, Japan and China: how to choose oneAbout ENGICOR