Q: This situation happened to me and I drove it to a mechanic. He said I had no coolant and my engine is blown, that I need a new eng

Overheating, if severe enough, will damage an engine. The term "blown", though, is not a technical term and thus means nothing in particular except that the engine, according to that mechanic at least, is "damaged". Typically, in the worst cases of overheating, the head and block will warp, the pistons will scuff the cylinder walls, valves will get stuck in the valve guides and the engine bearings can get damaged. Almost any engines can be repaired though in the shop (with some work sent out to specialized machine shops), you can install a used engine in your car, or you can install an engine that has been rebuilt in a factory and is as good as new. In the most expensive scenario, an off the shelf, factory rebuilt engine (that is, a like new engine) for your car would cost you around $3,000 plus, of course, you have to add to that the labor cost to install the engine plus the cost of miscellaneous gaskets, hoses, and so forth used in the installation.

The $2,000 cost the mechanic is quoting is probably not for a new (rebuilt) engine but rather is for the total cost to install a used (junkyard) engine. The reason he wants to buy your car outright is it is fairly new, has low miles, and will be relatively valuable for re-sale (or personal use) once he frankly effortlessly just pops in a used/new engine (or re-builds yours in his shop), assuming you sell him the car cheap enough, though, of course.

In your circumstance, the "ideal" solution, in terms of minimizing your cost and getting the best, or at least acceptable, technical result is to find a reliable, knowledgeable, honest, and conscientious mechanic to fix what you have; that will be the lowest cost option. Of course, keep in mind, if your engine requires lots of repair, that mechanic might reliably and reasonably suggest to you that you let him or her install a used engine and presumably he or she will find a good one for you. All other options, such as installing a rebuilt engine or buying another car are typically going to be more costly. On a very limited basis, some YourMechanic professionals will contract to do "engine swaps" (i.e., fix your engine or install a used engine in your car). You can call and check. If you need further help as you wend your way through this, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.