Car Headliner Repair Cost
Over time, a car’s headliner can start to sag, often due to the construction quality or, in some cases, it may become torn for whatever reason or even have water stains, making for an ugly appearance.
While a headliner doesn’t need to be repaired, most opt to consider this option due to cosmetic reasons.
Whether you want to fix the headliner on your own using a DIY kit or hire a professional, the costs will vary.
The average car headliner repair costs
The costs to repair your car’s headliner will all depend on the professional you choose, where you live and the type of car you drive. For just the headliner material, a typical four-door sedan will cost about $100, whereas an SUV or minivan will cost about $250. As for professional installation, it’s best to double this rate, meaning a four-door sedan will cost about $200+ for a new headliner professionally installed or about $500 for a professional to install a new headliner in a larger vehicle or specialty car. This would include the materials and professional rate.
| Prices car owners paid | |
|---|---|
| Chevy Silverado | $350 |
| Dodge Dakota | $325 |
| Dodge Ram | $195 |
| Honda Accord | $225 |
| Honda Civic | $185 |
| Jeep Cherokee | $450 |
| Mini Cooper | $475 |
| VW Jetta | $350 |
On Amazon.com, for instance, many of the best sellers sell fabric by the yard, with the average price for the top sellers ranging anywhere from $10 to $45 per yard. Depending on the vehicle you drive, a standard minivan would need about three yards, whereas a four-door sedan may only need 1.5.
Top selling headliner replacement kits at retail for about $60, but do keep in mind that these kits are designed for those who want to do the job on your own. Most professionals will not install third-party materials and will ask you to purchase the materials directly from them.
Angie’s List interviewed a professional car upholster, and inside the article, he claimed a replacement headliner for a sedan would cost about $180, while an SUV/van owners should be prepared to pay $350. As for using his services, he claimed he charged $175 for cars and $200 for SUVs, bringing the grand total to anywhere from $355 to $550.
The extra costs to consider
Hung headliners lead to higher labor rates – In some older cars with “hung” headliners, they are often suspended by rods, which means it’s sewn into the headliner and stitched tight along the outer edges. What this means is that the front and back windshield, oftentimes, will need to be removed along with the weatherstripping along the windows. As you can imagine, this can eat up more of the professional’s time, leading to a higher labor price.
Luxury cars may cost more – Some luxury cars, such as a BMW, often need the rear windshield removed to get the entire shell out of the vehicle, according to Textint.com. Some other brands have liners which are too larger to fit through the doors without bending or damaging it, which, unfortunately, means the prices will be higher than average when compared to a straightforward job.
Cars with a sunroof – Cars with sunroofs will also require more time due to the cleaning and lubrication involved after removing the shell. A good professional should lube the tracks, drain the hoses and make adjustments before the new headliner is installed. In some cases, a car with an electric sunroof will need to have it removed in order to remove the car’s entire shell, again, increase the labor time.
Mistakes to avoid
A lot of people online recommend saving the money by spraying fabric paint directly on the headliner to give it a better appearance. While it may sound like a great idea, it actually isn’t. Painting it immediately decreases the car’s value and it can often look worse than before you painted it.
Old fabric, as it starts to sag, may be glued back to the ceiling. At least that’s what you think could be a simple fix. Unfortunately, re-gluing the headliner will not work because as the headliner starts to deteriorate, the foam and board, which adheres to the headliner will start to “dust” or become crumbly. If you were to apply glue to this dust, as you can imagine, it will not stick as you would think to the ceiling of the car.
Like gluing, some often think stapling could work in the case of sagging fabric. Again, this isn’t going to work. Why? Even if you use a stronger-than-average stapler, the fabric will still drop, making it look sloppier. All a stapler is going to do is prevent it from sagging more.
How to replace a car headliner
All screws, bolts and/or clips, depending on the vehicle’s setup, will all be removed in order to remove the headliner board which holds it to the roof. At this time, any sun visors, clothes hangers, side handles, speakers, dome lights and/or mirrors, again, depending on the setup, will be removed as well.
The headliner, once everything is removed, will now be completely loose and it can be removed by slightly maneuvering it side by side.
After the headliner has been removed, the soundproofing foam will now be accessible, and at this time, a professional will examine to check the condition and consider if it should be replaced. In some cases, this foam may need to be either replaced in its entirety or reinforced.
With the headliner, once removed, it will be laid out on a flat surface and all of the flaky foam material which was holding it up will now be removed by either using a wire brush or sandpaper.
The new fabric will be laid out on the board and cust to size, leaving extra material around the sides.
Once cut to size, the fabric, an adhesive will be applied to the board and the fabric, while being smoothed out, will be glued.
The edges will then be fixed and the adhesive and glue will be allowed to dry.
After it’s has dried, new holes will be cut where it will be screwed in and the headliner will be installed in reverse order.
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