Cost to Replace Head Gasket

The head gasket, either a single or multiple layer simple piece of durable material, is designed to seal the bottom half of the engine to the head — sealing the oil, coolant and compression into the different compartments and preventing it from escaping the engine.

While this part is quite cheap, it can be devasting to an engine if it were to fail.

“Skoda Fabia Cylinder Head Gasket – Inlet” (CC BY 2.0) by L.C.Nøttaasen

How much does it cost to replace a head gasket?

The costs of a blown head gasket will all depend on the car you’re driving and the mechanic/dealership you’re working with.  While the actual part isn’t that expensive ($100~), it’s the labor process as it can be quite intensive to replace this part.  Usually, when this part needs to be replaced, the top half of the engine needs to be disassembled and other related parts, which can cause issues in the future, will need to be replaced as well, such as the timing belt, water pump and/or timing chain, to name a few.   This alone can take even the most experienced mechanic up to 12 hours to complete.

From the looks of it from multiple sources online, the costs to have a professional mechanic repair the blown head gasket alone will range anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000, with engines with two heads, such as a V6 or V8, costing more.  Adding in other components which need to be repaired can increase the price by more than 10 to 30 percent, all depending on the components which need to be replaced.  This price, unfortunately, makes it one of the costliest car repairs on the market.

We took a look at multiple forums and websites online and included the costs other car owners paid for their blown head gasket repairs in our table below:

This helpful infographic on BarsLeaks.com, for instance, claims the average costs to repair a blown head gasket is anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000.

Blown head gasket signs

In most cases, when the head gasket starts to fail, it almost always shows some sort of sign, but in some rare cases, there may be no signs at all.  The symptoms, as per RepairPal.com, will begin when the leak has reached an engine oil passage, engine cylinder or the engine coolant passage.  Once the leak reaches one of these areas, it will respond in a few ways.

For some, the motor may be challenging to start and/or run rough while it’s idle.

In some cases, there may be an indication of engine oil or coolant leaking from beneath the car.  Because of these leaks, the engine may start to run warm or start to overheat.

In the case of a coolant leak, the coolant, when examined inside of an oil pan, will appear creamier and richer in color as compared to the coolant before it’s added to the vehicle.

Look out for signs of either a gurgling-like sound coming from the coolant reservoir and/or the smell of combustion oil.

The “check engine” light, if it were to illuminate, can often be tied to the head gasket as well as this can be referenced to either an engine misfire, air/fuel mixture, engine cooling and/or catalyst inefficiency.  Common OBD codes related to a blown head gasket are either P00B7 or P0217.

If you’re finding that the radiator needs to be consistently filled with water, this could often be a telltale sign.

Plumes of smoke coming from the exhaust may be a sign of bad things to come.

Lastly, if the head gasket were to fail 100%, the engine will overheat almost immediately, leading to either a stall or a fail to start due to the coolant being burned inside the engine.

The repair process

First, the mechanic will first drain all of the engine fluids and depending on the exact reason and vehicle setup, the air conditioner and power steering fluid may be drained as well.

Next, depending on the setup, the bumper may be removed, along with the radiator, a/c condenser, the associated fans and all of the hardware attached to it, followed by the timing cover, timing components, exhaust manifold. intake manifold and anything that’s preventing the head of the cylinder from being removed.

Finally, when the cylinder head is accessible, it will be lifted by its bolts and hoisted off to clean, mill and test.

Once the cylinder head is removed, the block-to-head gasket mating exterior will then be washed, and the head gasket, at this time, will be examined to classify any failure points.  Once all of the components are washed and examined, the new head gasket will then be installed, followed by the cylinder head fastened on the top.

All of the components removed initially will be installed in reverse order, and at this time, if any of these components need to be replaced, your mechanic will recommend it at this time.

When all of the components are re-installed, then each system will be filled, bled of air and tested to assure the problem resolved itself.

The entire process, all depending on the car, can take two to three hours to perform.

Facts to know

If you suspect a failing head gasket, it’s important you stop driving immediately as this is a hazard to the engine.  In the early stages, the engine is already at a risk, but if the head gasket is blown, then it will be next to impossible to drive.  With any signs of overheating, it’s important to stop driving immediately and have it hauled to a local mechanic/dealership.  Failing to do so will increase your repairs by hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

While head gaskets can fail at any time, most mechanics say you should be prepared to see the part last at least 100,000 oils; however, if the engine oil isn’t maintained as it should be, it could fail much quicker.  In order to keep this gasket clean and in great condition, it’s important any dirty or contaminated fluid is replaced on schedule.

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