Head Gasket Repair Cost

Head gasket repair cost is high, one of the most expensive things that can go wrong with your car, depending on what caused it, the condition the car is in and whether it affected other parts of your car. It's not the cost of the head gasket itself that is the problem; this is actually relatively cheap. It is the labor involved with replacing the head gasket that drives the price up.

The parts for a blown head gasket often tally in at under $500. The cost for labor, on the other hand, is generally a minimum of $800. This is because of the head gasket's complex position within the hood of your car. It rests between the cylinder head and the engine block. The complications don't stop there though. There are pistons in the engine block which are connected to rods. The cylinder head is attached to your engine and consists of valves which regulate air and fuel. That means that your mechanic (or you, if you're feeling particularly brave) is going to have to take out a lot of car pieces to even have access to the head gasket, including the exhaust manifold and the intake. It can take around six hours for your mechanic to get to your head gasket.

Additional costs to your head gasket include the amount that it takes to get your head gasket ready to be put back in. Some shops send this off to be repaired, and it can cost roughly $100.

Another major factor in the cost of head gasket repair is the labor to put the head gasket back into your car. This can take roughly eight hours. When combined with the approximate six hours that it can take to get the head gasket out, and that is the bulk of your head gasket repair cost.