White smoke, an overheat, or coolant that keeps vanishing with no puddle under the car: that's usually when a head gasket quote lands. Head gasket replacement cost is high because the gasket, a thin steel seal, sits under the cylinder head.
The gasket itself is cheap. Reaching it is the bill, because most of the engine's top end comes off first, and the carmakers' own repair times show how long that takes.
How much does a head gasket replacement cost?
A head gasket job ran $1,200 to $5,500 in the bills owners reported, and most of it is labor. The box below shows head gasket replacement cost two ways: what owners were billed, and our estimate for the Hondas we priced, the parts plus Honda's own hours at shop rates.
Head gasket job cost
$1,200–$5,500 from 12 owner reports
What 12 owners told NHTSA they paid or were quoted for a head gasket repair, and below it our estimate for four Hondas, parts and labor on Honda's hours. Yours may cost more or less.
Parts and labor 12 reports $1,200–$5,500
Taken from 12 federal complaints that priced the gasket job alone, paid or quoted. Median $3,000. Parts and labor, owner-reported. The NHTSA complaints cover six models, 2010–2016 model years, read August 24, 2026.
Our estimate 4 cars
Prices run from an independent shop to a dealer, where a dealer price is listed.
Head gasket only Parts and labor · independent shop to dealer 3 cars
2025–2026 Honda Civic 2.0L $1,010–$1,690
Estimated independent shop price
Head gasket part $78
Labor 9.3 h, Honda 26-012 $930–$1,293
Total, parts and labor $1,010–$1,370
Estimated dealer price
Head gasket part $78
Labor 9.3 h, Honda 26-012 $1,192–$1,610
Total, parts and labor $1,270–$1,690
Notes
- OE part number: 12251-6MA-A01
- Honda's bulletin also lists about 20 more gaskets, seals, bolts and an oil filter for this job, not in this price.
2016–2021 Honda Civic 1.5L turbo $1,220–$2,060
Estimated independent shop price
Head gasket part $74
Labor 11.5 h, Honda 26-008 $1,150–$1,599
Total, parts and labor $1,220–$1,670
Estimated dealer price
Head gasket part $74
Labor 11.5 h, Honda 26-008 $1,474–$1,990
Total, parts and labor $1,550–$2,060
Notes
- OE part number: 12251-59B-A01
- Honda's bulletin also lists about 25 more gaskets, seals, bolts and an oil filter for this job, not in this price.
2018–2022 Honda Accord 1.5L turbo $1,230–$2,070
Estimated independent shop price
Head gasket part $78
Labor 11.5 h, Honda 26-003 $1,150–$1,599
Total, parts and labor $1,230–$1,680
Estimated dealer price
Head gasket part $78
Labor 11.5 h, Honda 26-003 $1,474–$1,990
Total, parts and labor $1,550–$2,070
Notes
- OE part number: 12251-6A0-A11
- Honda's bulletin also lists about 25 more gaskets, seals, bolts and an oil filter for this job, not in this price.
Head gasket set Parts and labor · independent shop to dealer 1 car
2019 Honda CR-V 1.5L turbo $1,720–$2,690
Estimated independent shop price
Head gasket set part $402
Labor 13.2 h, Honda MC-11036413 $1,320–$1,835
Total, parts and labor $1,720–$2,240
Estimated dealer price
Head gasket set part $402
Labor 13.2 h, Honda MC-11036413 $1,692–$2,285
Total, parts and labor $2,090–$2,690
Buying the part yourself, known brands from one large online catalog: $259
Notes
- OE part number: 06110-5AA-A01
Prices read November 4, 2026. Not included: tax, shop fees and diagnosis. The dealer price uses the carmaker's own part at list price.
Why a quote can be higher
Labor is the carmaker's time, and shops often bill more. Dealer rate $128–$173 an hour nationwide. Estimators use retail labor guides that allow more hours, so ask what hours a quote rests on.
The complaints are real bills, but people file when something went wrong, so read them as examples, not a national average. Honda pays its own dealers 9.3–13.2 hours, which includes a check of the head and block for warpage, and the carmakers' section has them car by car.
Ask whether the quote includes new head bolts, because Victor Reinz, a gasket maker, says to fit new ones every time since they stretch for good when tightened. Honda's bulletin 26-003 lets dealers reuse undamaged bolts, given a different final turn when tightened. To check a quote's labor line against your area's rates, see the mechanic labor rates in your state.
1. Subaru Outback and Forester
The Outback and Forester 2.5L is a flat engine with two heads, so a job usually means two gaskets. Fel-Pro, which makes replacement gaskets, says the older 2.5L's original gaskets can leak, first inside the engine and later outside it.
Owners in the complaints paid or were quoted $2,000 to $5,500, and one owner was offered a 50/50 split of a $3,636 bill, so ask the dealer for help even out of warranty. Most of these complaints are on the older cars.
2. Honda Accord, Civic and CR-V
These three share Honda's bulletins for coolant leaking past the gasket into a cylinder, and Honda extended the warranty for it. Check the VIN before you pay anything. The warranty section has the terms, and our P0304 page covers the misfire code it can set.
Out of warranty, the owner bills for these three sit inside the range in the box, and the carmakers' section lists them car by car. A dealer can tell you from the VIN whether yours is still inside Honda's extended term.
3. Toyota Prius
The Prius's 1.8L hybrid four has one head and one gasket, and most of its head gasket complaints are on the older cars. On newer ones, Toyota's milky-oil bulletin, since called obsolete by Toyota, put milky oil down to condensation, so ask for a pressure test before anyone blames the gasket.
Owners of a Prius V and a Prius paid or were quoted $3,000 and $4,000. We found no Toyota labor time for the job.
4. Toyota Camry
The Camry's 2.5L four has one head and one gasket, and very few of its complaints name a head gasket. Toyota's milky-oil bulletin, since called obsolete by Toyota, covered newer Camrys, so a milky oil cap after short winter trips calls for a pressure test first.
No Camry complaint gives a clean price, and we found no Toyota labor time. Ask the shop for its hours and the gasket price on the written quote.
5. Chevrolet Cruze
The Cruze's 1.4L turbo four has one head and one gasket, and its head gasket complaints are all on the older cars. Owners describe coolant loss chased part by part before the gasket was found, which is why the tests come first.
We found no GM labor time for the job, so ask the shop for its hours on the written quote. The owner bills for the Chevy Cruze are in the carmakers' section, and they sit at the low end of the owner range.
6. Ford F-150 and Escape
The F-150's 3.5L turbo V6 has two heads, so it's usually two gaskets, though head gasket complaints on it are rare. On the Escape 1.5L, Ford's own fix replaces the short block, the engine's lower half, with the gasket, at about twice Honda's gasket time.
The F-150's set is the most expensive we priced, and on some trucks it changes with the build date. Escape owners reported $3,000 and $3,500, and on one Escape a replacement engine was quoted $5,500 against $7,500 to tear the old one down and fix it.
7. Nissan Altima
The Altima's 2.5L four has one head and one gasket, and it has the fewest head gasket complaints of any car here. Our free car complaints lookup shows what owners of your own model and year have filed.
Nissan's owner's manual rules out radiator sealer, so skip the bottle here too. Match the gasket set to your exact car, since Nissan sells more than one for some model years.
Does warranty cover a blown head gasket?
On some cars, yes: Honda covers coolant leaking into a cylinder for 10 years or 150,000 miles on many 2016–2026 Civic, CR-V and Accord, the Si and the hybrids included. Older Civic 2.0L cars, the Accord 2.0L turbo and the CR-V 2.4L aren't in it.
The oldest Hondas in the program are covered to May 31, 2027, whatever their age or mileage, and cars already past the term get 6 months from Honda's letter. Kia covers the 3.3L V6 head gasket for 15 years or 180,000 miles on the 2014–2017 Sorento and Cadenza and 2015–2016 Sedona. A dealer can confirm your car from the VIN in minutes, and the exact models and terms are in the carmakers' section.
Is it safe to drive with a blown head gasket?
Only as far as the nearest shop, and only while no overheating warning shows, on the gauge or as a warning light. Kia's bulletin puts it plainly: driven unrepaired, the engine may overheat and be damaged further, which is how a gasket job becomes a head or engine job.
If the gauge climbs, a warning light comes on or steam appears, stop and tow it, and tow it whenever you're unsure. Our white smoke page covers how far is too far, and how to tell harmless condensation from coolant smoke.
Is it worth fixing a blown head gasket?
Yes, if the engine was caught before a hard overheat and the car is worth more than the repair. Caught late, it may already have taken the head, so how hot it got and what the car is worth decide it, and the quote shows neither.
Before you agree to a head gasket quote, check the VIN for coverage, then work in this order:
- Check the VIN for coverage. A Honda, Acura or Kia may be under an extended warranty, and a dealer can look it up in minutes.
- Confirm it's the gasket. Ask which test found it: a block test, a pressure test or a borescope image, as the test section below explains. If it isn't the gasket, the other leak points are priced on our coolant leak repair cost page.
- Ask how many heads the engine has. Two heads is close to two jobs, and the quote should say whether it covers both.
- Ask what the quote assumes about the head. Does it include machining, the grinding that makes a warped head flat again, and what happens to the number if the head is cracked?
- Get the labor hours, not just the total. Hours times the shop rate is most of the bill (our guide to reading a repair estimate shows where they sit), and two quotes that differ usually differ there.
- Set your walk-away number. Weigh the quote, and any other big repair that's due, against what the car is worth before it's apart, because an engine in pieces has lost its leverage.
Once the head is off, the flatness check decides the rest, as the warped head section explains. On one Escape above, a replacement engine was quoted $2,000 less than fixing the old one, so ask for both prices.
What to say to the shop
When a head gasket quote lands, before the engine is opened, ask:
“Before you open the engine, can you show me the test that found the leak, tell me whether the quote covers both heads and machining, and what it becomes if the head is warped or cracked?”
What are the first signs of a blown head gasket?
White smoke, an overheat, or a coolant level that keeps dropping with no puddle under the car. Those signs usually come before a head gasket quote, but they don't prove it.
Carmakers' own notes list the same signs, and add misfire codes, which our P0300 guide covers, a coolant smell or a temperature gauge near H. Each sign and what else causes it are on our blown head gasket symptoms page.
How do mechanics test for a blown head gasket?
With a block test, a cooling system pressure test or a borescope look, which show the leak before anyone opens the engine. A block test checks the coolant for exhaust gas, and a borescope is a small camera through the spark plug hole.
Milky oil alone doesn't prove it, and other coolant leaks can fool you too, so ask which test found it. Ask for the result in writing, so a second shop doesn't have to test again.
Gasket maker Fel-Pro says a definitive diagnosis needs the head off. So read a good test result as a strong pointer, and expect the shop to confirm it once the head is lifted.
Why does one engine cost twice as much as another?
Mostly because of how many cylinder heads the engine has, which is fixed before you buy the car. An inline engine, which covers most four-cylinders, has one head and one gasket, while a V6, V8 or flat-four has two, one per bank.
Both are usually replaced together, because the second has seen the same heat and reaching it is the same teardown again. Parts catalogs sell the single gaskets for the F-150's V6 as a left and a right part.
The second reason is access. The manifolds, the pipes that carry air in and exhaust out, the timing drive and, on most modern engines, the camshafts come off before the head lifts clear, and a crowded engine bay adds hours.
Use this image
Free to republish under CC BY 4.0: credit Oil & Miles and link to this page. The snippet does both.
<a href="https://oilandmiles.com/articles/head-gasket-replacement-cost"><img src="https://oilandmiles.com/assets/img/diagrams/head-gasket-location.svg" alt="See-through semi-3D view of an inline four-cylinder engine pulled apart, as in a service manual: the engine block with its water jacket and four cylinder bores at the bottom, the head gasket as a colored plate with a fire ring around each bore and holes for coolant, oil and bolts, the cylinder head with its camshafts and exhaust ports above it, and ten head bolts lifted above the head with dashed lines to their holes." width="1600" height="900"></a> <p>Diagram: <a href="https://oilandmiles.com/articles/head-gasket-replacement-cost">Oil & Miles</a>, CC BY 4.0</p>What if the head is warped or cracked?
Then the bill grows: a warped head is ground flat or replaced, and a cracked one means a new head or engine. Fel-Pro says a blown head gasket usually starts with overheating, and the same heat can warp the cylinder head, so once the head is off, it gets checked with a straightedge along its length and across its width.
Even a few thousandths of an inch out of flat fails the check. What the check finds then decides which of three head gasket bills you pay:
- The head is flat. Clean surfaces, new gasket, reassemble. This is the job your quote describes.
- The head is warped but sound. An independent shop may send it out for surface grinding, which Victor Reinz says is specialist work, billed on top. It can only be ground down to the carmaker's minimum thickness.
- The head or block is cracked. It's a new head or a new engine, and the quote starts again. Coolant that went out through the exhaust can add an oxygen sensor or a catalytic converter.
Honda's warranty doesn't grind at all: if its inspection finds warpage, the dealer replaces the head, the short block or both, after approval. That's why its times for those jobs run longer than for the gasket alone.
Checking a cylinder head for warp
Worth knowing
A shop that gives one firm number before the head is off has either priced in the worst case or will call you mid-job. Ask which.
Does head gasket sealer work?
Not as a repair, by any carmaker's account. None uses a sealer for a leak into a cylinder, and Honda's own repair for it, in every one of its bulletins, is a new gasket.
Pouring sealer or additives into the coolant is mostly ruled out in the owner's manuals too:
- Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Ford. They warn against it, and Ford adds the warranty won't cover the damage.
- GM. Stop-leak can clog passages on its hybrids and electric cars, at the owner's or dealer's cost.
- Subaru. For outside seepage only, it specifies its own conditioner at every coolant change.
So skip the bottle for a leak into a cylinder, because no carmaker document backs it. Spend the money on the block or pressure test that finds the leak, then on the gasket itself.
Use this image
Free to republish under CC BY 4.0: credit Oil & Miles and link to this page. The snippet does both.
<a href="https://oilandmiles.com/articles/head-gasket-replacement-cost"><img src="https://oilandmiles.com/assets/img/diagrams/head-gasket-replacement-cost-checklist.jpg" alt="Head gasket repair checklist: check the VIN for an extended warranty, ask which test found the leak, a block test, a pressure test or a borescope image. Ask how many cylinder heads the engine has, whether the quote includes machining, what happens if the head is cracked, the labor hours rather than just the total, and whether head bolts are included. Set your walk-away number and ask for a replacement engine price too. Don't treat milky oil as proof, don't pour sealer in for a leak into a cylinder, and don't drive it once the gauge climbs." width="1200" height="1474"></a> <p>Infographic: <a href="https://oilandmiles.com/articles/head-gasket-replacement-cost">Oil & Miles</a>, CC BY 4.0</p>From the carmakers
What do Honda, Toyota and Kia tell their dealers?
Three carmakers, three warnings that apply well beyond their own cars: the job isn't known until the head is off, milky oil can fool you, and a leaking gasket left alone gets worse. Each was written for dealers, not owners, and together they're the reason this page puts proof before price.
Service bulletin 26-003
If cylinder head or engine block warpage is detected, replace the cylinder head and/or the engine short block as dictated by the inspection process.
Service bulletin ENG254, program WTY039
If the vehicle continues to be driven in the unrepaired condition, the engine may overheat and become further damaged.
Warranty extension 26-097
Coolant leaking into a cylinder, covered to May 31, 2027, whatever the age or mileage.
Warranty extension 26-098
Coolant leaking into a cylinder, covered to May 31, 2027, whatever the age or mileage.
Warranty extension 26-099
Coolant leaking into a cylinder, covered to May 31, 2027, whatever the age or mileage.
Dealer message AEBM08262026901
Coolant leaking into a cylinder, covered 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original purchase date. Acura's ADX and Integra have the same terms.
Warranty extension 26-016
The gasket alone. Complaints cluster on the 2017–2018 CR-V.
Warranty extension 26-012
The gasket alone.
Service bulletin T-SB-0104-21
If ANY internal coolant system leaks are present, coolant can mix with oil and create a similar milky/discolored appearance.
Service bulletin 19-2139
Ford's fix is a new short block with the gasket.
Customer satisfaction program 17B32
White smoke and low coolant with no outside leak.
- Fel-Pro's flatness rule. On any inline-four or V8, the rule is no more than .004 inch out of flat along the length and .002 inch across.
- 2013 F-150 gasket set. The set changes with the August 2012 build date, so match it to the truck.
- 2013 Altima 2.5L gasket sets. Two sets fit the base model only and two are split by coupe and sedan, so match the set to the car.
- Subaru complaints. On 2010–2012 models, 39 of 7,626 Outback and 25 of 5,014 Forester complaints name a head gasket, and one 2013 Outback owner was offered a 50/50 split of a $3,636 bill, parts and labor.
- Other complaints. Prius head gasket complaints are mostly on 2010–2012 cars, the Camry has 5 of 4,830 complaints and the Altima 4 of 7,140 complaints on 2010–2025 models, and Cruze complaints are all on 2011–2016 cars.
- Lowest and highest bills. The bills and quotes behind the range run from $1,200 on a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze to $5,500 on a 2015 Subaru Forester.
- Quotes at one figure. Four of the 12 quotes landed at $3,000, on a 2012 Toyota Prius V, a 2013 Chrysler 200, a 2014 Ford Escape and a 2011 Subaru Forester.
- A suspected cracked head. A 2013 Ford Escape owner was quoted $7,500 with a head suspected cracked, left out of the box, against $5,500 for a replacement engine.
- Hondas paid out of pocket before the extension. A 2018 Accord owner faced $3,000, a 2018 Civic owner paid $2,700, and a 2013 Cruze owner spent close to $1,500 on other parts and still needed the gasket. These owners are on top of the 12 complaints in the cost box, which cover 2010–2016 models.
Conclusion
What to do next about a head gasket replacement
Run the VIN first, since Honda and Kia have extended head gasket warranties on many cars, and ask which test found the leak before anyone opens the engine. Then get the hours in writing for every head, ask what the quote assumes about a warped or cracked head, and skip the sealer.
Oil & Miles checks each step here against the carmakers' bulletins and owners' complaints.
Common questions
Asked most often
How long does it take to replace a head gasket?
Carmakers' warranty times run about 9 to 13 hours for the gasket alone. Machine work on the head, when it's needed, adds an outside shop's time on top.
Can I replace a head gasket myself?
Replacing a head gasket yourself is possible with the service manual, but it's a big job even for a trained technician, going by the carmakers' times. The head has to be checked for flatness and the bolts tightened in sequence to the maker's angle.
Does milky oil always mean a blown head gasket?
No. Toyota's bulletin, which Toyota has since called obsolete, put milky oil on some of its engines down to condensation on short trips in extreme cold, confirmed only after a cooling system pressure check, so ask for that check before anyone blames the gasket.
What people ask next
Sources
- Honda bulletin 26-003, August 2026, for the signs, the 18 psi pressure test, the borescope test, the claim rule, the head and short-block rule, the head bolts (the old ones loosened in sequence, a third of a turn at a time, to prevent warpage) and the Accord's times, with the other 2026 extension bulletins for the Civic and CR-V times. NHTSA bulletin archive, read September 30, 2026
- Honda dealer messages MC-11036424 and 26-099, with bulletins 26-097 and 26-098, for the models and the two coverage terms. NHTSA bulletin archive, read September 30, 2026
- Kia bulletin ENG254, program WTY039, December 2025, for the 3.3L V6 coverage, signs, block test and engine time. NHTSA bulletin archive, read September 30, 2026
- Ford program 17B32 and bulletin 19-2139, for the Focus RS signs, 20 psi pressure test held at least five hours, times and end date, and the Escape short-block time. NHTSA bulletin archive, read September 30, 2026
- Toyota bulletin T-SB-0104-21, revised February 2024, for milky oil from condensation. NHTSA bulletin archive, read September 30, 2026
- GM bulletin 15-06-123-001C, for stop-leak in its hybrid and electric cars. NHTSA bulletin archive, read September 30, 2026
- Owner's manuals and booklets: 2020 Nissan Altima, 2021 Toyota Avalon, 2016 Honda Civic, 2018 Accord and CR-V, 2013 Ford E-Series, Subaru's 2023 Warranty and Maintenance booklet, and Subaru's 2004 conditioner program summary in NHTSA's index (external head gasket leaks on the 1999–2002 2.5L), for what each says about coolant additives. Read September 30, 2026
- Fel-Pro technical pages: Cracked Head vs. Blown Head Gasket, the surface preparation TechTip, the Subaru 2.5L page and Proper Gasket Seals, for diagnosis, flatness, the Subaru gaskets and sealer at fitting. Fel-Pro (DRiV), read September 30, 2026
- Victor Reinz, "Cylinder-head Bolts and Cylinder-head Installation", for the straightedge check, grinding, bolts used once and no sealing compound. Victor Reinz (Dana), read September 30, 2026
- NHTSA complaints, for the owner-reported prices and quotes (complaints 11679789, 11324295, 11102597, 11429899, 11407218, 10906385, 11174387, 11413096, 11745045, 11253245, 11204529, 11316878 and 10894502). NHTSA API, read August 24, 2026, and NHTSA's complaints file, read September 30, 2026
- PartsTech's September 2025 survey of about 700 US independent shops, as reported by Ratchet+Wrench (August 19, 2026), for the $100 to $139 an hour that nearly half of them charge. Ratchet+Wrench, read October 17, 2026
- RockAuto catalog, every head gasket set listing for the cars priced. Read September 30, 2026
AI illustration by Oil & Miles
How this was compiled
The cars priced are listed in the box, each in one model year. Labor is given as the carmakers' own warranty times, not as a guide's estimate.
Owner prices: twelve NHTSA complaints that name the head gasket bill, 2010–2016 models, file read August 24, 2026. Per-model counts: NHTSA complaints, 2010–2025 models, read September 30, 2026.
What we didn't do
We didn't price machine work on a head or a replacement engine. Both are quoted by the shop on the part in front of them, and no catalog gives us a fair figure. We found no labor time from Subaru, Toyota, GM or Nissan for this job, and didn't read a paid labor guide. We also didn't price sealer products, since no carmaker we read recommends one for this leak.
We didn't price a BMW, or a full gasket set for the 2019 Camry, which was out of stock in every listing. We didn't adjust the reported prices for the year they were paid or for region. Twelve prices is a small sample, so we haven't presented it as an average.
Figures are compiled in October 2026 for the US market and vary by region, vehicle and shop rate. Prices from $10 up are rounded to the nearest dollar, and the totals in the cost box to the nearest $10, so $14.13 reads as $14. Below $10 they're exact. This article is general information, not instruction. See the disclaimer.