Head gasket repair cost: hours by engine, gasket sets and the bill by state
Choose the vehicle type and the state: the estimator applies the automaker's head gasket time to the state shop rate and adds a gasket set.
Head gasket, sedan, national: typical cost
$933
Range $571 to $1,473 · engine · before sales tax
| Labor time, sedan | 4.5 h to 6.6 h |
| Shop rate, national | $114 to $159 per hour |
| Labor, typical | $746 |
| Parts, typical listing | $187 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How costs are estimated · automaker labor times, BLS technician wages, parts read October 20, 2026 · not a quote
A head gasket repair on a four cylinder sedan comes to about $933 at the national median shop rate of $134 an hour, within $571 to $1,473, labor and gasket set together, before machining of the head, fluids and any other part found worn. On larger engines the hours climb steeply: an SUV comes to about $1,739, a pickup $1,838 and a luxury model $1,850. The 6 automaker times read run from 4.5 h for one side of a flat four engine to 14.3 h for both sides of a sports car V8. Labor is about 88 % of the typical SUV bill, which is why the state matters here: the SUV job runs from about $1,404 in West Virginia to $2,051 in the District of Columbia, and a sedan from $770 to $1,085. Gasket sets for the reference sedans list at a median of $187.
Why this repair takes so long
The head gasket seals the joint between the engine block and the cylinder head. It keeps combustion pressure in the cylinders and keeps coolant and oil in their own passages. When it fails, coolant can leak into the cylinders or the oil, or exhaust gas can be pushed into the cooling system. Overheating is a frequent cause. Because several faults look alike, a shop normally runs tests such as a cooling system pressure test, a combustion leak test or a compression check before recommending the repair, and only a mechanic who has done those tests can say whether your engine needs it.
The gasket itself is a thin sheet, but reaching it means taking the top of the engine apart. The intake and exhaust manifolds, the timing drive, the camshafts on many engines, sensors, wiring and hoses all come off before the head can be lifted. Then the surfaces are cleaned and checked for flatness, the new gasket goes in, the head bolts are tightened in sequence, and everything is reassembled, refilled and tested. Engines with two cylinder heads, V6, V8 and flat engines, have two gaskets, and the bulletins often price one side and both sides separately.
Hours by engine
The times below are what automakers pay their dealers for the job on each engine, printed in bulletins and customer satisfaction programs filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The sedan range is a Subaru flat four, from 4.5 h for one cylinder head to 6.6 h for both. The SUV figure, 11.4 h, is a small turbocharged Honda engine, and its operation includes a leak inspection and a check of the head and block for warpage. The pickup and luxury figures are General Motors V8s with both sides done, from 9.9 h on a full size luxury SUV to 14.3 h on a Corvette.
| Type | Vehicle and engine | Bulletin filed with NHTSA | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury | 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade / GMC Yukon Denali, 6.2L V8 (L86) | GM Customer Satisfaction Program 15638, October 2015 | 9.9 h |
| Luxury | 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, 6.2L V8 (LT1) | GM Customer Satisfaction Program 15638, October 2015 | 14.3 h |
| Pickup | 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LD / GMC Sierra LD, 6.2L V8 (L86) | GM Customer Satisfaction Program 15638, October 2015 | 11.3 h |
| Sedan | 2010-2011 Subaru Legacy / Outback / Impreza / Forester, 2.5L H4 (naturally aspirated) | Subaru Service Bulletin 02-115-11R, revised 02/07/13 | 4.5 h |
| Sedan | 2010-2011 Subaru Legacy / Outback / Impreza / Forester, 2.5L H4 (naturally aspirated) | Subaru Service Bulletin 02-115-11R, revised 02/07/13 | 6.6 h |
| SUV | 2023-2026 Honda CR-V, 1.5L turbo I4 | Honda Service Bulletin 26-017, August 26, 2026 | 11.4 h |
An engine that is not in this table can be quicker or slower. A transverse V6 whose rear head sits against the firewall, for example, can take longer than an inline engine with a single head. When your quote shows many more hours than the range for your type, ask the shop what the extra time covers.
Gasket sets and what is not counted
The parts figure is a head gasket set for each reference vehicle. A set usually holds the head gasket or gaskets and the smaller seals disturbed during the job; head bolts, often meant to be used only once, may or may not be included. For the sedans, sets listed from $56 to $424, the range including a Subaru Outback added because its flat four engine matches the sedan hours. The SUV median is $207 and the pickup median $319.
| Type | Reference vehicle | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 2016 Honda Accord 2.4L L4 | $81 | $124 | $217 |
| Sedan | 2017 Toyota Camry 2.5L L4 | $56 | $200 | $254 |
| Sedan | 2014 Subaru Outback 2.5L H4 DOHC | $137 | $238 | $424 |
| SUV | 2016 Ford Explorer 3.5L V6 | $98 | $291 | $403 |
| SUV | 2017 Honda CR-V 2.4L L4 | $81 | $124 | $175 |
| Pickup | 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 | $93 | $198 | $481 |
| Pickup | 2017 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 | $441 | $441 | $441 |
| Luxury | 2016 BMW 328i 2.0L L4 Turbo | $207 | $212 | $218 |
| Luxury | 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 2.0L L4 Turbo | $66 | $236 | $572 |
Three things are left out of every figure on this page. The first is machining: a cylinder head that is warped or cracked goes to a machine shop to be resurfaced or repaired, or is replaced, and that cost depends on what is found. The second is fluids, the coolant and the engine oil drained during the job. The third is any other part found worn once the engine is open, such as a timing belt, a water pump or valve stem seals. Ask for each of these to be quoted on its own line.
A head gasket in every state
Head gasket, SUV: national typical cost
$1,739
| Labor time | 11.4 h |
| Lowest state | West Virginia, $1,404 |
| Highest state | District of Columbia, $2,051 |
Where the state makes the difference
With up to 14.3 h of labor on the engines read, the hourly rate is the line that moves the bill. Each state's rate is the national band from a survey of independent shops scaled by the mean wage of its automotive technicians, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On an SUV, the gap between West Virginia and the District of Columbia comes to about $647. The shop rate page shows where your state sits.
Repair or move on
A head gasket is the repair that most often raises the question of whether the car is worth fixing. That depends on its value and on what else is due, not on a fixed rule, and the repair or replace page sets the bill against both. If you decide to repair, compare the hours, rate and parts of your quote with the reference in the quote checker, and ask whether the head will be checked for flatness and sent for machining if needed, so the final invoice holds no surprise.