Head Gasket repair & replacement made easy

The head gasket on an engine provides the seal between the engine block and the cylinder head to maintain compression and prevent the engine oil mixing with the coolant.

What does a cylinder head gasket replacement involve?

There are differences between engines on the exact process and components, but the typical engine will require most of the following basics to be done

Mechanic will check that the head gasket is faulty.
The engine will be drained of oil and coolant.
Components will be removed to allow access to the rocker cover and ultimately, the cylinder head bolts.
The engine timing will be locked in place using specifically designed pins and locking tools.
The timing belt will be removed, or the timing chain loosened off and moved off the camshaft sprockets.
The cylinder head will then be undone in a specific sequence.
Once all the bolts are out, the cylinder head will be removed and the surface of the engine block and cylinder head will be cleaned of all residue of the old gasket.
In the case of the majority of cylinder heads, it will need to be pressure tested to ensure it’s structure is sound and then go through a process called skimming. This process ensures that the surface that the new gasket will come into contact with is perfectly flat and clean.
Once the mechanic has completed the work on the components, the engine is reassembled with a new cylinder head gasket.
If the engine’s camshaft(s) are driven by a timing belt, this belt will be renewed along with a new water pump if it is on the timing belt circuit.
Once the engine is back together, the cooling system will be refilled and the oil replenished along with a new filter.
If the oil has become contaminated with the coolant, an additional oil flush may be required and likewise, if the cooling system has become contaminated, the cooling system will be flushed.
Once everything is back together, the mechanic will run the engine.
Finally a road test will ensure that everything works as it should when the engine comes up to temperature and finally any error codes present will be cleared down and re-checked.

As we mentioned previously, this is not a full exhaustive list of what will be done as each engine has its own requirements.

Can I do a head gasket replacement myself?

Unless you are a qualified mechanic with the required skills, training and equipment to do the job, we strongly recommend a head gasket replacement is only carried out by a professional mechanic. ClickMechanic can help get you a vetted and local mechanic to carry out the work. Just enter your postcode and your car's registration number at the top of this page and select the work needed to get an instant fixed price up front.

What are the symptoms of a blown head gasket?

In most cases the symptoms of a cylinder head gasket are pretty apparent, some however take a little know how and some tools to confirm. Typical symptoms though are;

A cream-like colour and consistency in the oil (usually seen on the engine oil dipstick) or in the cooling system header tank.
Coolant overflowing out of the cooling system header tank.
An unexplained loss of coolant.
Difficulty in starting the engine.
Evidence of exhaust gasses in the cooling system.
Poor engine compression.

How long does it take to change a head gasket?

The time it takes to carry out a head gasket replacement can range from 5 hours to more than a day. Ultimately, the time that the job will take will depend on a number of factors, like your vehicle's make and model, year, type of engine, as well as other factors. Select your car at the top of this page for information on job time and cost for your vehicle through ClickMechanic.

How often should you replace a head gasket?

As soon as the efficiency of the cylinder head gasket is compromised, the gasket needs to be replaced prior to the engine being used again.

If the oil and coolant has mixed, the lubricating quality of the oil is non existent and its ability to preserve the internal parts of the engine is lost. Continuing to run the engine will ultimately end in severed damage to it. The same goes for the cooling system, with the water channels and radiators becoming blocked. If the coolant is being lost, the engine will overheat. This is not good for the metal components of the engine and the aluminium cylinder head could be damaged beyond repair.

How common is a cylinder head gasket replacement?

Whilst cylinder head gasket replacement is not as common as it was 20 or so years ago, it still occurs. Certain engines are prone to it happening and the use of smaller engines with turbochargers puts increased pressure on the gaskets.

Can I still drive with bad head gasket?

If you suspect there is any issue with the head gasket or there are concerns about its age or condition, book an inspection with a professional mechanic as soon as possible, driving the vehicle may lead to further complications or damage.

How much does it cost to replace a head gasket?

On average, a typical head gasket repair costs £400, with prices ranging from £280 to over £1000. Ultimately, the cost of a cylinder head gasket replacement depends on your car and what parts your car's manufacturer recommends using for the replacement. Find out what you could save by having your cylinder head gasket replaced by ClickMechanic by selecting your car at the top of this page!

One final note, if you are comparing quotations, please ensure that the quotes you have included the cylinder head pressure test and skimming. Not all companies will include this up front, they will add it to the bill after advising you that it needs to be done once they have commenced the work.

Want to know how much you'd pay at a franchise dealer or independent garage?

Check out the ClickMechanic price for a Head Gasket repair. We use industry standard data & millions of data points so you know what you should be paying

51 manufacturers for Head Gasket Repair

Name	Clickmechanic Click mechanic average	Independent garage estimate	Franchise dealer estimate
Alfa Romeo Parts costs: £362.24 - £631.23 Labour time: 4-8 hours # of quotes: 367	£785	£599 - £935	£906 - £1,446	Get exact price
Audi Parts costs: £279.30 - £571.48 Labour time: 5-9 hours # of quotes: 3551	£755	£553 - £949	£881 - £1,513	Get exact price
Austin Parts costs: £240.86 - £304.15 Labour time: 3-4 hours # of quotes: 3	£424	£444 - £470	£693 - £736	Get exact price
Bentley Parts costs: £352.93 - £640.65 Labour time: 8+ hours # of quotes: 10	£1471	£1,325 - £1,518	£2,360 - £2,601	Get exact price
BMW Parts costs: £317.89 - £667.23 Labour time: 6-12 hours # of quotes: 6248	£881	£674 - £1,161	£1,090 - £1,873	Get exact price
Cadillac Parts costs: £258.29 - £309.95 Labour time: 8+ hours # of quotes: 2	£802	£738 - £738	£1,265 - £1,265	Get exact price
Chevrolet Parts costs: £274.15 - £543.69 Labour time: 3-5 hours # of quotes: 358	£572	£450 - £705	£680 - £1,046	Get exact price
Chrysler Parts costs: £365.78 - £552.34 Labour time: 4-10 hours # of quotes: 304	£803	£618 - £976	£941 - £1,580	Get exact price
Citroen Parts costs: £260.01 - £458.92 Labour time: 6-13 hours # of quotes: 2867	£809	£632 - £1,060	£1,054 - £1,809	Get exact price
Dacia Parts costs: £167.53 - £448.57 Labour time: 4-9 hours # of quotes: 17	£606	£437 - £824	£739 - £1,345	Get exact price
Daewoo Parts costs: £197.69 - £317.83 Labour time: 2-4 hours # of quotes: 92	£391	£345 - £469	£531 - £725	Get exact price
Daihatsu Parts costs: £234.95 - £354.24 Labour time: 3-10 hours # of quotes: 36	£513	£441 - £794	£692 - £1,348	Get exact price
Daimler Parts costs: £269.07 - £322.88 Labour time: 6-7 hours # of quotes: 1	£530	£618 - £618	£1,018 - £1,018	Get exact price
Dodge Parts costs: £287.65 - £460.82 Labour time: 4-9 hours # of quotes: 26	£652	£538 - £826	£845 - £1,341	Get exact price
Fiat Parts costs: £257.79 - £402.16 Labour time: 2-6 hours # of quotes: 1664	£541	£412 - £657	£616 - £1,044	Get exact price
Ford Parts costs: £241.59 - £424.30 Labour time: 5-9 hours # of quotes: 9064	£673	£542 - £831	£888 - £1,375	Get exact price
Honda Parts costs: £332.82 - £652.52 Labour time: 4-7 hours # of quotes: 427	£769	£579 - £910	£890 - £1,382	Get exact price
Hyundai Parts costs: £250.03 - £552.92 Labour time: 5-9 hours # of quotes: 533	£709	£536 - £905	£869 - £1,437	Get exact price
Isuzu Parts costs: £242.76 - £469.34 Labour time: 6-8 hours # of quotes: 11	£717	£607 - £791	£1,017 - £1,266	Get exact price
Iveco Parts costs: £347.80 - £594.90 Labour time: 8+ hours # of quotes: 32	£930	£852 - £1,060	£1,422 - £1,720	Get exact price
Jaguar Parts costs: £322.72 - £622.89 Labour time: 7-12 hours # of quotes: 347	£946	£721 - £1,120	£1,182 - £1,820	Get exact price
Jeep Parts costs: £279.27 - £580.50 Labour time: 2-8 hours # of quotes: 227	£678	£419 - £918	£613 - £1,445	Get exact price
Kia Parts costs: £265.36 - £526.71 Labour time: 4-9 hours # of quotes: 437	£671	£517 - £913	£820 - £1,471	Get exact price
Land Rover Parts costs: £342.46 - £604.82 Labour time: 4-11 hours # of quotes: 2099	£785	£613 - £1,100	£950 - £1,792	Get exact price
LDV Parts costs: £316.77 - £460.20 Labour time: 5-7 hours # of quotes: 24	£639	£606 - £732	£956 - £1,156	Get exact price
Lexus Parts costs: £526.37 - £894.87 Labour time: 7-14 hours # of quotes: 267	£1291	£960 - £1,487	£1,496 - £2,373	Get exact price
Lotus Parts costs: £207.96 - £365.47 Labour time: 5-6 hours # of quotes: 6	£512	£488 - £585	£808 - £924	Get exact price
Maserati Parts costs: £342.46 - £574.09 Labour time: 8+ hours # of quotes: 3	£980	£796 - £1,096	£1,314 - £1,805	Get exact price
Mazda Parts costs: £284.98 - £507.65 Labour time: 5-9 hours # of quotes: 945	£731	£602 - £909	£973 - £1,476	Get exact price
Mercedes-Benz Parts costs: £266.24 - £545.85 Labour time: 7-12 hours # of quotes: 1785	£854	£661 - £1,082	£1,105 - £1,795	Get exact price
MG Parts costs: £299.87 - £452.90 Labour time: 5-7 hours # of quotes: 929	£609	£574 - £717	£905 - £1,130	Get exact price
MINI Parts costs: £280.78 - £525.93 Labour time: 5-9 hours # of quotes: 3412	£745	£577 - £892	£927 - £1,429	Get exact price
Mitsubishi Parts costs: £374.72 - £629.31 Labour time: 3-7 hours # of quotes: 804	£732	£579 - £879	£858 - £1,336	Get exact price
Nissan Parts costs: £304.25 - £592.21 Labour time: 5-9 hours # of quotes: 1399	£783	£617 - £964	£989 - £1,529	Get exact price
Peugeot Parts costs: £257.26 - £454.50 Labour time: 4-9 hours # of quotes: 6696	£671	£495 - £860	£783 - £1,414	Get exact price
Peugeot Talbot Parts costs: £318.64 - £387.58 Labour time: 4-5 hours # of quotes: 13	£492	£537 - £541	£817 - £822	Get exact price
Porsche Parts costs: £253.35 - £479.85 Labour time: 8+ hours # of quotes: 57	£897	£820 - £1,101	£1,433 - £1,877	Get exact price
Proton Parts costs: £317.17 - £399.60 Labour time: 2-4 hours # of quotes: 19	£460	£448 - £528	£641 - £789	Get exact price
Renault Parts costs: £284.50 - £441.73 Labour time: 6-10 hours # of quotes: 2677	£729	£615 - £887	£1,000 - £1,476	Get exact price
Rover Parts costs: £277.66 - £450.22 Labour time: 4-6 hours # of quotes: 656	£577	£534 - £697	£844 - £1,091	Get exact price
Saab Parts costs: £336.19 - £628.83 Labour time: 4-6 hours # of quotes: 457	£674	£568 - £831	£865 - £1,240	Get exact price
SEAT Parts costs: £292.32 - £454.06 Labour time: 4-8 hours # of quotes: 1033	£615	£525 - £784	£815 - £1,263	Get exact price
Skoda Parts costs: £201.06 - £412.30 Labour time: 2-7 hours # of quotes: 804	£546	£345 - £723	£528 - £1,169	Get exact price
Smart Parts costs: £167.52 - £374.33 Labour time: 4-8 hours # of quotes: 116	£561	£392 - £699	£649 - £1,145	Get exact price
Ssangyong Parts costs: £84.62 - £101.55 Labour time: 6-7 hours # of quotes: 1	£361	£412 - £412	£754 - £754	Get exact price
Subaru Parts costs: £452.51 - £844.33 Labour time: 6-8 hours # of quotes: 294	£946	£801 - £1,107	£1,237 - £1,647	Get exact price
Suzuki Parts costs: £217.93 - £431.67 Labour time: 4-10 hours # of quotes: 333	£651	£463 - £856	£750 - £1,420	Get exact price
Toyota Parts costs: £288.57 - £563.52 Labour time: 6-14 hours # of quotes: 1925	£913	£656 - £1,184	£1,078 - £1,987	Get exact price
Vauxhall Parts costs: £241.23 - £453.60 Labour time: 4-6 hours # of quotes: 16218	£573	£460 - £663	£725 - £1,022	Get exact price
Volkswagen Parts costs: £251.05 - £442.92 Labour time: 4-9 hours # of quotes: 4852	£641	£520 - £834	£837 - £1,369	Get exact price
Volvo Parts costs: £297.24 - £514.40 Labour time: 7-10 hours # of quotes: 894	£804	£694 - £965	£1,148 - £1,584	Get exact price

Prices could not be created for 30 models. Show ∨

Microcar
Metrocab
Hummer
Reva
Asia
TVR
Ferrari
Morgan
Buick
Lamborghini
Pontiac
Carbodies
DS
Mitsubishi Fuso
Moskvich

Ford US
Aixam
FSO
Maybach
Rolls-Royce
Santana
Tata
Great Wall
Piaggio
Perodua
Infiniti
Aston Martin
Lada
Lancia
London Taxi's International

Estimates on repair costs, such as the above results for a head gasket repair, are created by combining data from multiple third-party sources. The actual cost of using your local repair providers may be outside of the estimated range. We provide estimates on repair costs for information only and accept no liability for any inaccuracies or errors. If you think an estimate is incorrect, please contact us to let us know.

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Mechanics that undertake head gasket work

DP Motors, Cleveland
Dragos Auto Ltd, Houthon Regis Dunstable
EC Vehicle Repair, Waterlooville

RTJ Autos LTD, Stockport
Rev Motorsport LTD, Middlesex
SK MOT Testing Centre, Northfleet , Kent

Recent Head Gasket repair quotes

These recent quotes were taken from our quote engine which uses third-party industry standard data on repair times, along with a live parts retailer, and a regional labour rate to build an accurate free quote. We are constantly improving our quote engine, so please let us know if a price seems incorrect.

£680.84

Cylinder head gasket replacement

Jeep Renegade

Halifax

£1,480.88

Cylinder head gasket replacement

Vauxhall Vivaro

Hemel Hempstead

£640.66

Cylinder head gasket replacement

Saab 9-3

Halifax

£388.04

Cylinder head gasket replacement

Vauxhall Corsa

Liverpool

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Countries in the UK

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Want to learn more about Head Gasket repairs?

What does a head gasket do?

What does a cylinder head gasket replacement involve?

Can I do a head gasket replacement myself?

What are the symptoms of a blown head gasket?

How long does it take to change a head gasket?

How often should you replace a head gasket?

How common is a cylinder head gasket replacement?

Can I still drive with bad head gasket?

How much does it cost to replace a head gasket?

Want to know how much you'd pay at a franchise dealer or independent garage?

Check out the ClickMechanic price for a Head Gasket repair. We use industry standard data & millions of data points so you know what you should be paying

Alfa Romeo

£785

£599 - £935

£906 - £1,446

Audi

£755

£553 - £949

£881 - £1,513

Austin

£424

£444 - £470

£693 - £736

Bentley

£1471

£1,325 - £1,518

£2,360 - £2,601

BMW

£881

£674 - £1,161

£1,090 - £1,873

Cadillac

£802

£738 - £738

£1,265 - £1,265

Chevrolet

£572

£450 - £705

£680 - £1,046

Chrysler

£803

£618 - £976

£941 - £1,580

Citroen

£809

£632 - £1,060

£1,054 - £1,809

Dacia

£606

£437 - £824

£739 - £1,345

Daewoo

£391

£345 - £469

£531 - £725

Daihatsu

£513

£441 - £794

£692 - £1,348

Daimler

£530

£618 - £618

£1,018 - £1,018

Dodge

£652

£538 - £826

£845 - £1,341

Fiat

£541

£412 - £657