There are a few different vehicle repairs that every car owner dreads. A cracked engine block, a worn-out transmission, and a bad CV joint can all be incredibly expensive to repair. All of these repairs are fairly uncommon, but a blown head gasket can be costly and may occur more frequently in certain vehicles, particularly as they get older. The average cost of a head gasket replacement is somewhere between $2,400 and $3,200, making it a serious financial issue if it comes up.

A blown head gasket is a common repair on some vehicles that have aluminum-block engines or powertrains that already have significant damage. The good news, though, is that most blown head gaskets occur long after the early symptoms start showing up.

Knowing why this happens and what to watch out for may help reduce the likelihood of more extensive automotive repair costs in the long run.

What a Head Gasket Actually Does and Why It Fails

​The head gasket in your vehicle plays a fairly simple role, but it is incredibly important. This gasket seals off the engine block and the cylinder head, preventing the combustion gases, engine oil, and coolant from mixing together. When the head gasket fails, all these different fluids and systems start to mix together, causing serious issues within the engine block and potentially resulting in permanent damage. Coolant can enter the combustion chamber, oil can mix with the coolant, and combustion gases can make their way into the cooling system, creating unwanted pressure.

​Head gasket failure generally happens over a long period of time. It usually stems from some kind of engine overheating or a weakness in the actual gasket itself, which breaks it down and breaks the seal between the block and the head. Once that seal becomes weaker, the process of breaking down speeds up, and you are much more likely to experience serious issues quickly.

Engines and Makes With Elevated Head Gasket Risk

​While all engines can potentially develop a blown head gasket, there are a few engine families that have been associated with higher rates of failure. The Subaru EJ25, for example, became well known for blowing the head gasket at around the 100,000-mile mark.

This was partially due to the increased cylinder pressure generated by the engine’s layout, as well as the fact that the engine oil constantly remained in contact with the head gasket instead of draining back into the oil pan. This led to many issues over the years, and most of the affected Subarus were well out of the warranty range by the time they showed themselves.

​Other engines, including the Chrysler 2.7-liter V6, certain Ford models, and early-2000’s GM 3400 engines, developed head gasket issues due to poor construction of the part itself. Both of these engines used composite or plastic gaskets, which, when exposed to high heat and pressure, would quickly break down. If you have any of these powertrains in your vehicle, it is crucial that you know what to expect and what to watch out for as the years go on.

What Drives the Wide Range in Replacement Cost

​A head gasket job can be an incredibly confusing thing to deal with for drivers. A driver with one specific model of car might get a wildly different price range for the job than the driver of a different vehicle. In some cases, the difference can be thousands of dollars, and that might be difficult to make sense of. While the head gasket itself is a relatively simple replacement to make, the labor for a head gasket repair can be incredibly difficult to access.

​Accessing the head gasket can often involve removing major engine components, such as the spark plugs and valve covers. Depending on the kind of vehicle you have, this could include the intake manifold, exhaust, timing components, and a wide range of accessories. Because of this, labor costs can often exceed the cost of the actual head gasket itself.

Labor rates for repair facilities can vary depending on the location, the market, and the people involved, with half of all auto repair shops charging between $120 and $159 per hour for labor. This extra work can significantly drive up the price of a head gasket replacement and put a serious dent in your wallet.

​In addition to the labor involved with a new head gasket, you may also find yourself dealing with secondary damage to the engine. Fluids like oil and coolant mixing can be incredibly damaging to the powertrain, and you could end up having to repair all kinds of systems in order to get the engine back in good working order.

This is why it is so important to recognize the warning signs of a failing head gasket leak and do everything you can to avoid the worst damage.

Warning Signs Owners Should Not Ignore

​Head gasket failure has many warning signs that you should keep an eye out for, especially if you have one of the engines that is known for the issue. White smoke or sweet-smelling exhaust, for example, can be an indicator that coolant leaks are occurring and that coolant has gone into the combustion chamber (when it shouldn’t).

Milky residue under the oil cap is also a sign that these two fluids have started mixing. If you do not address these symptoms right away, you could be setting yourself up for even more engine damage, so it is important to act quickly when they happen.

Coverage Limits: What VSCs Typically Do and Do Not Cover

​Head gasket failures can occur at around the 100,000-mile mark, which means that many vehicles will be outside the original factory warranty that came with them when they were new. To protect yourself, you should consider an extended warranty, which is more accurately called a vehicle service contract (VSC). With most third-party coverage, though, gaskets won’t be covered unless you have a specific coverage plan that includes them.

The secondary damage that can come from a blown head gasket may be covered, depending on your contract, so you can save money on your repairs if the worst-case scenario happens. Coolant contamination or damage from overheating will often be covered under lower-tier warranties, which can be helpful, but you will still have to pay for the extensive labor involved in a head gasket replacement. This is why it is so important to know what your coverage plan includes and, perhaps more pressing, what it does not include.

Protect Yourself From Expensive Repairs With Endurance

​If you want an option to help manage certain repair costs associated with a blown head gasket, Endurance has a plan available for you. Higher-tier plans like Advantage and Supreme offer gasket coverage, which may help reduce out-of-pocket costs if your head gasket goes bad. Endurance offers plans for all kinds of vehicles and drivers, whether you have a high-mileage car or an exotic luxury vehicle. Endurance offers coverage options for certain vehicles that may not be eligible with some providers, such as Canadian Gray Market vehicles, cars with a rebuilt or salvage title, and cars used for rideshare or delivery.

On top of comprehensive protection for a wide range of vehicles, Endurance also offers a large suite of extra benefits such as 24/7 roadside assistance, trip interruption protection, and rental car coverage. Plus, you can get one year of Endurance’s Elite Benefits for free with any contract. This group of perks includes tire repair or replacement, windshield coverage, collision repair discounts, and key fob replacement.

When you are ready for comprehensive protection built for your vehicle, call our team at (800) 253-8203 for your FREE quote. You can also see your price right away by shopping online and getting an instant price preview.

For more helpful guides like this one, be sure to check out the Endurance Warranty blog. There, you will find DIY tips, provider comparisons, and much, much more.