price to replace a head gasket

On a Subaru? well, on anything, it is expensive- a lot of work and you want somebody good, who won't mess it up, so that is more expensive, too- who diagnosed it? make sure that is what is really wrong- if some garage, that knows what they are doing, diagnosed it, they would tell you how much it costs-

Thank you, jamnblues. But when we say expensive, Are we talking anywhere from $800- $1500? Also does the Head Gasket need replacing once it hits 100k in miles or can it need this under 100k miles?

desiree412015- Yes, good mechanical work is expensive on all cars. The key is to find an honest and qualified mechanic and stick with this person, they will get to know you and your car. OK, head gaskets--- be sure that you get the new "multi layered steel head gaskets on your 2000 Subaru Outback. They will last you another 100,000 or more miles and are LESS likely to fail than the original head gaskets. They stated using them on 2010 and newer cars with great success. A good independent mechanic will probably charge you around $750 - 900 for a head gasket job. Here's a link to the new multi layered head gaskets, make sure you read this. https://allwheeldriveauto.com/six-star-subaru-head-gasket-kits/

Good information. Thank you jamnblues & Markw1952. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Mark's all wet re costs, so get ready.... The proper HG parts kit will cost $200+; machine shop costs to pressure-test and assure flat head surface conditioning will cost $200-250, and must NOT be omitted. Add to that 8-12 hours labor depending upon skill and care exercised by your chosen wrench. Hence $1200 is a bare minimum for a good job, with $1500-1700 being the common indie range. And don't worry about using the proper gasket: it's been automatic in the industry for 5+ years, so warning about it anyore is a canard. What's critical is head prep and bolt (use new ones!) torquing sequence and procedure. Sorry to scare your pocketbook, but reality bites sometimes....

Mark, we know that you mean well, but PLEASE stop providing useless and/or incorrect information just to troll for points, huh?

Mark, you really have to ask people to mark your answer helpful / best answer?

Not enough Easter eggs I guess....

Wow, Ernie! I thought that Los Angeles had high prices... BUT, maybe, in Boston, things are even HIGHER? My independent mechanic told me that a head gasket job would definitely be under $1,000. Of course, if the head is damaged or warped, it would be substantially more. So, it really depends on the regional price for where you live. Here in LA, there's a lot of qualified mechanics and my mechanic has been in business for 20 years and has been servicing a series of my cars for over 12 years perfectly. Maybe your shop charges more?? You cannot make assumptions about what people charge and what their profit margin is. I suggest that Desiree shop this price and use her best judgement in choosing a reliable mechanic in her city.

Ok, can we please put the mini war on the side and let me ask this: Can an extended warranty cover some of the costs for the Head Gasket?

I don't think you'll be able to do this. Just pay for the repairs. Look, the car is already 16 years old. How many miles are actually on your car?

all of what Boston said and then some prices are higher depending on location, up to 2500ish. It just depends. And honestly, you might as well have both done. under 100k / over 100k.. I don't think mileage is any real indicator verses maintenance. Especially the damage of old coolant

Thanks to all of you for your help.

Extended warranties vary considerably, and negotiating a claim can require a lot of poker-playing. Good luck. Re: cost. Just do the math: $200 for parts, $250 for machine shop and 8-12 hours labor. The only way to keep this under $1k ANYWHERE is to do only one side, try to replace while motor is still in car (now considered a real no-no), AND ignore the machine shop work. My references for the costs span several DOZEN qualified indie wrenches, Mark. (Sigh.) WHOLESALE rates for a properly done HG reseal hover around $1200-1300; retail $1600-1800. There ARE Subie resellers who perform quick-and-dirty reseals using a dedicated wrench in about 8 hours (one per work day), but they take the risk of reusing cracked and/or warped heads, and don't install new head bolts, knowing that only short-term durability is required. IOW they play the odds. If 10-20% of these cheap reseals come back they still end up ahead. Again, apples and oranges, Mark....

wow- just a simple question- I said it was expensive- and I don't get hurt if nobody gives me 10 points- but there is nothing wrong with asking for points- Desi, the best advice you can get is to get rid of the Subi- and never buy another one- I mean, I know you love Bernie and the Subi is part of your identity- but whether it is 900 or 1900 this is money you shouldn't have to spend- almost all cars, with conventional engine configurations, can go a lifetime without having to replace head gaskets- good ol' Subarus- that's how the Subaguru here knows how much a head gasket costs- he's done plenty of 'em- and, to continue with the logic, if you replace it (as you must) it will not last any longer than when the FACTORY put one on your car- oh, and they have TWO-

f you're saying that an '00 OB won't be much longer in the tooth anyway...I agree with you. But if the point is that the newer design HG will fail like the skinny original...then that's proving NOT to be true. In other words I recommend here in the salt belt that replacing HGs on most relatively non-rusted 2006+ Legs and OBs for mid-teens is not unreasonable. But on more rust-prone 2000- 2004 era bodies it's time to move on. So you shouldn't throw the baby (the block) out with the bathwater (leaky HGs) if the ownership lifespan curve warrants it. In particular, 2008-2009 OBs are such better handling iterations than 2010-2012 that I often recommend replacing the HGs. (Note that I farm this job out to a trusted indie, not profiting one red cent (except good will), so there's no financial motive here. But it's true that they can get to be love-hate cars as they age...a lot like their German AWD sisters, alas.

jambaby.. google this: cargurus, markw1952, "best answer"

See the post from the germ1158. Here's the operative language below, Also, this post was from 3 months ago. "$2500 is way too much, find a reputable independent mechanic that specializes in Subaru. I've had two head gaskets replaced and never spent more than $1000 for the service including parts (timing belt, water pump and gasket)." Again, my local mechanic in Los Angeles quoted me an estimate of $1,000 for this work. Of course, if someone is charging "dealership book rates", the cost goes up precipitously. Thankfully, my car doesn't need this service, I was inquiring for the forum. And, my personal mechanic has been working on my cars and friends for over a decade. Again, this is a highly diverse range for mechanical work, profit margin etc. Remember, we have a lot of mechanics in the LA area, and the competition for this work may cause prices to be lower? Ernie, I really don't care if you don't believe me. There are alternatives. Desi- only you can decide if the car is worth fixing. Good luck. https://www.reddit.com/r/subaru/comments/32kubh/head_gasket_ replacement_worth_it/

Actually, the Reddit post was 11 months ago.

That's better, Mark: $1k wholesale/indie PLUS $250 for proper machine-shop work = $1250...what I had said. Retail pays $1500- 1800. There is no East vs West Coasts variance.

How much do you pay for a head gasket job Mark?

Do you mean ME? I don't think Mark's ever bought one, as he's only had one Subaru for just under a year? I've bought about 1800 of them for 1000+ clients over 32 years. I've only had to "buy" personally a handful of HGs as I carefully assess specimens before I buy them, but have replaced customers' early gen HGs if they fail years later a few dozen times. But I've been statistically way below average due to diligence in assessment and prevention. Still, it's a bullet that Subaru should NOT have been able to dodge, especially as the thicker 2.5i "turbo" HG preexisted the storm, and only cost-savings prompted the arrogance that continued use of the skimpy one. OTOH wet diapers plagued similar old Porsches too....

nah Ern, I meant mark. ;)

Ernie/walth- Actually, with the NEWLY DESIGNED multi layered head gaskets- they should last for the life of the car or at least 150,000 -200,000 miles, provided your careful not to OVERHEAT the car. I went 150,000 miles in my Honda Accord, 200,000 miles in my VW Rabbit, 150,000 miles in an Oldsmobile, 150,000 miles in an 80 Accord, and over 100,000 miles in an 85 TBird, not once ever had to do head gaskets. NO Walth-, I don't need any work done to my Subaru Outback and I've had the car for two years this May. Car runs like brand new. Outside of normal maintenance, oil changes, etc, I haven't had any work done. BUT, my mechanic has been keeping my cars and my friends cars working since 1999. And, I only inquired about the price for this person since she asked. Normally, I keep my cars to about 150,000 miles or so, and I have 76,000 right now. I did purchase my CPO car from a reputable new car dealership with a warranty from the dealer and also an extended warranty for three years up to 100,000 miles whichever came first. I'll hit the three years before the mileage. That's OK. I know that Subaru's have had a prior history of head gasket issues... that is why I purchased the 2010 which dealt with this and since the implementation of the new design, there have been substantially less cases of head gasket failures. And, I know that Mr. Ernie has been dubious about the CVTs, painting dark clouds on the horizon about their durability, but, I happen to personally know someone who had a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited exactly like mine who went over 290,000 miles with absolutely no issues on the engine, transmission, head gaskets, etc. He just had to do the normal maintenance of the timing belt, water pump, etc at the 105,000 mile intervals. Sure, cars are expensive, and they require professional care. I'm 64 , I've had lots of cars, been through a series of different mechanics and various shops, but, I'm VERY lucky to have found an excellent HONEST mechanic, who does not overcharge for his services. I can trust his judgement and if he says I need something done for my car, I listen to him. He wants to keep his clients and word of mouth advertising is something that cannot be bought. Sure, you can certainly find "boutique" auto repair shops that charge extra like the dealership and give you a nice comfortable lounge or donuts and espresso while you wait, no thanks. Walth-, I keep my cars running like an "airplane", I want them running in top notch condition always, I don't care how " old" they are , but, they have to mechanically sound. If it needs attention, I just take it in and have the work done professionally, I don't work on my cars. BUT, I am very interested in knowing how they work and making sure they are operating properly. So, when I said my personal mechanic could replace both head gaskets for $1,000 or less, I'm not kidding. Of course, the timing belt, water pump and other work would be extra. However, it wouldn't be the $1,600 price that others that Ernie is suggesting would charge UNLESS, the heads were warped.

Once again: $1k +$250 machine shop +$75 t-belt =$1325 wholesale. Oy vey....

Ernie, I guess you just can't stand to hear someone getting a great price.... With the prices your quoting, you might as well go to the Subaru dealership?

Mark, what kind of planet are you on? Your $1k quote doesn't include the t-belt nor machine shop heork. When added in the dollar values are the SAME. Your insinuation is both a nonsequitor and somewhat insulting, no. Enough of this....

I know this is an old thread, but I'm having my head gasket replaced on 2007 Subaru Outback with 2.5 engine. It is going to be about $1500. Also, $1000 for timing belt. I head a head gasket replaced on VW Corrado, withe brakes and some other work about 10 years ago for $1300. YMMV.

If you are having the head gaskets replaced the timing belt should only be a couple hundred more as there is NO additional labor.

No kidding. I’ve got a shop doing everything on my 03 for $1000 (not including my $500 in rockauto parts). 14 hours labor budgeted.

Just make sure they check the heads for warp and do a really thorough job of surface prep.

My friend is a machinist and we wrench together. The shop requested decking the heads and I’ll take them to my friends shop. Interesting thing, they said 50/50 chance of blow by after doing the head gaskets (higher if you lap the valves)

Increasing the compression can do that. Make sure they deck the heads the minimum amount.

Are you using upgraded multi-layer head gaskets?

What head gaskets are you using?

Yeah, I figured no more than necessary

I bought the DNJ gasket set

The CG's censor won't let me ask what type of gaskets those are. Single layer or more than one?

3 layer (2 black and one silver in the middle). Also bought new head bolts. New timing belt kit, most hoses, etc.

Yes: 3 layer!

I made sure to pay a few extra bills for the gasket set.

I just called my local dealer and the service department manager looked it up and quoted $2300 for a 2007 outback. They use Subaru gaskets. Not sure if this covers machine shop work or new bolts.

That’s probably close with markup but sorta on the higher end. I would be sure to ask what all that replaces. I think I bought every preformed hose on rockauto that was available and “as many easy to replace while in there” parts and he was cool with all of what I brought him.

That's 50% too much, and about TWICE what SOA pays them for a warranty repair.

You boys should stop fighting publicly....it's a complete waste of time for others. As for the cost of a new head gasket (2) in the 2010 Subaru Outback, we just had to have this job done in Montana and the whole job, including replacement of thermostat, timing belt and a few other things, was $2455. And....within 50 miles of driving it, we had to replace the rear oxygen sensor which was heat-damaged. So, in some instances, the cost is greater when other peripheral parts need to be repaired and/or replaced. The mechanic did plane the heads as they needed it and he was meticulous....but it was a very costly repair. We'll keep the car and hope for no more expensive repairs, but were told that one day soon we might have to replace the struts. I guess all cars have the need to replace parts at around 100K miles, but if there is a known issue, you'd think the company might warn the customers to be on the lookout. We had no such warnings, ever. No more Subarus for us!

Don’t worry lulu, we get along usually. I’m kind of tempted to buy the six star mls hg’s but i kinda feel like the ones I got should be alright.

Lulu, please don't try to legitimize your overpaying for a common repair by accusing others of kicking up the dust. It's an 8 hour bob +$200 for machine shop max and $300 parts max. You do the math.

Hey...wait a minute. I didn't accuse anyone of anything! I told the boys to stop fightlng and that has NOTHING to do with my repair. If I overpaid, then so be it. I was captive in a small town, with a car I couldn't drive, and a mechanic recommended highly. There were MANY replacement parts to the fix and the planing of the cylinders tops alone was almost $150, outsourced. Don't scold new players to this site or you will lose them as you're about to lose me. I was trying to learn something here and I was trying to be helpful. Have a good life.

Did your forester overheat lulu?

Look what I have been missing! LOL!

Hahaha!! IKR

Lulu, I'm not conflating...nor should you. It's difficult to watch folks get taken for overpriced repairs. Reminds me of the 90's when Saab owners would ooh and ahh in masochistic pain as they asked if the repair should perhaps cost more? Humans are a weird lot.

Well, I have a 2012 outback' 60 000 miles and the dealer is currently replacing the HG... cost will be about 1500$ CAD. I am so pissed Subaru did not gent to fix this engine problem! What can I do?

Yvan, that sounds pretty cheap CAD. That’s a given with open deck engine design.

$1500CAD is the warranty rate Subaru pays its dealers for the job. Make sure they send the heads out for assessment and prep work. Unusual for a '10-12 2.5i SOHC w/ the newer triple-HG to fail, YNG. Did it overheat somehow?

Hi, Do you guys have any recommendation for mechanics in Boston area? I have to replay my 09 forester head gasket and dealer wants $2700.

Can’t help personally but I imagine Mr. Boston might ;)

Sure. I'm using Alewife Automotive in Arlington/Somerville. Price will be in the mid-high teens including all parts...and maybe a few freebies if needed. Ask for Elias or Mike, and be sure to mention "Ernie" recommended them.

Got my Forester back Monday. Have three other vehicles to pick from so he definitely took his time getting to mine. Had my friend deck the heads and they’re nice. $1400 with swapping a used transmission I took a gamble on for $75. Trans shifts like new. Old one I plan to take apart someday and find chunks missing or the rear clutch pack separated. Only thing weird is occasional steering pump noise. It goes away after driving a minute but I don’t like it.

That's an easy one, Chris. The ps pump's inlet hose coupling is held in place with only one 10mm bolt, somewhat pulling the coupling's inner rubber o-ring, which, over time and shrinking, allows outside air to be sucked in. Solution is simply to remove the inlet coupling's old flattened o-ring and grab a SLIGHTLY larger one from a hardware store and replace, pushing the coupling straight down onto its mount, then tightening its 10mm bolt. Air cavitation should be permanently arrested. Notice how the old o-ring got flattened or triangulated from pressure and wear? That's partly why you should use a very slightly larger new one; if it fits it works, as you're just sealing a hole. Don't bother with silicone gasket or other surface sealer as it doesn't help. You'll be done in two minutes (plus the hardware store errand!).

Thanks Ernie! I was contemplating if it was belt tension.. seemed kinda slip/grab this morning. Just had all that work done and it did sit a while. I’ll check this out asap!

Belt tension is most obvious when starting very cold and turning at lock. Your wrench removed the ps inlet hose to get the motor out, so its poor old o-ring just either cracked or was too flattened to re-seal. Just replace it anyway. Can't remember the better replacement size, but they had some at True-Value. Bring the old one and connector and get one that's just a tiny bid wider OD when mounted on the connector. Snugger is better than too loose.

BTW, if the o-ring allows cavitation it'll eventually get bad enough to intermittently remove ps (dangerous!), and cause foaming overflow of the ps tank, as the pump churns air into the fluid, making "mousse"!

Lots of good bits of information being thrown out, much appreciated! I'm looking at purchasing a Subaru as I live in Canada, eh, trying to decide between the range of '08-'12 Subarus. Not sure if I should go with maybe an older '08 that's had more work done, cheaper, but prone to HG issues. Contrasting this with a newer model that's less prone to issues, but will cost more up front and I'll have to repair. Been working on motorcycles for 7 years so the task of pulling the engine and replacing parts is manageable, but definitely not desirable haha. I'd outsource any decking locally. Any recommendations are much appreciated!

This is a tough one, as you're balancing the risk of bad HGs on the '00-'09 vs the risk of a bad first gen CVT '10-14. Both gens use the same t-belt-driven older 2.5i. The '05-'09 is better handling because of lower CoG; the '10-12 are sloppy, but remediated when stiffened when the newer DOHC 2.5i came out in '13-14. That makes the '13-14 better in several regards...except the tranny risk. Yet given the corrosion time- line issues with older Subies in the rust-belt, I'd chase a '13-14. If unaffordable, get an '11-12 and replace its rear antiswaybar with a 19 or 20mm one from an Sti. I currently buy and resell ONLY 2015.5+ Leg/OB to get my clients both the DOHC motor and the 2nd gen CVT...and of course an extremely long lifespan. But again, these absolutely need the WRX/STi 20mm rear bar to get the fine handling of the 2000-2009 while still having a higher CoG. OTOH if you can find a really clean '06-'09 with dry HGs and a new t-belt...and can stand the mediocre pre-CVT fuel eco with the antiquated 4EAT, it can be a fun bargain. The rear Y-pipe and twin mufflers are a small PITA, as are wheel bearings etc. I'd avoid the "mongrel" 2005, and first half-year woes with early 2010 and 2015. 2010-2014 have lousy headlamp burn-out woes, but a good deal on a nice 2013-2014 can be a fine path. I stopped sourcing them just about a year ago to focus only on newer off-lease 3yr olds in my semi-retirement. If you do opt for '10-12 for the CVT eco be damned sure you don't mistake a worn CVT inner bearing sound from a simple wheel bearing sound, as to the non-expert they can sound the same!

Note also that all 2010-2014 will benefit from dropping tire height from OE 225/60R17 to the 225/55R17 used in 2005-2009; just don't forget the fatter swaybar for 2010-12. The half inch drop in CoG is a good thing. Use newest iridiums of most brands with great longterm success; 10w40 dino for the old motor, 5w30 synth for the DOHC. Be absolutely certain to drain and refill the older 4EAT as they get really dirty. The CVT is trickier to drain and refill, but I'd recommend it if done on a lift by an experienced wrench.

This is all on an HG thread?! Sigh....

Maybe you could start answering new questions instead of bumping ## year old threads and complaining of how long they are.

Chris, I simply respond to threads that are sent to my inbox, as I'm an old analog engineer, not a digital millennial.

Thanks TheSubaruGuruBoston, your power steering o ring tip saved me a lot of hassle on my daughters car. You know how it is trying to troubleshoot over the phone with an 18 year old girl. Also all of the other information on this thread, next weekend I will be pulling the engine to do the head gaskets, t belt, hoses Etc. She picked up a beautiful 1998 ForesterS with only a hundred and twenty thousand miles and full leather interior which I have never seen. Could anybody tell me what they meant by pressure testing the head? I have a full machine shop at my disposal to shave the heads flat and I will definitely inspect for cracks but what would be the process for pressure testing?

AZT, kudos for your valiant hutzpah to restore your daughter's old Forester. But I must caution that if hers is one of the dastardly first-gen DOHC 2.5i motors (as in the 1996- 1999 OBs), then the block longevity following a HG failure is dismally low. MANY wrenches have carefully replaced these HGs...even heads...to find the customer throwing a rod within six months because of rod damage from a prior overheating incident. Given the higher effort in replacing the HGs on these fussy first DOHC compared to the subsequent (2000-2009 OB/Leg) SOHC 2.5i, I just wouldn't make the effort. You'll pull your hair out when she calls you back later with either an overheating recurrence or worse, a rod blown through the block. The DOHC head geometry is very tight, allowing breeches across from the combustion chambers into the coolant passages. Subaru didn't dump this motor just because of high production cost. On the simpler SOHC 2.2i and 2.5i the heads can be shaved up to 0.004" (0.1mm)...any more and they'll overheat. Pressure testing involves blocking the head ports, generally dipping in a tank, and pressurizing the head to see if air bubbles emerge from any crack. It's good practice in any machine shop, but is NOT performed when Subaru stores replace gaskets under warranty, as SOA won't reimburse for the machine-shop sublet...and of course the down time is longer, as an experienced wrench can perform a HG reseal in a day with new (or pretested) heads. But let's back up a bit: Is your daughter's motor percolating or overheating? If not LEAVE IT ALONE! If it is percolating...and you're sure it's not a blocked rear heater hose or insufficiently purged cooling system...I'd almost prefer you chase a guaranteed used motor with original HGs and swap it in rather than reseal hers and risk blowing the block soon after your hard work. After seeing so many failures of these first gen DOHC 2.5i I simply tell folks to dump their dinosaur and get a 2010+ 2.5i with better gaskets, or at least a 2006-2009 SOHC with DRY gaskets. Good luck. Ern TSG/B

Im looking at purchasing a 1998 subaru outback with 175000. It doesnt smoke or overheat normal signs of a head gasket issue. Owner says their is a small loss of antifreeze. Could this be the beginning of a problem. The car has a solid service record. Dont this problems typically start atva much earlier mileage or could the issue arise atca much higher mileage than 175000?

I understand that the 98 outback engine design with the 2.5 dohc has large issues with the head gaskits because of the motor design. I haveca 96 qnd 97 legacy 2.2 sohc. Why do these engines not have the same problem?

The old 2.2 SOHC engine used since 1990 is a simpler design with sturdier construction and much better durability. They suffer from front oil leaks, so that a "front pkg" service consisting of a t-belt, oil pump o-ring (because they leaked), as well idler and tensioner pulleys was in order. But once done the motor would continue another 8-10 years before repeating. Note that the water pump and t-stat are golden, but watch for clogged or corroded radiators as they age out. Same with the exhaust and wheel bearings. If you put a 2.2 in the OB it'll have too little power for the heavier OB mass. Subaru tried that with the manual trans 1996 OB and it couldn't go up hills!

Easy fix. Quit buying vehicles from a company with thirty years of known engine problems.