head gasket replacement

Asked by pconsackett Jul 21, 2010 at 12:49 AM about the 2002 Subaru Outback Limited Wagon

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

have a 2002 outback limited wagon with 80K miles, 2.5L.  got a quote for $3200
to replace the head gasket, seems high, even for San Francisco.  any thoughts?  
Also, how long can I drive on it with a blown gasket without doing serious damage
to the engine?

3 Answers

55

That price seems high but you have to remember your subaru has a boxer engine meaning the cylinders are horizontally opposed, which means the head gasket is difficult to get to because its not on top of the engine, its on the side. This could explain why the price is higher than normal. As for driving with a blown head gasket, put some radiator stop-leak in your radiator (heaps of it), dont rev the engine too high, carry lots of water with you and keep an eye on the engine temp. You can use pepper instead of the stop-leak stuff but you have to use heaps of it. You should be able to drive it around for a couple of weeks.....hopefully. Good luck!

2 people found this helpful.
51,215

Get other estimates. Don't go to dealers, go to specialists that work on your type of car. Ask around about the garage you are going to also. That sound like the cost of a complete engine rebuild. $1,000 sounds high, but it appears to be labor intensive. Don't use anyone that tells you, "The book says that's the cost." Go on line, look for Subaru repair garage and call and talk to the owner. DO NOT pour any stop leak into your radiator unless you want to pay for a complete repair.

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Outback

Looking for a Used Outback in your area?

CarGurus has 827 nationwide Outback listings starting at $1,995.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Mark Weiner
    Reputation
    33,490
  • #2
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    28,650
  • #3
    Keith Cahalan
    Reputation
    3,380
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Forester
26 Great Deals out of 1,027 listings starting at $2,000
Used Toyota RAV4
91 Great Deals out of 2,055 listings starting at $3,499
Used Honda CR-V
90 Great Deals out of 3,817 listings starting at $1,995
Used Toyota 4Runner
13 Great Deals out of 337 listings starting at $9,900
Used Subaru Legacy
5 Great Deals out of 159 listings starting at $4,999
Used Subaru Impreza
19 Great Deals out of 458 listings starting at $3,999
Used Toyota Highlander
31 Great Deals out of 718 listings starting at $2,495
Used Toyota Camry
49 Great Deals out of 940 listings starting at $2,212
Used Honda Pilot
47 Great Deals out of 1,226 listings starting at $2,133
Used Toyota Tacoma
54 Great Deals out of 1,033 listings starting at $8,708
Used Ford F-150
299 Great Deals out of 15,725 listings starting at $1,712

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.