Engine repair
Parts, labor hours and local total-cost examples for planning. Confidence B indicates a broad category estimate rather than a vehicle-specific shop quote.
Cost and coverage reading
From the low parts benchmark to the high one, head gasket replacement moves by $31. Midpoint labor and diagnosis contribute about $2,022 at the median metro rate of $148 per hour.
Coverage varies even among exclusionary plans, so the component name alone does not settle a claim. Payment still depends on authorization and the recorded cause of failure.
See all engine repairsLocal estimates
These examples combine the same parts benchmark with modeled independent-shop labor rates in four metros.
| Metro | Labor midpoint | Total estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | $144/hr | $2,286-$3,619 |
| New York, NY | $160/hr | $2,436-$3,910 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $165/hr | $2,482-$3,999 |
| Miami, FL | $144/hr | $2,289-$3,623 |
Machine-shop work, overheating damage and the original cause of failure can move the bill outside this range.
National benchmark: $2,543-$3,337, with $910-$941 in parts and $1,633-$2,397 in labor. Source: RepairPal, updated 2026-06-18. Local totals normalize the published labor range to this site's metro labor model.
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