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Anon

I don’t know a lot about auto things, and am worried about being taken advantage of.

Can you give my an idea on costs to repair a blown head gasket on my 1995 Nissan Largo which has done 145,000 km's.

Tui

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 6 October, 2010

jbiddle

In many cases a head gasket failure is the result of an overheating problem not the cause. In terms of costs this can mean the head gasket may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes down to repairing the engine properly.

In most cases also, the real costs of repair are not known until the cylinder head is removed and inspected for damage.

A garage can provide an estimate before the repairs are started but this can often be a guideline more than a near quote if the head was to require major rework.

In addition, most garages will refuse to carry out any cylinder head work without having the radiator checked along with the entire cooling system (hoses, water pump etc) and this is where the costs can really start to blow out.

Without sounding too negative other problems can quickly develop once the head gasket work is done. It is not unusual for engines to use more oil for example as the reconditioned parts will create pressure on worn internals.

The trick is to find a trusted service provider who can carry out a thorough inspection of the vehicle and comment on whether it is worth spending money on or not.

It is quite possible your car is well worth fixing but don’t expect it to be cheap. I’m thinking anywhere around the $1,000 mark but it could be a lot more. A second hand engine is another possible option to consider.

There are times when repairs which almost equal a cars total value are justified. If the car is in reasonable condition it is sometimes better to repair it rather than invest in another high risk, low value vehicle, you don’t know the service history of.

You will never recoup the money spent, but if you really need a motorcar for transport it is one of the things you simply have to accept.

Finding that trusted garage is the first step.