Head gasket failure: which cars have them

Short answer: among vehicles with US sales figures, the Volkswagen Taos has the most complaints about head gasket failures per 10,000 sold, followed by the Ford Escape and the Ford Edge. Across all 11,257 federal complaints about it, owners reported a median of about 86,000 miles.

Federal complaints

11,257

Typical mileage

86,000 mi

Typical repair

$1,620–$3,010

What it is

The head gasket seals the cylinder head to the engine block, keeping combustion, coolant and oil apart. When it fails, coolant or oil can leak or mix, and the engine can overheat. Repair usually means removing the cylinder head, so it's a big labor job.

What owners notice

Losing coolant with no visible leak
White exhaust smoke with a sweet smell
Overheating
Milky oil or bubbles in the coolant tank

Vehicles with the most head gasket failures

Complaints about this problem per 10,000 sold, for each vehicle’s model years old enough to judge. Each vehicle’s years start at the first model year with a cluster of these complaints, so a vehicle that got the part later isn’t diluted by years without it. Only vehicles with at least 25 such complaints are ranked (20 vehicles).

1. Volkswagen Taos 14.9 per 10k sold

75 complaints, 2022–2022 models · typically around 21,000 mi · most in 2022 · estimate costs
2. Ford Escape 12.7 per 10k sold

3,168 complaints, 2013–2022 models · typically around 85,000 mi · most in 2017–2019 · estimate costs
3. Ford Edge 10.3 per 10k sold

1,490 complaints, 2011–2022 models · typically around 76,000 mi · most in 2016–2018 · estimate costs
4. Ford Fusion 6.5 per 10k sold

1,188 complaints, 2013–2021 models · typically around 91,000 mi · most in 2016–2018 · estimate costs
5. Honda Accord 4.7 per 10k sold

522 complaints, 2018–2022 models · typically around 98,934 mi · most in 2018–2020 · estimate costs
6. Mazda CX5 2.4 per 10k sold

238 complaints, 2016–2022 models · typically around 82,000 mi · most in 2018–2019 · estimate costs
7. Ford Mustang 1.7 per 10k sold

104 complaints, 2015–2022 models · typically around 66,444 mi · most in 2016 and 2018–2019 · estimate costs
8. Kia Sorento 1.3 per 10k sold

159 complaints, 2011–2022 models · typically around 87,000 mi · most in 2014–2016 · estimate costs
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee 0.35 per 10k sold

103 complaints, 2006–2022 models · typically around 73,000 mi · most in 2012, 2014 and 2018 · estimate costs
10. Jeep Wrangler 0.29 per 10k sold

82 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 50,446 mi · most in 2012, 2015 and 2018 · estimate costs
11. Chevrolet Equinox 0.26 per 10k sold

94 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 96,250 mi · most in 2005–2007 · estimate costs
12. Ford Explorer 0.25 per 10k sold

76 complaints, 2006–2022 models · typically around 91,750 mi · most in 2016–2018 · estimate costs
13. Honda CR-V 0.23 per 10k sold

119 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 115,000 mi · most in 2017–2019 · estimate costs
14. Subaru Forester 0.22 per 10k sold

48 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 91,000 mi · most in 2007 and 2009–2010 · estimate costs
15. Subaru Outback 0.19 per 10k sold

36 complaints, 2010–2022 models · typically around 90,888 mi · most in 2010–2012 · estimate costs
16. Toyota Prius 0.18 per 10k sold

30 complaints, 2010–2022 models · typically around 106,000 mi · most in 2010 and 2012 · estimate costs
17. Hyundai Sonata 0.16 per 10k sold

29 complaints, 2011–2022 models · typically around 122,000 mi · most in 2011–2012 and 2016 · estimate costs
18. Nissan Sentra 0.1 per 10k sold

26 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 76,100 mi · most in 2005 · estimate costs
19. Honda Civic 0.06 per 10k sold

30 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 102,750 mi · most in 2006 and 2016 · estimate costs
20. Ford F150 0.04 per 10k sold

59 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 103,590 mi · most in 2016–2018 · estimate costs

Common questions

Which cars have the most head gasket failures?

Among vehicles with US sales figures, the most complaints about head gasket failures per 10,000 sold come from the Volkswagen Taos (14.9), the Ford Escape (12.7) and the Ford Edge (10.3). Rates cover model years old enough to judge.

At what mileage do head gasket failures usually show up?

Across 11,257 federal complaints, the median mileage owners reported was about 86,000 miles. It varies a lot by vehicle; see the table.

How much does it cost to fix head gasket failures?

Typically $1,620–$3,010 at a national-average independent shop, from book labor hours and parts pricing. Your state's labor rate changes this; the cost estimator on each vehicle page uses it.