While the Prius has a ton of great features, Toyota had some manufacturing issues on the 3rd generation initially. The Prius is susceptible to head gasket failure. This can cause a wide array of problems for your vehicle, including overheating, loss of power, oil contamination, white smoke, and external leaking.

Head gaskets typically last 200,000 miles, which is considered about the lifetime of most cars. That means, if you look after your car and follow the service schedule, you should never be faced with a blown head gasket.

According to a national average, it costs between $1,624 and $1,979 for a head gasket replacement. The associated labor costs are estimated between $909 and $1147 while the parts themselves vary in the range of $715 and $832.

The cylinder head gasket is a seal located between the engine block and cylinder head assembly. A “V” engine design such as V6 or V8 will have two cylinder heads, one for each bank.

Bearing Damage. Bearing damage can come from excess heat but is most often a product of having coolant in the engine oil. If your head gasket leak has caused this problem you are almost always better off replacing the whole engine as a new head gasket will stop the leak but bearing damage has probably already been done …

Yes, it is worth fixing a broken head gasket. It will help your engine to run in a good condition. Whether you replace or fix the components of your car, you will get a good result.

Is it Worth Repairing a Blown Head Gasket? In a word, yes. You cannot ignore a blown head gasket and expect to keep your car running in good condition. At that point, depending on the age and condition of the rest of your vehicle, this may make your car a total loss that’s no longer worth fixing.

How much does it cost to replace a blown head gasket? The cost of head gasket repairs can run into the thousands, meaning it’s often easier and cheaper to scrap the vehicle than it is to have it repaired. The average cost of head gasket repair is around $1,000 to $2,000, but this isn’t because the parts are expensive.

Other items that will likely be needed to complete a head gasket replacement include coolant, maybe oil, oil filter, spark plugs, hoses and new cylinder head bolts.

You should replace a head gasket when you are rebuilding an engine, when your gasket is blown due to warpage (or other factors), or any time you take your cylinder heads off. If you are replacing head gaskets yourself, you need to check for warpage with a feeler gauge, both on the cylinder heads and the block’s deck.

While head gasket replacement is not classified as routine maintenance, there are instances in which the gasket may require replacement. If you think you may need to replace your head gasket, it’s best to talk to a mechanic. There are several signs that could indicate that your head gasket is blown.

1) Overheating. A head gasket failure may be caused by an engine overheating one too many times (as a result of a clogged radiator, coolant leak, faulty fan, etc.), but the blown head gasket can also cause the engine to overheat. Hot exhaust gases can leak into the cooling system, or coolant can leak into the cylinders and be burned off as steam, either way, the end result is an overheating engine.

Steps Obtain a service manual for your car’s make and model. It will include step by step procedures with images that explain how to replace your head gasket(s). Drain all of the oil and coolant from your engine. Remove the parts that are connected to the cylinder head.