Buick head gasket cost to repair at car dealership?

Question

A relative of mine is taking a 1997 Buick Lesabre V - 6 to a Buick dealership in Kentucky for repair. Pretty sure they will say a new head gasket is necessary. How much will it cost ?

(I know an independent garage would charge a lot less $$$, but this relative is determined to get the repair done at the dealership)

Answer 1

Here is the problem when getting a estimate for a head gasket. What happened to the car. Why is the head gastket bad. If the car over heated there is a good chance the aluminum head is cracked and even better chance that it is worped. There you get into more money having to machine the head back true (straight). If it is cracked depending on where and how bad some can be fixed but not recommended. It is recommended to replace with new or reman. Now here is what you will run into. I own a shop and get a few customers that have gotten shafted by smaller independent shops. An shop can tell you what they want you to know. They don't have to show you reciepts showing you what they bought for your car. The dealership is alot more honest. I hate to say that because I run a independent shop but it is the truth and we all get the bad name because of it. But to let you know, We all are not bad. An independent shop can do the work alot cheaper that a dealer can, because we use different parts, and charge alot less on labor. On this job you are looking in the range of 600-1000.00 at independent and 900-1500 at a dealer. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

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RE:
Buick head gasket cost to repair at car dealership?
A relative of mine is taking a 1997 Buick Lesabre V - 6 to a Buick dealership in Kentucky for repair. Pretty sure they will say a new head gasket is necessary. How much will it cost ?

(I know an independent garage would charge a lot less $$$, but this relative is determined to get...

Answer 3

Hi RK so you want answers number one it is a ford which is a cheap car in the first place made for a low cost. put together for a small amount so not much thought goes into the design. so they use a shim head gasket which is not always a good seal under aluminium cylinder heads. so warping occurs when engines heat up, which they do every day of it's life when used. owned sometimes by people who don't always have them serviced at the appreciate services intervals and by qualified personnel. so the boy is given the job to service it in some garages, he may be a third year mechanic but he is just a boy. i think for an old car with that sort of estimate you are getting off cheaply to be honest, they are good on spare parts but you get what you pay for in this life. now what happens when cold water hits a hot metal it bends and twists in all directions because that is what happens when a head gasket fails.oil gets in to the water and water gets into the oil and water does not lubricate metal on metal surfaces. so scoring occurs and parts become damaged and need replacement this is largely down to the driver driving the car as he is a penny pincher and will not spend money on maintaining the car. so we have issues with parts that have become worn more than the should be,but having said this the ford car was made to last just five years, then the idea was to scrap it and buy another as it is worn out and salt has corroded the body it would and could fail the MOT. so goes for recycling . so an 8 year old car is well past it's sell by date and needs to be replaced not usual for a diesel car some have been around the clock by 8 years old and on there second circuit so to speak. at an average of 20 k miles a year which would be average for a diesel 160k miles would be about the right average for a rep's car which is what it was designed for. so to be really honest this one is a lemon or it is showing it's age in years rather than mileage and yes the truth hurts sorry sunshine but having own five over a fifteen year period from new each one did 40 k miles in three years they are not well made mine had at least two new automatic gearboxes in a three year contract some had four new gearboxes costing an average of 1800 pounds each so they proved how ford used to just sling things together. poor engineering. so when some one asks about ford and it's product i have little patients with the idea of an old banger like a ford sorry.

Answer 4

If the car is equipped with a 3100 or 3400 series V-6, it will need either/or intake manifold-head gasket replacement at about 140,000-150,00 miles. The gaskets in these engines tend to shrink and start leaking around this mileage. Just a characteristic of these engines. Intake manifold will cost around $900, head gasket around $1100. By the way, most dealerships are very competitive with independents in pricing repair work. Check around for the best deal, but stay away from "shade tree" mechanics or someone that does it in garage at home part time. Modern vehicles are too complex to let anyone that is not properly trained and has the right equipment work on.

Answer 5

1997 Buick Lesabre Repair

Answer 6

At least $1000 and higher depending on what else they deem fit to replace when they take apart the engine. You know they will want to rebuild the head /replace valves etc....... maybe as much as $2000
good luck..........
If i were you, i would look at the value of this car before you spend the money. Would you spend $2000 for a book value car of $1000???

Answer 7

At least 600.00 if taken to an independent repair shop.A dealer would charge twice that!

Answer 8

Around 800.00 - 1600.00 depending if they do one or both banks. I would definitely go with a place that has a warranty in writing for this repair.

Answer 9

Maybe $300 at the local place. $600 at a dealer. If the head is warped or cracked, more.

Answer 10

2 or 3 hundred at private gar. 5 to 800 ate dealer....