Exhaust Manifold Leak Repair Cost: Average Prices to Expect

An exhaust manifold leak can be very damaging to your engine if allowed to go unchecked. A leaking exhaust manifold gasket can cause a burned exhaust valve, which can cause backfires through the fuel induction system. This in turn can cause the loss of fuel injectors and engine compartment fires. If you have an older car with a carburetor, you can destroy a power valve and also cause an engine compartment fire. On smaller engines in front wheel drive cars and most engines in rear wheel drive cars, replacing a leaking exhaust manifold gasket is quite easy.

What It Takes

As stated, replacing a gasket causing an exhaust manifold leak is quite easy. You'll need a couple of wrenches or sockets to remove the manifold. You'll also need something to remove traces of the old gasket. Emery cloth or some very light grit sandpaper is perfect for this.

Labor Costs

Typically, most shops use what is known as a parts and labor guide to determine how many hours of labor to charge for any given repair. Usually, this type of repair will run between two and three hours. Most independent shops charge around $80 to $90 an hour, so it should cost between $160 and $270 in labor. At a dealership, with a labor rate of approximately $110 an hour, you can expect a labor bill of between $220 and $330. Of course, if you plan on replacing the leaking gasket yourself, there will be no labor cost involved.

Parts Cost

The cost of the replacement gasket will vary depending on make, model and year of your car and how many cylinders the engine has. For a 2000 Chevy Impala, as an example, you can expect to pay between $18 and $28 at your local auto parts chain retailer. This price will increase to around $50 if you go to the dealership.

With the prices quoted above, you can expect a cost of $18 at the low end for do it yourself repairs to as high as almost $400 at a dealership to repair an exhaust manifold leak.

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