The Lemon Index$568 middle bill · most between $357 and $1,000
20 owner reports on 16 models
Chevrolet Cavalier, Hyundai Sonata, Mini Cooper
Owners reported paying a median of $568 for a valve cover gasket replacement, with the middle half of bills between $357 and $1,000. That's 20 owner reports on 16 models (15 complaints to NHTSA and 5 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $50040%
- $500–$1,00030%
- $1,000–$2,50030%
- $2,500–$5,0000%
- $5,000 and up0%
Share of the 20 owner reports in each price band.
Related repairs
Engine replacement $8,000 · Fuel pump replacement $915 · Throttle body replacement $600 · Timing chain replacement $2,500 · Fuel injector replacement $1,700 · Spark plug replacement $865 · Head gasket replacement $3,000 · Ignition coil replacement $715
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11724720, 11615223, 11558853, 11518679, 11406985, 11099493, 10783460, 10672011, 10667035, 10586541, 10261596, 10252905 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $180 ▶ · $250 ▶ · $300 ▶ · $400 ▶ · $750 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a valve cover gasket replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $568, and the middle half paid $357 to $1,000, from 20 owner reports on 16 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a valve cover gasket replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Chevrolet Cavalier, Hyundai Sonata, Mini Cooper. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do valve cover gasket replacement costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 15 complaints to NHTSA and 5 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.