Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $342–$714 (the headline above) · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $406–$842 · Dealership (~$175/hr) $547–$1,120. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How the price estimate was built
What it shows: Our default range is $342 to $714; 2 of 2 published ranges overlap it.
How serious did it get for owners?
6% of the 205 complaints report a tow, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
Outcomes owners reported in complaints about this part. Towed: 12; Injury reported: 3; Fire reported: 2.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is under 50,000 (36%), against 60% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
205 owner complaints name this part.
Owners most often describe "coolant or fluid leak", in 57% of these complaints.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster is the largest group at 40%, out of 83 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2024 is the most common model year in 205 complaints naming this part (17%); 4 model years account for 50%.
What it shows: 2024 is the largest at 34 (17%), followed by 2015 at 26 (13%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 5 (2%).
Which engine sizes show up most in complaints about this part?
Among 203 owner complaints about this part where the VIN identifies the vehicle, 40% involve engines of 2.1 to 3.0 L, against 25% of complaints about all the parts we track.
Engine size of the vehicles in complaints about this part, against all tracked parts. 2.1 to 3.0 L: 40%; 1.6 to 2.0 L: 31%; 3.1 to 4.0 L: 14%.
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 6 foreign recall campaigns that name radiator hose with NHTSA since 2015; the latest, from Nissan North America in 2021-03. These are recalls abroad, and they apply to U.S. cars only if the same model is sold here.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-03 | Nissan. | 042 | Description of the Defect On the subject X-trail HEV vehicles, the radiator is secured to the vehicle by an air guide (mounting bracket) with two bolts and clips on top, and a pin on the bottom. |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 1 NHTSA recalls that name radiator hose filed 2015 to 2024, 94.8% of the 8,038 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 418 vehicles still carrying the defect.
| Year | Vehicles | Recalled vehicles | Repaired | Component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Volkswagen Golf R, Gti | 8,038 | 94.8% | cooling system radiator assembly |
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for parts matched to a radiator hose replacement since model year 2015, covering about 6,176 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a radiator hose replacement since model year 2015 | 2 recall campaigns covering about 6,176 vehicles |
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V-828 | Alfa Romeo Giulia 2017–2018 | 6,136 | Brake fluid leaking onto the exhaust can increase the risk of a fire. |
| 25V-398 | Ford F-150 2025 | 40 | An engine stall increases the risk of a crash. |
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIA | Niro EV 2023–2024 | TSB_ELE332 | Apr 3, 2024 | Technical service bulletin: Ewp coolant hose replacement - This bulletin provides information to replace the Electric Water Pump (EWP) coolant hose on some 2023-2024MY Niro EV (SG2 EV) vehicles produced from July 11, 2022 through January 24, 2024, which may. |
| Volkswagen | Id.4 2023–2024 | V1923012072064_1 | Dec 4, 2023 | Coolant hose improper assembly. |
| Jeep | Gladiator 2023 | 0901523 | Jul 22, 2023 | Lower Radiator Hose not Properly Seated Customers may experience the following: ? |
| Nissan | Leaf 2022 | NTB23-034 | Apr 17, 2023 | Coolant smell or leak from coolant hose clamps if you confirm The customer states they smell coolant or have seen signs of coolant leaking, OR There are signs of a coolant leak from any one or more coolant hose clamps. |
| Jeep | Wrangler 2021–2023 | 9100116 | Jan 6, 2023 | Valve - Coolant JL PHEV Hoses to 3-Way valve coolant hoses misroute causes P0E80-00. |
| Cadillac | Escalade 2021–2024; Escalade ESV 2021–2023 and 1 more | 21-NA-271 | Nov 9, 2022 | This bulletin advises the technician of a possible coolant hose that might be kinked causing the customers concern. |
22 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (2)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Colorado 2023–2026; Traverse 2024–2026; Acadia 2024–2026 and 1 more | Jul 15, 2026 | N262546590 | Coolant leak at radiator hose quick connect. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
Coolant leak, upper radiator hose, TSB issued PIT6494A over $500 repair.
Dealer claimed than a coolant hose was bad and required an $1100 repair.
The coolant hose came loose, which your team tried to charge $4,000 to fix, despite it being clearly related to poor installation of the engine.
Less than 74,000 miles and coolant hoses split.
Check your car
The typical radiator hose replacement cost is $342–$714 for an upper hose on a midsize car at an independent shop billing $90 an hour. The hose you replace, the vehicle and the type of shop move that number more than anything else.
What does a radiator hose replacement cost cover?
The estimate covers the hose, labor, and the coolant that drains out when the hose comes off. Labor is the larger share, because the shop has to drain coolant, remove clamps, fit the new hose, refill the system and bleed trapped air.
Parts are cheap compared with labor. The same job costs more on a vehicle where the hose is buried behind the airbox, fan shroud or other parts, since every extra piece to remove adds shop time.
How much does each hose, vehicle and shop change the price?
The estimate starts from an upper hose and moves with three inputs. Each row below changes one input and holds the others at the default.
| Input | Option | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Hose | Lower radiator hose | $372–$778 |
| Hose | Both radiator hoses | $611–$1,381 |
| Hose | Heater hose | $286–$590 |
| Vehicle | Economy (Civic, Corolla, Focus) | $312–$650 |
| Vehicle | SUV / Truck (Tahoe, Ram 1500, 4Runner) | $385–$808 |
| Vehicle | Luxury / Performance (BMW, Mercedes, Corvette) | $684–$1,235 |
| Shop | Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) | $406–$842 |
| Shop | Dealership (~$175/hr) | $547–$1,120 |
Replacing both hoses together costs less than twice one hose, because the coolant drain and refill happen once. If one hose has failed on an older car, ask what the other one looks like.
What does the estimate leave out?
It assumes one failed hose and nothing else. Shops often find worn clamps, a weak thermostat housing or an old radiator cap once the system is open, and a hose that failed from overheating can leave the engine damaged. Ask for any added work to be quoted separately, with the old parts shown to you, before you approve the work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with a leaking radiator hose?
Only a short distance to a shop, with the temperature gauge in view. Add coolant if the engine is cold and stop at the first sign of overheating.
Is it worth replacing both hoses at once?
Often, yes. The coolant drain and refill are shared, so the second hose adds less than the first, and both hoses have aged the same amount.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA owner complaint files with VINs decoded by NHTSA vPIC data from 2025
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) downloaded 2026-10-05
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against 2 established price guides on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of RepairPal's range ($498–$558). Price evidence grade B: 2 outside published ranges; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology