Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $222–$521 · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $270–$618 (the headline above) · Dealership (~$175/hr) $377–$830. 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 serious did it get for owners?
5% of the 386 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: 19; Fire reported: 14; Crash reported: 3.
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 50,000-100,000 (40%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 50,000: 34% against 60%.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 6-9 years (52%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 11% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
386 owner complaints name this part.
Owners most often describe "coolant or fluid leak", in 51% of these complaints.
What do owners say it led to?
Among the 386 owner complaints naming this part, owners most often say engine damage followed.
What owners say happened after the problem. Engine damage: 15 (4%); Loss of power: 8 (2%).
If your car shows the signs above, get it checked before it gets as far as engine damage.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 386 owner complaints naming this part, spark plug is named in 16% of them, more than any other part.
Other parts named in the same complaints. Spark plug: 16%; Ignition coil: 5%.
Owners name the spark plug most often in the same complaint, which is not proof that one caused the other. Ask the shop whether it checked the spark plug too, so you are not quoted twice for one visit.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster is the largest group at 41%, out of 143 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?
2017 is the most common model year in 386 complaints naming this part (24%); 3 model years account for 60%.
What it shows: 2017 is the largest at 94 (24%), followed by 2015 at 64 (17%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 1 (0%).
When in the year do owners report it?
NHTSA owner complaints about this part run furthest above the usual seasonal share in April: about 61% more of them name an incident that month than complaints about any part would predict. A complaint is a report, not a measured failure.
What it shows: April is the largest at 12% (all: 8%), followed by January at 10% (all: 9%); the smallest shown is March at 5% (all: 8%).
Has the maker published a fix?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota | RAV4 2020–2022; Camry Hybrid 2020–2022 and 3 more | T-TT-0702-22 Rev | Feb 12, 2024 | TT: Some 2020-2022 vehicles equipped with North American Produced (NAP) A25A-FKS/FXS engines may experience an oil leak from the head/valve cover gasket. |
| Ford | Mustang Shelby GT500 2022; F-150 2023 | 23B17 S1 | Nov 9, 2023 | Certain 2022 model year mustang GT 500 and 2023 F-150 raptor r vehicles - engine front cover and valve cover. |
| Ford | F-150 2023; Mustang Shelby GT500 2022 | 23B25 | Sep 30, 2023 | Certain 2022 model year mustang GT 500 and 2023 F-150 raptor r vehicles - engine valve covers. |
| Chrysler | Pacifica 2021–2022; Voyager 2021–2022 | 9004527 | May 4, 2022 | Valve Cover Gasket If you are experiencing a right valve cover leak and plan on replacing only the gasket, the customer may later return for an oil leak. |
| Chevrolet | Silverado 1500 2020 | PIP5762B | Nov 22, 2021 | This preliminary information communicates to technicians a possible valve cover causing oil consusmption, and the repair. |
| Jeep | Gladiator 2020–2021; Wrangler 2020–2021 | 9004104 | Apr 14, 2021 | Valve Cover & Gasket Engineering is looking for information on the Pentastar valve cover due to gasket oil leaks. |
14 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
The dealership replaced the valve cover, charged $1,218.26, and instructed me to drive 1,000 miles and return for reinspection.
Valve Cover leak, Known Issue by GM, TSB 22-NA-027, refusing to warranty known problems & charge the customer $4,000 in repairs.
Their diagnosis confirmed: "coil pack burn and burned the #2 injector and harness and valve cover." Despite the federal mandate that recall-related failures be handled at no cost, the dealership attempted to charge me over $2,000 for the diagnosis and repairs.
"Wanted to reach out to let you know we need to replace the Cam shaft, the camshaft phaser and valve cover gasket before we can do the test for the recall this will cost about $1530".
Check your car
Valve cover gasket replacement costs $270–$618 for parts and labor at a $120 per hour shop rate. The engine layout moves the price most, because a V6 with two covers and an intake in the way takes far more labor than a four-cylinder with one cover.
What the price covers and leaves out
The estimate is parts plus labor installed: the gasket set, new seals for the bolt tubes, fresh oil if the job drains any, and the hours to pull the cover and clean the sealing surface. It assumes the cover itself is sound. A warped or cracked cover is a separate part, and a shop will only know once the cover is off.
What changes the price
Labor decides the total, so the engine layout matters more than the gasket. The calculator splits it like this:
| Variable | Setting | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Engine layout | V6 transverse FWD (2 covers, may need intake removal, 2–5 hr) | $541–$1,545 |
| Engine layout | V8 / longitudinal V6 (2 covers, 2–4 hr) | $541–$1,236 |
| Shop type | Independent shop (~$100/hr) | $222–$521 |
| Shop type | Dealership (~$175/hr) | $377–$830 |
A transverse V6 is the expensive case because the rear cover sits against the firewall and the intake manifold usually has to come off to reach it. The shop rate then multiplies those extra hours. Choose the row that matches your engine, then read across to your shop type.
What the estimate leaves out
The calculator does not include a cracked cover, a stripped bolt hole, or oil that has already damaged spark plugs or coils. It also excludes an oil change if the shop does not do one with the job. Ask for a written note on any added part before you approve it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with a leaking valve cover gasket?
Usually for a short time, if you check the oil level often and nothing is dripping onto the exhaust. Stop driving if the engine misfires or you smell burning oil strongly.
Why would a shop quote near the top of the range?
The most likely cause is a V6 mounted sideways, where the intake has to come off. The range for that layout runs $541–$1,545.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates.
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 RepairPal's range ($375–$514) on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 0% below the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology