Car & Auto Repair Engine & Drivetrain
Radiator replacement cost calculator
Work out what replacing a radiator will cost from the part, the labor, and the coolant. A radiator is a moderate repair on its own, but its whole job is keeping the engine from overheating, and an overheated engine is a repair many times the radiator, so a coolant leak is one to fix promptly. The calculator adds it up.
Typical range $546 – $835
- Radiator (part)$250
- Labor (hours × rate)$313
- Coolant, hoses & thermostat$80
- Total$643
What this assumes, and where it could be wrong
Every one of these is a place the number could be off. They are here because you should be able to check our working, not because we are hedging.
THE RADIATOR IS MODERATE; THE ENGINE IT PROTECTS IS NOT.
Fix the whole cooling system, not just the radiator. When the radiator is replaced, the hoses, the thermostat, and sometimes the water pump are all in the same aging cooling system, and the labor to reach them overlaps. Replacing a brittle hose or an old thermostat while everything is drained and apart is cheap insurance against the next breakdown.
Sometimes it is not the radiator. Overheating and coolant loss can come from a hose, the water pump, the thermostat, or a head-gasket leak rather than the radiator itself. A proper diagnosis before replacing the radiator avoids fixing the wrong part, especially since a head-gasket leak is a much bigger problem than a radiator.
An aftermarket radiator is usually fine and saves money. For most common cars a quality aftermarket radiator is a fraction of the OEM price and works well. OEM is worth it mainly for a car you will keep a long time or where fit and cooling capacity must be exact. Match the radiator to your car and cooling needs, not just the price.
These radiator job defaults are ours, and every one is editable. The part, the labor, and the coolant are yours, and the estimate turns on the radiator type and how boxed-in it is on your car.