NRR: Possible Blown Head Gasket on Car

It's going to be an expensive repair... $1,500 or so, maybe a lot more from a dealership. You should be able to get an estimate, but it will only be an estimate because they don't know for sure what the problem is until they break down the engine.

Personally, I think it's unethical to not disclose known problems when selling or trading in a car, but that's your call.

If you can follow directions, you might consider a do-it-yourself block sealant. Here's a YouTube video describing one... K&W brand, but there are others. The guy claims an 80% success rate done the way he describes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nban6dVkYGM

It never hurts to get a second opinion and a few estimates, but bubbling in the coolant system is almost certainly a blown head gasket. You're looking at something north of $1000 to have it repaired. A blown head gasket is often the result of an overheating engine, so you may have some other issues that need attention, such as a non-working cooling fan.

If it's just the head gasket, and no other damage has been done (unlikely if you're continuing to drive it), it's a relatively simple repair. What makes it expensive is the time involved. If you have a buddy who knows a little bit and is willing to help, you may be able to get a few more years of life out of the car. A kit for your car is about $40.

However, chances are if it's overheated, the head is warped and will need to be machined. A sealant like the one linked above MAY fill the gap if the head is warped.

Like CR said, you may have some other issues that lead to the head gasket failure, but Sentras are notorious for have weak head gaskets.

I was going to say minimum $1k and that would be from your local mom and pop engine shop..maybe for that much, but as poster above said, it could be more.

As far as not being ethical. It's not. But then again, it would only cost the dealer the value of the part to fix it when they discovered it. Think about it, the labor is "free" for them since they now own the car. The pay the wholesale rate for the part and give it to a tech to work on during a slow day. They gave you $2500 for it, they sell it for probably $4500 (no idea on this, just an example). They are paying that tech prob at most $20/hr. Including parts and estimate labor, the dealer will clear well over $1k on that

If you fix (the head gasket) do you really want to sell it (without full disclosure) to some poor soul who can only afford an 11 year old Nissan? For only $1000 more than it costs you to fix it? If you're really an "old man" isn't life too short for this kind of nonsense?

Fix it and keep it until it dies in a couple of months or years, or get rid of it.

Any money spent on a 2003 Sentra with piles of miles is money down the drain. The Sentra was made to last five years and 100k miles. The fact that you have gone this far without major repairs is a bit of a miracle. Even if you get a cheap head gasket fix, there will be a long list of new problems in the near future.

Whether you have a legal duty to disclose the problem to a dealership depends on the particular law of your state. Most states do not recognize an affirmative duty to disclose on the part of an individual dealing with a business. But in some states, it is considered fraudulent to make a partial disclosure when a full disclosure would be more accurate. It is too complicated to get an answer on the internet.

The point may be moot because most dealerships will be able to spot the head gasket. And even if they don't, they will offer you so little for the Sentra that they won't bother coming after you if they find out that you did not disclose the needed repairs.

Trade it in and get a car that runs.

I would sell the car on craigslist, with the disclaimer that it's failed a leak test. In the meantime, get another resale car from craigslist.

I would definitely NOT get another overpriced lemon from a dealer.

Okay, so judging by your feedback, there really is no point in fixing it. If I put it on CL (with the disclaimer that head may be broken), any idea of what to put it at? I was thinking $1500 and then could always bargain from there. Any idea what a dealer would pay or give toward a trade-in?

Next question. Any recommendations for under $20K? I realize cars are a source of personal preference...

Old Man Runner wrote:

Okay, so judging by your feedback, there really is no point in fixing it. If I put it on CL (with the disclaimer that head may be broken), any idea of what to put it at? I was thinking $1500 and then could always bargain from there. Any idea what a dealer would pay or give toward a trade-in?

Next question. Any recommendations for under $20K? I realize cars are a source of personal preference...

No idea what you might get on a trade in. I bought a $30k care 2 years ago and expected to get about $3k on a 2002 Volvo trade in. I though they screwed me by offering only $1,500, but wasn't worth fighting about.

My daughter-in-law bought a Kia for close to $20K 2 years ago and it is well made, gets great gas mileage and drives well even though it is not a particularly sexy car.

Old Man Runner wrote:

Okay, so judging by your feedback, there really is no point in fixing it. If I put it on CL (with the disclaimer that head may be broken), any idea of what to put it at? I was thinking $1500 and then could always bargain from there. Any idea what a dealer would pay or give toward a trade-in?

Next question. Any recommendations for under $20K? I realize cars are a source of personal preference...

Right, from the other comments, there is no point to fixing the car, as other issues would keep coming.

What would the car be worth if the head gasket was fine? Subtract $1000 from that and see what happens. If no bites, then lower the price. $1500 might be fine. You're looking for someone wants a bargain and would fix the car on their own.

I'd say you can get a very good car for less than $20k, but not from a dealer. I got my last car, a Honda, for less than $4000. A friend of mine has a 2007 Honda hybrid that is very nice, gets great gas mileage, and the blue book on it was $7k in 2012. Mine's a 99 and I'm getting 55 mpg.

Just out of curiosity, what is the engine & drivetrain warrantee on an '03 Sentra? Still covered or are you S.O.L.?

PoisonIvy wrote:

Just out of curiosity, what is the engine & drivetrain warrantee on an '03 Sentra? Still covered or are you S.O.L.?

S.O.L.

Only 5 years/60k, I believe. Even if it was 10/100k, I'd still be screwed.

Am going to see what I can get for it upon trade. If dealer says with a good head $4500, I'd think about fixing and selling back to dealer or private party. KBB has it at $3,000 at most.