Warrenty Direct details highest head gasket failures by brand.

• Warranty Direct reveals head gasket failure rates 

Used cars made by MG*, Rover or Daewoo are most likely to suffer expensive head gasket failure according to new data from Warranty Direct.   

While most vehicles are more prone to common electrical mishaps or suspension issues, head gasket failure – every used car buyer’s nightmare – can strike nearly six per cent of some three to 12 year-old vehicles.

Costing an alarming £770 on average to repair, head gasket breakdowns tend to hit after a car is at least three years old.

Vehicles made by Proton, Saab and Fiat are the next most likely to suffer from the glitch feared most by used car buyers.  

The head gasket sits between the engine block and cylinder head, effectively sealing the engine to prevent the engine oil and coolant mixing. When it fails, a car will often lose power, overheat or emit white smoke from exhaust.  

The head gasket hall of shame

Manufacturer	Chance of head gasket failure in one year
MG*	5.61%
ROVER*	4.75%
DAEWOO	2.36%
PROTON	2.04%
SAAB	1.27%
FIAT	1.20%
CHRYSLER	0.89%
PEUGEOT	0.81%
SUBARU	0.78%
VAUXHALL	0.64%

Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “Anybody familiar with buying used will know about head gaskets and how costly they can be to repair, I can speak from bitter experience.

“Some cars are almost immune to failures of this sort, while others are quite likely to blow. Bear in mind, too, that all the cars we cover are maintained according to manufacturer guidelines, so the problem could be even more prevalent on cars with patchy history and many former keepers.

“Even though some of the poorest performing brands are now under new ownership or no longer exist in their former guise, there are thousands of these vehicles on the used market.” 

At the other end of the scale, the Warranty Direct data shows that less than one in 500 vehicles made by Lexus will suffer a head gasket problem, and less than one in 1,000 Aston Martins are susceptible. 

Head gasket failure is a common cause of cars overheating – a problem Warranty Direct covers unlike most products in the marketplace. 

Warranty Direct (www.warrantydirect.co.uk) is the UK’s leading direct-to-consumer insurer for car, van and bike mechanical and electrical failures.