2001 Cadillac DTS Head Gasket Blown

TERRANCE7807

MEMBER
2001 CADILLAC DEVILLE DTS
V8
FWD
AUTOMATIC
75,500 MILES

I am interested in purchasing this vehicle off a private dealer, even tho it is priced way below the blue book value, it requires repairs to the engine due to a headgasket. Estimates so far have priced anywhere from $2500 to $3000 in labor & materials, In my mind it is a decent deal but would like anyones opinion on this matter. Thank you

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 AT 8:27 AM

1 Reply

FACTORYJACK

MECHANIC
4,159 POSTS

Working at a dealer, I see several head gasket repairs performed over the course of time. I have yet to see one that has had proper head bolt thread repair and gaskets, repeat a failure of the same nature. Keep in mind that you could have other issues once you get it driveable. There are some common things like torque converter hydraulic circuit leaks, and oil leaks that would render an expensive repair requiring powertrain disassembly. If you can check trouble codes on the vehicle, look for P0741 TCC stuck off. Check code history and freeze frame if possible. This could indicate a fault like I described. Are the lower case mating joints leaking oil, it would be adviseable to have that repaired at same time, but could add approx $2000 to what your faced with already.

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Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 AT 9:22 PM