My Honda's head gasket has gone twice in nine months!

I got the head gasket done on my 02 Honda Civic 1.4 last September (2010) due to burst radiator. Now it's gone again after nine months. Would this indicate it was not fixed properly or just bad luck?

Regards, Tom

Tom Lysaght (Celbridge)

Jun 2011 Filed under: fault

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Expert answer

Hi Tom,

First thing to find out is if the mechanic that fixed the head gasket had the cylinder head checked for flatness. If not, then it's likely that it was warped and it should have been skimmed before fitting the gasket.

If that was done then it could be just bad luck, though to us it really sounds like too much of a coincidence.

Let us know how you get on.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D