How much does it cost to replace a car radiator?
According to Fixter data, car radiator replacement cost (UK) ranges between £258 and £501.
Our average car radiator replacement cost works out at £378.
Can I carry out a car radiator replacement myself?
It’s not a job for the faint-hearted, so unless you’re a well-experienced DIY mechanic, we’d leave this one to the professionals.
You’ll need a range of tools designed to get into awkward spaces and loosen and tighten some special nuts. You’ll also benefit from owning a few more special tools to help drain and refill the cooling system with the correct coolant mix.
There are plenty of hoses and connectors attached to the radiator and the parts it connects to, including the condenser and cooling fan. Then there are pressure tests to ensure the fluid is properly in place. So unless you’re confident in your skills, it’s a big job for a DIYer.
What are the car radiator replacement costs at a dealership compared to Fixter garages?
| Operation | Vehicle | Dealer Price | Fixter Price | Saving |
| Car radiator replacement | Ford Fiesta 1.6ltr | £474 | £408 | 16% |
| Car radiator replacement | Volkswagen Passat 2ltr | £342 | £303 | 13% |
| Car radiator replacement | Jaguar XE 2ltr | £569 | £487 | 17% |
| Car radiator replacement | Volkswagen Golf 1.6ltr | £312 | £271 | 15% |
| Car radiator replacement | Land Rover Evoque 2.2ltr | £536 | £470 | 14% |
| Car radiator replacement | BMW X5 3ltr | £562 | £501 | 12% |
| Car radiator replacement | Nissan Qashqai 1.5ltr | £469 | £404 | 16% |
| Car radiator replacement | BMW 3 Series | £304 | £258 | 18% |
| Car radiator replacement | BMW 5 Series | £341 | £296 | 15% |
What additional factors could affect car radiator replacement?
Usually, the cost of replacing a car radiator is down to the make and model and who you choose to do the work, yet there are a few extra circumstances that could bump up the price. You need to flush and replace the coolant in your system, and you might suffer additional issues that extend to thermostats, faulty fans, or other defective components.
Troubleshooting for faulty components can affect labour costs, but generally, if a radiator has sprung a leak, that’s often all that needs replacing.
What are the costs of car radiator replacement parts?
Prices for a new car radiator vary for each make and model. The average price of an alternator from Eurocarparts is £110.
In our search, we took an average for standard 2015 models.
| Car Make | Car Model | Radiator Prices |
| Ford | Fiesta | £91 |
| Fiat | 500 | £102 |
| Volkswagen | Golf | £175 |
| Mercedes | C Class | £445 |
| Audi | A4 | £110 |
| Land Rover | Range Rover | £193 |
| Volkswagen | Tiguan | £113 |
| Audi | Q5 | £184 |
What are the labour times and rates for car radiator replacement?
Car radiator repair cost can vary across the country according to the garage or dealership’s size, location, types of service they offer, and the local demand. We delved into our records to work out the average hourly rate, to keep things as simple as possible for our customers.
We found for garages within the London area the average rate came out at £78 per hour. For the garages throughout the rest of the country, the price was a little lower, as you’d expect, at £72 per hour.
How long does a car radiator repair take?
Once again, with plenty of Fixter data to work with, we found the average radiator replacement job can take anywhere between 2.4 and 4.5 hours.
They’re not always the easiest part to get to, to release, replace, and reconnect, and any complications will add to the total time.
Take a look at what we found: You’ll see just how different the time this job takes for each make and model can vary.
| Car Make | Car Model | Typical Replacement Time |
| Ford | Fiesta | 1.0 hours |