Camshaft replacement costs vary so much and for such a wide variety of reasons that it is impossible to provide even a broad range of price estimates that will apply to all or even most situations. For example, while one's location in the country is one of the major factors that influence labour costs, many other factors affect camshaft repair or replacement costs, some of which include-
- the make and model of the vehicle
- the design of the engine and root cause(s) of the camshaft failure
- the general mechanical condition of the engine
- whether the engine has variable valve/camshaft timing on one or more camshafts
- the vehicle’s country of origin, and the availability of required replacement parts other than camshafts such as camshaft oil seals, valve cover gaskets, valve lifters, timing belts, timing chains, etc
- the degree of damage to the affected cylinder head(s)
- the reparability of one or more damaged components and the total number of hours required to perform a professional repair
- the cost of all required parts to complete the repair, but be aware that not all parts for all vehicles will always be immediately available, especially in remote areas
Note that since the above list is neither complete nor exhaustive, each case of camshaft failure represents a unique set of circumstances that requires unique solutions and/or repair options. Put differently, this means that there is no single, one-size-fits-all approach that will resolve all camshaft failures- even on identical engines. For instance, it might make sense to spend several thousand dollars to replace the camshaft(s) on a classic sports car’s engine, while spending only a few hundred dollars on replacing the camshafts on a suburban runabout might make no financial sense at all if the vehicle is long past its prime.
It is worth mentioning, though, that the total cost of camshaft repairs or replacements on some European vehicles might equal, or exceed the cost of a rebuilt engine, so use your best judgment to be sure you get the most value for your money. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you consult with several workshops and/or with suitably qualified mechanics near you regarding repair options, total labour charges, as well as the cost and availability of all required parts before you commit to a camshaft replacement or repair procedure on any vehicle.