Water Pump Replacement Cost

Car water pumps are essential to proper engine operation. Without it the engine will quickly overheat and may cause severe and costly damage. Unfortunately, water pumps are a common problem on many car engines. A water pump takes a lot of abuse over the years and must often be replaced, especially on older high mileage engines. Ultimately, many car owners end up paying the cost for a water pump replacement.

So, how expensive are water pump repairs? How do they work and why are they so important to your car engines operation? In this article, we cover water pump replacement cost, answer these questions, and dive into some helpful info.

Understanding Water Pumps

The water pump may also be known as a coolant pump. It’s essentially the heart of an engines cooling system. Water pumps are responsible for circulating the water/coolant mixture through an internal combustion engine. Most water pumps are driven by a belt and pulley attached to the crankshaft. This spins an impeller inside the water pump to circulate the coolant.

Coolant and water then travel through the engine and back to the radiator. The radiator helps cool the water/coolant mix before it makes its way back through the water pump and engine. That’s basically all there is to the water pump. It’s a housing with an impeller – driven by a belt – to circulate coolant through the engine.

Electric Pumps

Again, most engines use a standard belt driven water pump design. However, some engines use electric water pumps. These aren’t driven by a belt attached to the crankshaft. Rather, they’re electronically driven. This is a common design on many BMW engines, especially in the 2005-2015 ballpark.

We won’t dive into all the specifics, but there is one important point. Electric water pumps add an extra failure point since they’re electrically driven. They’re often more expensive parts, too. We’ll circle back to this when we discuss water pump replacement costs soon.

If you would rather consume this content via a video, check out our “Signs of a Failing Water Pump” video below:

Bad Water Pump Symptoms

• Overheating
• Steam
• Coolant leaks
• Whining, buzzing, squealing sounds

Overheating is one of the main symptoms of water pump failure. If your car engine is overheating then it’s time to pull over in a safe location as soon as possible. Otherwise, look out for steam coming from the engine bay or other noticeable coolant leaks. It’s not uncommon for the water/coolant mix to “boil” out of the coolant tank cap when the water pump fails.

Another way the coolant pump may fail is via the belt or pulley. If the accessory belt is bad you may notice weird whining, buzzing, or squealing sounds. In these cases the water pump might still be fine, but the belt or pulley needs replacement.

Cost of Water Pump Replacement

Alright – finally onto the actual topic of this article. If and when your water pump fails how expensive is the replacement? Once again, this can vary greatly depending on each specific make, model, and year car. However, there are still some average costs and data to give a good estimate. Water pump replacement cost is usually in the following ballpark:

• High – $800+
• Average – $450-650
• Low – $200-400

Many German cars – Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc. – come in on the higher end. It’s not unusual for BMW water pump replacement cost to run in the $750-1,000+ price range. Meanwhile, many American and Japanese cars come somewhere in the low-average area.

One car brand isn’t always less expensive than the other. It often comes down to what water pump each car uses and its location in the engine bay. Some are simply more accessible and faster to replace than others. Likewise, some water pump replacement parts are more expensive than others. Regardless, most can expect to pay somewhere in the $300-700 ballpark when it comes time to repair the water pump.

Cost Breakdown

• Parts: $100-300
• Labor: $160-500

*Assuming roughly $80-100/hr labor costs

Again, costs can vary even more. If your German car ends up at a dealership for repairs you’ll likely pay retail price for the pump itself. That can bring water pump parts costs to $400+. The same can be said if they’re charging by the book at $125+ per hour. We’ve seen plenty of $1,000+ parts and labor quotes from some dealerships.

Anyways, water pump parts for most car engines range from $100-300 while labor is about 2-5 hours. At a standard rate of $80-100 that brings labor into the $160-500 ballpark. Of course, those capable of DIY’ing a water pump replacement can save a pretty good chunk of the cost. Those less experienced should probably leave the job to a professional repair shop, though.

Summary

Water pumps are highly important for proper cooling and engine operation. It’s basically the heart of a car engines cooling system. Without a functioning water pump an engine can quickly overheat and cause severe damage. Unfortunately, water pump replacement is a common thing that many car owners run into at some point.

Symptoms of a bad water pump include overheating, steam, coolant leaks, and odd sounds from the belt or pulley. Beware of overheating as its a major symptom that warrants pulling over in a safe area ASAP. You’ll need to repair the water pump before any further driving.

When that time comes water pump replacement cost can vary from about $200-800+. Most cars will fall more in the median of that range, as $450-650 is the average cost of water pump repairs. However, German cars can easily exceed the $800 mark while others come in even less than $300.