Download the Jerry app to get a quick, data-backed oil pan cost estimate for your exact vehicle and location.
Real customers Jerry helped
While price points may vary across locations and vehicles, Jerry uses real customer experiences to show what drivers are paying right now. Here are some customer examples:
Estimates are modeled based on real vehicle and location data; names have been changed. Actual prices will vary by shop, parts, and vehicle condition.
Cost breakdown: why the price varies
For oil pan work, Jerry customers are finding that labor time is the big swing factor. Here’s how each piece of the puzzle may move the needle.
Vehicle design and access (biggest factor):
On many sedans, the pan is easy to access and there is not much labor time. On others, the exhaust, crossmember, or even the subframe is in the way, which can significantly increase costs.
Labor rate:
Urban areas and dealer shops typically charge more than independent garages in smaller markets.
Extent of damage:
Get the specifics. Corrosion, seeps, or damaged threads will yield different repair costs.
Parts quality:
Genuine/OE pans and molded gaskets cost more. Aftermarket can save money, but, on some models, the OE design and sealant give the best long-term result.
Fluids, sealants, and extras:
Fresh oil and filter are a must after pan work. Many pans also require RTV sealant, crush washers, and sometimes new bolts.
Taxes, shop supplies, and fees:
These aren’t the headliners, but they add up and vary by location.
What is an oil pan?
Think of the oil pan as your engine’s bathtub. It sits at the bottom of the engine and stores the engine oil when the engine is off or idling. When you start the car, the oil pump pulls oil from the pan through a pickup tube and screen, circulates it through the engine to lubricate bearings, camshafts, and cylinder walls, and then gravity returns it to the pan. Oil pans usually seal to the engine block with either a gasket (rubber, cork, or molded composite) or form-in-place room temperature vulcanizing sealer (RTV).
Because the pan sits low, it’s vulnerable to:
- Road debris or curb strikes that can dent or crack it.
- Corrosion in salty climates.
- Stripped drain plug threads from overtightening during oil changes.
- Gasket aging that causes seeping or leaking.
Left alone, oil pan leaks can drop oil levels, starve the engine of lubrication, and lead to expensive engine damage. That’s why shops take these leaks seriously.
Oil pan jobs can turn into a big headache because the pan often can’t physically come out of the car without moving other stuff first. On many vehicles, the oil pickup tube sits inside the pan near the top, and the subframe/crossmember sits right under the pan. That means the pan can be “trapped” with no room to slide down and out.
If you still want to DIY it, confirm one key thing upfront: can the oil pan come off without lifting the engine? If the pickup blocks it above and the subframe blocks it below, the fix is usually to loosen the engine mounts and carefully jack the engine up just enough to create clearance. If that sounds like more than you want to deal with (or you don’t have a safe way to support the engine), it’s a repair that’s often best left to a shop.
Symptoms of a failing oil pan
Jerry customers are coming across dripping oil as the most common indicator of a leaking oil pan:
- Oil spots under the car: Fresh drips or a growing puddle appears after parking, often near the middle/front underside.
- Low oil level: You’re topping off oil more often than normal.
- Oily, wet underside: The bottom of the engine and nearby splash shield look damp or coated with oil.
- Burning-oil smell: Oil drips onto hot exhaust parts and you notice a burnt smell (sometimes light smoke).
- Oil light comes on: Low oil pressure warning or oil light flickers—treat this as urgent and stop driving if it stays on.
- After a bump: A leak starts or gets worse after hitting debris, a curb, or a pothole (oil pans sit low and can crack).
Your action plan: how to save money
Before you authorize a big-ticket job, a few “insider” moves can protect your wallet.
Confirm it’s the pan.
A leaky valve cover, timing cover, or oil filter housing can masquerade as an oil pan leak. Jerry’s diagnostic tool can help confirm the issue before you take the car to the shop.
Ask if a thread insert will solve a stripped drain plug.
If the pan is otherwise healthy, a heli-coil/timesert repair plus fresh oil can save you hundreds over a new pan.
Choose parts smartly.
Ask what the shop recommends between OE and aftermarket parts.
Bundle services.
If a subframe is coming down anyway, see if it’s a good time for sway bar bushings, engine mounts, or leaky axle seals you’ve been putting off—labor overlap can mean real savings. Customers use the Jerry app to get real quotes for multiple services at once.
Prevent the next leak.
Replace the drain plug washer, torque the plug to spec, and stick to the right oil viscosity.
DIY vs. pro: Can I do this myself?
Here’s a quick lens to decide if DIY is feasible for you. Jerry offers customers clarity on parts and labor rates to help make the right decision. Use it to gauge risk, tools, and time—not just cost. An error here (like over-RTVing and clogging the pickup screen) can be far pricier than paying a pro.
Related repairs
Depending on your engine, Jerry customers are addressing other common culprits of oil drippage to include:
- Valve cover gasket: Oil pooling around the top of the engine and running down.
- Timing cover gasket/seal: Especially on high-mileage engines with front main seal seepage.
- Oil filter housing/cooler seals: Very common on some makes; leaks can travel.
- Rear main seal: Typically more expensive; leaks from the transmission bellhousing area.
- PCV system faults: Excess crankcase pressure that pushes oil past seals and gaskets.
A good shop will inspect and prioritize these before prescribing an oil pan job. While you’re checking, you can also view open recalls in Jerry to rule out any manufacturer fixes related to oil leaks or sealing.
What our customers are asking
-
Is it safe to drive with a leaking oil pan?
-
How do I know it’s really the pan leaking?
-
Can I just use stop-leak?
-
Is a thread insert (heli-coil/timesert) legit?
-
Will I need an alignment after an oil pan job?
-
How long should a new pan gasket or reseal last?
-
What if my pan is dented but not leaking?
-
Should the shop inspect the pickup screen?
-
Does insurance cover oil pan damage?
Steve Kaleff began working on cars at the very young age of nine years old, when his dad actually let him make fixes on the family car. Fast forward to the beginning of a professional career working at independent repair shops and then transitioning to new car dealerships. His experience was with Mercedes-Benz, where Steve was a technician for ten years, four of those years solving problems that no one could or wanted to fix. He moved up to shop foreman and then service manager for 15 years. There have been tremendous changes in automotive technology since Steve started his professional career, so here’s looking forward to an electric future!
Nick Wilson is an editor, writer, and instructor across various subjects. His past experience includes writing and editorial projects in technical, popular, and academic settings, and he has taught humanities courses to countless students in the college classroom. In his free time, he pursues academic research, works on his own writing projects, and enjoys the ordered chaos of life with his wife and kids.
