Head gasket failure (petrol flat four)
Attaches to EJ204 at engine level · Cooling · carried by 1 variants across 1 chassis
Overview
Head gasket failure (petrol flat four) is a common fault recorded against EJ204 at engine level, typically from 150–280k km. It shows up as coolant disappearing with no visible leak, a sweet smell after a run, staining at the block joint and eventually overheating. Where it's documented, the repair runs €1,200–€2,400 (both head gaskets at a specialist, since the engine comes out, costs dated 2026-07), and it can be partly checked before you buy. 1 variants across 1 chassis in this database inherit it.
What happens
Symptom. Coolant disappearing with no visible leak, a sweet smell after a run, staining at the block joint and eventually overheating.
Cause. The flat layout puts the head joints on the sides of the engine, and the gaskets there have a long record of weeping between the coolant galleries and the outside of the block. It's a wear item on this family rather than a defect.
How to check it
Static checks
Look for dried coolant staining down the sides of the block and check the expansion tank level and colour. A pressure test is cheap and it's the only reliable answer.
Engine off, ideally on a lift.
Every variant that carries this
| Variant | Chassis | Body | Years | Risk | Good buy | Cost as % of good buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 EJ204 | SH | SUV | 2008–2013 | R3 | €6,200 | 29% |
The last column is the point. The same repair is an inconvenience on one variant and a reason to scrap the car on another. A failure costing a quarter of the vehicle's value changes the purchase decision regardless of how rare it is.