Josie

So I had my car at a body shop to get my front bumper replaced and they called me saying that the coolant was overheating and boiling. They claim that they had only left it idling for an hour and I've never had any issues with the heat. I change the oil regularly and add extra oil whenever necessary. I own a 2001 and haven't performance modified anything other than the rear differential and the suspension.

I took my car to a mechanic to get the thermostat changed and the water pump changed and the mechanic told me that there's a head gasket issue and that the cylinder head might be damaged. I am considering either rebuilding the motor from with upgrades or replacing the motor. What do you guys think I should do?

zeroptzero

Get a second opinion. Head gasket failures on these engines are very rare, but overheating can do that.

Who leaves a car idling for "just one hour " ? Needless to say the car was not being monitored while it was idling. They should be responsible for the damage.

Josie

Honestly, they still have my front bumper and I haven't paid them for that yet and I wouldn't even know how to start asking them.

JWN6264

Start by asking why they left the car idling for an hour.

Zer0ne

If it's boiling in your reservoir, check your radiator cap first.

Josie

Yeah asked and they just said it's normal for them moving the cars around while working

zeroptzero

I would trust Billman to rebuild the engine if the head is warped, rather than replacing it entirely. You can mill the head a small amount but you don't want to overdo it

Josie

Where is billman located?

Jub

As someone who once paid for a headgasket on an AP1 that I do not think I needed to pay for, I recommend a second opinion. Mine was replaced due to a misfire. I asked the mechanic (A reputable performance shop) if he thought it could be a coil pack, which is fairly common on these. He said definitely not, it's a head gasket. I trusted, paid the piper, and he called me back after it was put together saying it was still misfiring and I needed to replace the coil pack.

Anyways, it is really not common for these things to blow head gaskets. Is your car in due to front end damage? I'm wondering if your radiator could have been damaged at which point it is tremendously stupid to leave running.

Josie

Thank you for you feedback! It was not in for front end damage. I'm going to get a second opinion and take a look with a other mechanic as well.