Fuel Line Replacement Cost (2024) (2024)

How much is a fuel line?

In most cases, people have just one or two leaky fuel lines, and the cost of having them replaced will range from $300 to $500. However, the cost of fixing your fuel line(s) can range anywhere from $150 to $2,000, largely depending on how many lines are damaged.

Your total will largely depend on how many fuel lines you need replaced.

“Fuel lines are rarely an issue unless it’s physical damage to the line — i.e., cut line, broken line, leaking line,” said Sean Kim, a mechanic in the Atlanta area.

If you’re trying to tell whether your mechanic has given you a fair estimate for replacing your fuel lines, consider getting estimates from different shops. It might be difficult for them to assess the scope of the work without seeing your vehicle firsthand (and you might even have to get your vehicle towed elsewhere for another estimate), but getting multiple opinions might save you money in the long run.

Are fuel lines covered under warranty?

Technically speaking, fuel lines are covered under most factory bumper-to-bumper warranties. (You can check whether your vehicle has any factory warranty left with your VIN.)

If you’re in one of the following states, your vehicle may qualify for a special CARB emissions warranty:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Maine
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.
• Vermont

These CARB warranties extend coverage for essential emissions components — including your fuel lines — to seven years/70,000 miles from new.

If you have a car that’s completely out of warranty coverage and the cost of replacing a fuel line has you concerned, you might want to consider buying an extended warranty. These plans can provide protection against expensive repairs, but you’ll need to sign up before your vehicle has problems because they don’t cover preexisting conditions.

“Recently, my check engine light came on. … Sure enough, I had a leak in the fuel line,” said an extended warranty reviewer in Texas.

“They had to replace some parts and the hoses. I was curious because I bought the high-priced package and my understanding was that it would cover everything except normal wear and tear type issues. I'm not real clear on what the policy considers wear and tear. But they covered the issue that I was having at the time. I paid my $100 deductible and walked out with a smile on my face.”

» MORE: Best Auto Warranty Companies

But there’s a big caveat to all this, and it’s that warranties — whether they’re factory or extended — only cover parts that fail due to manufacturer defect (i.e., poor design or fitment). Auto warranties never cover damage, and as Kim stated earlier, that’s the leading cause of fuel line failure.

In many cases, leaky fuel lines are just signs of age or bad luck. It’s not uncommon for years of salt buildup to eat away at the rubber housing on your fuel lines or for road debris to skip into your undercarriage and cut them open.

It all comes down to your mechanic’s professional diagnosis. If they genuinely believe you just got a bad fuel line from the factory — and there’s no reason it should’ve failed this early — they’ll usually state that on the claim and greatly increase the chances of your claim getting approved.

» MORE: What does a car warranty cover?