Repairing a simple car can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs.

While auto repairs can be frustrating, no wants the head gasket to be replaced. The head gasket, which is typically made from steel and sandwiched between the head and the cylinder block, is for those who are not engine-savvy. It can be difficult to reach under the best circumstances. If you don’t have the skills or the time, the shop can charge upwards of $2,000 for the repair.

Although head gaskets are designed to last for the engine’s life, some models have a reputation of leaking them out quickly and often. Consumer Reports did a study using data from the Annual Autos Survey. If you are a Subaru enthusiast, you know that this is not going to be pretty. This is true for the BMW team. In fact, nearly all of the list was dominated by Subaru and BMW models in the Consumer Reports survey.

Head gasket failures are possible at 90,000 to 138,000 miles for the 2006-2007 BMW 3 Series. It’s then a parade with Subarus, including the 2006-2008 Impreza and 2001-2009 Outback. Although these cars use the same engine, head gasket failures at 95,000 miles are not uncommon.

The Subaru slide is interrupted by the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, but head gasket problems can occur as early as 62,000 miles. The 2008-2010 Mini is followed by another Subie, the Baja. The 2000 Mazda MX-5 is the only one, followed by the 2013 BMW X5 (2008 Infiniti M) and the 2008 Infiniti M.

Bad head gaskets are not something you should skimp on. A small, external leak can cause some smoke if you are very fortunate. The leak can cause your engine to heat up as more air enters the cooling system. The engine will lose power and the coolant from the cooling system could end up in your oil. Overheating can cause engine damage, but oil contamination will kill the engine in a hurry.