Camshaft and Cam Phaser Replacement Cost

Your engine ticks or misfires, and the shop says the camshaft is worn. Or it rattles for a few seconds at every cold start, and you were told the cam phasers are going. You want to know the price before you say yes.

So how much does camshaft replacement cost? Owners who told NHTSA, the US road safety agency, what they paid were charged $2,000 to $5,091.05 for a new camshaft on four and six cylinder engines.

On GM’s V8 trucks and SUVs, where a failed lifter wrecks the camshaft, owners were charged or quoted $6,180 to $11,367.16 for a new camshaft and lifters.

A cam phaser job is smaller. With the carmakers’ own parts and job times at the average US shop rate, it comes to $497.25 on a Honda four cylinder and $1,911.66 to $1,938.06 for all four phasers on a Ford 3.5 EcoBoost.

In this guide I will show you what owners paid for a camshaft, why GM’s V8 costs the most, what a cam phaser job costs, and how to tell which part your engine needs.

What Owners Paid for a New Camshaft

The price depends on the engine, so here is what owners told NHTSA they paid for a new camshaft, with a link to each complaint:

• The owner of a 2020 Jeep Wrangler paid $2,000 for the right side intake camshaft and rocker arms at 64,596 miles, filed in January 2026.
• A seized brake vacuum pump broke the camshaft of a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, and the new camshaft and other repairs came to $2,390, filed in September 2026.
• A new exhaust camshaft, a timing part and an oxygen sensor on a 2018 Hyundai Elantra came to $3,557, filed in April 2026.
• The owner of a 2019 Honda Ridgeline paid $3,900 for a bad camshaft, filed in January 2026.
• Honda of Kenosha, Wisconsin, charged about $4,080 for a camshaft and camshaft thrust cover on a 2017 Pilot in September 2025.
• Collapsed rocker arms scored the intake camshafts of a 2015 Jeep Cherokee with the 3.2 V6, and the repairs totaled $5,091.05, filed in August 2026.

So owners paid $2,000 to $5,091.05 for a camshaft on these engines.

On 2016 to 2017 Pilots and 2017 Ridgelines, Honda told its dealers in January 2018 that a rough camshaft thrust cover lets the camshaft move. That sets code P0369 and cuts engine power.

Honda’s fix is a new camshaft, thrust cover and camshaft sensor together. The owner of a 2018 Pilot paid for a new sensor first, and was then told the camshaft repair is over $3,500.

Why GM’s V8 Costs the Most

On GM’s 5.3 and 6.2 V8, the camshaft bills start with a lifter. GM’s bulletin 15-06-01-002N, from February 2023, covers lifters of the cylinder shutoff system that collapse or stick, with a misfire and a tick.

It covers 2014 to 2019 Silverado and Sierra and 2015 to 2020 Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade models. If the camshaft lobes or the lifter rollers are worn, the camshaft and lifters are replaced.

GM pays its dealers 9.2 to 10.9 hours per side just to replace the lifters on those trucks and SUVs. For both sides that is 18.5 to 20.3 hours.

At $132 an hour, the average US shop rate Tekmetric found in June 2026, that is $2,442 to $2,679.60 in labor, before any parts and before the camshaft.

Here is what GM V8 owners told NHTSA they paid or were quoted for a new camshaft and lifters:

• The owner of a 2020 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 and 56,000 miles paid $6,180, just outside the 5 year powertrain warranty, filed in June 2026.
• A dealer replaced all the lifters, the camshaft, the high pressure fuel pump and lines and the intake manifold on a 2015 Yukon with the 6.2 for $7,400, filed in November 2025.
• A GMC dealer charged $7,832.81 for the camshaft, all 16 lifters and guides and a push rod on a 2019 Sierra 1500, filed in October 2025.
• A GMC certified mechanic estimated $8,596.80 for the camshaft and the lifters on both sides of a 2019 Yukon, filed in March 2026.
• The bill for damaged lifters and a damaged camshaft on a 2020 Sierra 1500 with the 5.3 was $9,208.86 at a GMC dealer, filed in January 2026.
• Chevrolet service charged $11,367.16 for a collapsed lifter and a damaged camshaft on a 2019 Silverado 1500 with 64,557 miles, filed in January 2026.

So GM V8 owners paid or were quoted $6,180 to $11,367.16. Dealers told others the whole engine had to be replaced instead, at $11,000 to $18,751.92.

What a Cam Phaser Job Costs

The cam phaser is the gear on the end of the camshaft that turns it a little to change the valve timing. Oil steered by the VVT solenoid moves it.

Honda’s bulletin 09-010, from February 2017, covers a loud rattle for about 2 seconds at a cold start on 2008 to 2012 Accords, 2012 CR-Vs, and some 2013 CR-Vs and 2012 to 2013 Crosstours.

The fix is a new VTC actuator, Honda’s name for the phaser, and Honda pays its dealers 2.0 hours. The actuator is $233.25 on a Honda dealer parts website, so the job comes to $233.25 + (2.0 × $132) = $497.25.

Owners paid more. Honda charged the owner of a 2014 CR-V $662 for the VTC actuator in 2018, and the owner of a 2013 CR-V was told $1,200.

If the timing chain has stretched too, the job grows. A Honda dealer quoted over $2,600 for the chain and the VTC actuator on a 2014 CR-V, filed in June 2026.

Ford’s bulletin 23-2143, from May 2023, covers a tick or rattle for 2 to 5 seconds after a cold start on the 3.5 EcoBoost. It applies to 2017 to 2020 F-150s and 2018 to 2020 Expeditions and Navigators built through November 30, 2019.

The fix is all four phasers, which Ford calls VCT units. Ford pays its dealers 9.6 hours on an F-150, 9.7 on a Raptor and 9.8 on an Expedition or Navigator.

Here are Ford’s own parts on a Ford dealer parts website, checked October 9, 2026:

So the phasers and bolts are $521.40, and $644.46 with those gaskets. With 9.6 hours at $132 the job comes to $644.46 + $1,267.20 = $1,911.66 on an F-150, and $1,938.06 with 9.8 hours.

That is before the smaller seals, oil and coolant on Ford’s list. The bulletin also tells dealers not to replace other timing parts that are not on that list, so ask what a bigger quote includes.

What 3.5 EcoBoost Owners Paid

Ford’s program 21N03 paid for the phasers on these trucks by mileage: all of it up to 69,999 miles, 66% up to 79,999 and 33% up to 89,999. A Lincoln got 10,000 miles more at each step.

The program ended on January 1, 2023. Ford still helps some owners: the owner of a 2019 Expedition was offered partial coverage, leaving about $2,600 to pay, filed in June 2026.

Another Expedition owner was told the truck was not eligible, filed in July 2026. So ask, but plan for the full bill. Here is what owners paid or were quoted for the phasers:

• The owner of a 2019 Expedition paid $2,400 for cam phasers at the dealer in May 2025.
• Cam phaser repairs on a 2019 Expedition came to more than $3,400, filed in June 2025.
• A Ford dealer did a $3,500 cam phaser repair on a 2019 Expedition in December 2023.
• A Ford dealer quoted around $4,000 for the cam phasers of a 2018 Expedition in February 2024.
• Another Ford dealer quoted $4,000 to $5,000 for a 2018 Expedition, filed in July 2026.
• A Ford dealer in Hampton, Virginia, quoted $5,414.11 for the phasers and timing parts of a 2018 F-150 Limited in September 2026.

So owners paid or were quoted $2,400 to $5,414.11, well above Ford’s own parts and hours at the average shop rate.

Camshaft or Cam Phaser?

A rattle for a few seconds after a cold start is the phaser sign in Honda’s and Ford’s bulletins. Ford told its dealers that owners can keep driving while the parts are on order.

A tick with a misfire and a check engine light is what GM’s bulletin describes for a failed lifter. Some owners above lost power on the road, so get it checked before you drive far.

GM’s bulletin replaces the camshaft only when the lobes or the lifter rollers show wear, so ask the shop what it saw before you agree to a new camshaft.

On GM’s 1.4 and 1.5 turbo engines in the Encore, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu, Spark, Trax and Terrain, a no start or a long crank can point to the camshaft.

GM’s bulletin 21-NA-268 replaces the exhaust camshaft and the vacuum pump when the pump’s drive lugs are broken.

Camshaft Questions You Might Have

Where These Prices Come From

• Ford, bulletin 23-2143 (May 4, 2023) and Customer Satisfaction Program 21N03, Supplement 4 (March 25, 2022), on NHTSA’s website.
• Honda, bulletin 09-010 (February 25, 2017) and ServiceNews A18010I (January 2018), on NHTSA’s website.
• GM, bulletin 15-06-01-002N (February 2023) and bulletin 21-NA-268 (May 2023), on NHTSA’s website.
• Part prices on dealer parts websites, checked October 9, 2026: FordPartsGiant ML3Z-6256-A, ML3Z-6C525-A and HL3Z-6279-A, and HondaPartsNow 14310-R5A-305.
• Tekmetric, Average Auto Repair Labor Rates by State, June 30, 2026, and the owner complaints to NHTSA linked above, read October 9, 2026.

I hope this helps you find out which part your engine really needs before you pay. If you have any questions, you can email me at costcheckr@gmail.com.