Ignition Coil Replacement Cost (2026): One Coil, Full Set, by Car

Replacing one ignition coil costs $120–$300 at a US independent shop in 2026, and doing it together with a set of spark plugs on a 4-cylinder runs $270–$650. What moves the price is where the coil sits (on top of the engine, or buried under the intake on the back of a V6) and whether the shop replaces one coil or all of them. Below: the price by job and by car, what the NHTSA misfire data shows, and how to make sure you pay for the coil that actually failed.

What it costs

All figures: US independent shop, parts and labor, 2026. They are writer estimates pending review by our mechanic reviewer.

Labor runs roughly $90–$180 an hour across the US; shops on the coasts and dealer service departments sit at the top. Trucks, large SUVs and European cars sit at or above the top of every row.

Cost by car

The misfire code data is the most specific NHTSA evidence for a coil job. 448 owner complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0300, the random or multiple misfire code, across 100 models, and 1,117 manufacturer technical service bulletins name it. The coil circuit codes are rarer: P0351 (coil A circuit) appears in 15 complaints and 17 bulletins, P0352 in 15 complaints and 11 bulletins, and P0353 and P0354 in 12 complaints each. The engine and electrical counts in the table are broad NHTSA categories, not coil complaints; they are there as context for how much each model gets reported.

A complaint is an owner report, not a confirmed defect, and one complaint can list several components. The Escape stands out because its numbers are code-specific: it leads P0300 and appears in every one of the four coil circuit codes (7, 4, 5 and 5 complaints). The high ends on the Edge and the V6 Accord reflect rear-bank coils that sit under the intake. If your model is on this list, ask the shop to look up bulletins for your VIN before quoting; a bulletin can mean a software update or a revised part.

Signs you need it

• Rough idle or a shake at a stop. One dead cylinder makes the engine lope and vibrate; see rough idle and car shakes at idle.
• Stumble or jerk when you accelerate. A weak coil often works at idle and fails under load, uphill or when passing; see car jerks when accelerating.
• Check engine light with a misfire code. P0300 means random misfire; P0301 to P0306 name the cylinder, which points to that cylinder’s coil or plug.
• Coil circuit codes P0351 to P0354. These mean the engine computer sees a problem in the coil’s primary circuit: the coil, its connector or its wiring.
• Flashing check engine light. A severe misfire. Covered in check engine light flashing.
• Worse in wet weather. A cracked coil boot can let spark leak to ground when it is damp.

Can you wait?

Short, gentle trips only, if the light is steady and the car runs close to normal. Book the repair within days. A small misfire still dumps some unburned fuel into the exhaust.

No, stop driving if the light flashes, the engine shakes hard, or you smell raw fuel or something hot from under the car. That fuel burns inside the catalytic converter and can melt it; a catalytic converter replacement is $1,000–$2,500. Federal emissions rules treat the misfire monitor as a major diagnostic system: 40 CFR 86.1806-17 adopts California’s OBD-II requirements and says EPA will not approve a car that lacks an engine misfire monitor. The light is there for this reason.

What drives the price

Where the coil sits. On most 4-cylinders and many V8 trucks, coils sit in a row on top of the engine and come out in minutes. On many sideways-mounted V6 engines, the three rear coils sit under the intake plenum, and that labor is what pushes one rear coil or a full set to the top of the range.

The part. Factory (OEM) coils cost the most. Quality aftermarket coils sit lower. The cheapest no-name coils are the ones we see come back, so ask what brand the shop uses and what the warranty is.

One coil or all of them. Coils usually fail one at a time. A full set is worth it when several have already failed, the boots are oil-soaked, or the rear coils need the intake off anyway.

What gets done with it. If the plugs are near their interval, doing them in the same visit costs mostly parts because the coils come off anyway (spark plug replacement cost).

The thing that makes it expensive twice. Oil in the plug wells. A leaking valve cover or tube seal soaks the coil boots and kills new coils too. Fix the leak first (valve cover gasket replacement cost). The other expensive surprise is a converter already damaged by weeks of misfire.

DIY or shop?

Doable at home on most cars with coils on top. You need a socket set, maybe a Torx bit, and ten minutes per coil. Unplug the connector, remove the bolt, twist the coil out, put a dab of dielectric grease in the new boot, and reinstall. Parts only, $40–$150 per coil.

The swap test first. Before buying, move the suspect coil to another cylinder, clear the code, and drive. If the misfire moves with it (P0302 becomes P0303), the coil is bad. If it stays, look at the plug, the injector or compression. A free code read at a parts store gets you the cylinder number.

Better left to a shop for rear-bank V6 coils under the intake, coil packs with brittle old connectors, and circuit codes P0351 to P0354 that return with a new coil, which points to wiring or a connector.

What goes wrong: a broken connector tab, a boot not fully seated on the plug, cross-threading the bolt into an aluminum head, and a cheap coil that fails within months.

How to not overpay

• Ask for the swap test. A good shop shows you the misfire followed the coil before replacing it.
• Pay for the coil that failed. Replacing all coils on a car with one bad one should come with a reason you can check.
• Ask about plugs. If they are due, doing them now saves a second labor charge.
• Get it in writing. Coil brand, OEM or aftermarket, and the warranty on part and labor.
• Ask about bulletins. With 1,117 bulletins naming P0300, check whether one covers your car.
• Get a second quote on anything near $1,000. Usually a V6 full set with intake removal. Not sure about a quote? Paste it into the AI mechanic chat with your car and code.