If your heating and cooling aren’t working, the issue might be a simple problem with the blower motor. That’s especially true if your car is just getting stuffy constantly, even if you don’t turn the heat or air on.
The blower motor circulates air from outside to inside the car, keeping the cabin comfortable. If it’s going out, fixing it should be quick and relatively affordable.
The average cost of replacing a blower motor is $150-$450. Here, parts normally cost $15-$ 815, with most costing between $75-$150. The rest is labor, which varies based on where the blower motor is located and how much of the dash the engineer must take out to access the part.
The table below shows a quick price comparison of blower motor replacement cost estimates from reputable suppliers:
| Supplier | Blower Motor Cost | Labor |
|---|---|---|
| YourMechanic | $157-$445 | $94.99-$700 |
| Midas | $165-$530 | $95-$720 |
| Pep Boys | $37.99-$629.99 | $81-$680 |
| AutoZone | $15.99-$815 | NA |
| Walmart | $28.99-$86.24 | NA |
| Amazon | $15.99-$633 | NA |
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How Much Does Blower Motor Replacement Cost?*
Replacing a heater blower motor can vary significantly in cost. Here, the largest factors are the cost of the part and the cost of labor.
Here, labor costs mostly depend on where the blower motor is located. Normally, they’re just under the dash next to the steering wheel.
However, your mechanic might have to remove a significant portion of the front dash to access the firewall and the blower motor.
So, costs can vary significantly from vehicle to vehicle. The following chart covers average costs of muffler replacement across popular vehicles.
| Vehicle | Blower Motor Cost | Labor Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Honda Pilot | $72-$499 | $85-$274 |
| Subaru Forester | $65-$189.99 | $90-$264 |
| Dodge Dart | $37.99-$167.99 | $85-$256 |
| Nissan Rogue | $81.99-$257.99 | $85-$260 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | $98.99-$148.99 | $85-$190 |
| BMW x3 | $81-$195 | $140-$545 |
| Chevy Impala | $28.49-$95 | $95-$254 |
| Ford Focus | $95.99-$140 | $95-$234 |
| Nissan Altima | $168.99-$395 | $105-$428 |
| Chevy Silverado | $102-$188 | $99-$245 |
| Toyota Camry | $84.99-$129.99 | $92-$227 |
*Note: Prices are estimates and were correct at the time of writing (June 2022). Cost estimates may have changed since, our figures should be used as a starting point for your own research.
Blower Motor Replacement Pricing Factors
Replacing a blower motor can cost anywhere from around $150 to upwards of $700. In most cases, the major cost factor is what vehicle you have.
However, other factors like the type of part, the cost of labor, and whether you choose a new or refurbished model are also important.
Make and Model of Vehicle
The make and model of your vehicle will impact the cost of parts, the cost of labor, and how much work it is to access and replace the blower motor.
For example, the electronics in the dash, whether or not there are access panels, and the exact location of the blower motor against the firewall.
With some luck, your vehicle has an access panel and the job will take 20-30 minutes. On the other hand, your mechanic might have to take out the center console to access the firewall, meaning the job will take 1-3 hours instead.
In addition, the make and model of your vehicle impacts the cost of parts. For example, if you have a Lexus, it’s unlikely you’ll find a replacement part for under $200.
On the other hand, if you have a Chevy or a Dodge, it’s very likely you can find parts for under $50.
Parts Being Replaced
Chances are high that you don’t have to replace the blower motor. Instead, you might have to replace the relay, the resistor, or the electric harness. These parts are statistically much more likely to fail than the full motor.
However, you won’t know what specifically has gone wrong until you take the motor out – unless your diagnostics codes specifically show relay or wiring issues instead of the motor.
On the other hand, if the relay or the resistor have gone out, you can drop the cost of parts to about $15 on average.
Brand and Condition of Parts
The cost of a replacement blower motor will also depend on what brand and condition of part you get.
For example, if you replace your blower motor at the dealer, you’ll normally get the original part that was in the vehicle before. This is called an Original Equipment Manufacturer part.
However, it’s unlikely you can have a blower motor replaced at a dealer for less than $400 for the total job. That’s in part because the motor itself will cost more.
On the other hand, you can choose an aftermarket part. Here, brands like Duralast manufacture everything from replacement relays and switches to full replacement motors.
These can be “made to fit” and manufactured to the exact specifications of the vehicle or they can be “universal” meaning they’ll fit the widest spectrum of vehicles available.
If you look at the quote estimates above, almost everything under $80 is a universal or refurbished part.
Cost of Labor
In most cases, replacing a blower motor takes 20 minutes to 3 hours.
Depending on the shop you go to, most mechanics have a minimum charge of an hour. So, you’ll pay for an hour of time plus shop fees for most blower motor replacements.
Nationally, this works out to an average of about $120. However, with mechanic’s rates ranging from $15-$210+ and shop fees ranging from 5-20% of the total job, it could vary a lot.
And, if you have a complicated job, such as a vehicle that needs the full center console removed, you could be paying up to $700 for the work.
5 Symptoms of a Bad Blower Motor
If your blower motor is going out, you’ll normally notice problems with the AC or the heat. You might also notice airflow in the vehicle is just bad.
However, the following symptoms are good signs your blower motor is going bad.
1. Blower Doesn’t Change Speeds
If your blower motor is stuck at one speed, it’s a good sign you need a new blower motor or wiring around it.
Here, your blower motor might not turn on, might not turn off, or might not switch between speeds when you turn it up or down. In that case, your only real option is “on or off”.
Replacing the motor is the only way to fix the issue.
2. Vents Aren’t Working
If your vents aren’t working, air circulation is low, or air circulation doesn’t change when you turn the fan up or down, chances are, you have a blower motor issue.
Low air circulation is the primary symptom of a bad blower motor. However, this could be because of switch issues, clogged vents, or other problems. Getting a diagnostic check or cleaning out the vents first is important.
3. Weird Noises
If you’re hearing whirring, scraping, or ticking from the vents, it usually means the rotor on the blower rotor is having issues.
On the other hand, a sharp whine could mean the motor itself is going bad, and you’ll have to replace that.
In general, if you have noises coming from your ventilation, it’s time to take things apart and fix it before the issue gets worse.
4. Burning Smells
If your ventilation turns on but produces a weird burnt smell, it’s a good sign something is going wrong with the electrics.
This problem can also be dangerous, because the motor or the wiring could spark and combust or melt.
Therefore, if you do smell burnt rubber or plastic when you turn the air on, you should probably turn it off and go have it checked.
5. Tripping Breaker
If the breaker keeps tripping, it’s a good sign something is going wrong with the electronics. This can be anything from a bad wire to a bad motor or even a bad relay.
13 Steps to Replace a Blower Motor
If you’d like to save on the cost of replacing your blower motor, you can likely easily do so yourself. However, the complexity of this job depends on your vehicle and how much you have to remove to access the motor.
First, check under your car. If you have an older vehicle, you may be able to access the blower motor on the firewall on the driver or passenger side from under the car. If so, simply unbolt and replace it there.
Otherwise, you’ll have to remove the access panel inside your car.
Things you’ll need:
- Replacement blower motor
- Blower motor resistor
- Multimeter
- Ratchet and wrench set
- Flat screwdriver set
- Phillips screwdriver set
- Car manual
Process:
- Take your key out of the ignition. Then, disconnect the car battery from the left/negative terminal. Wrap it in a cloth and tuck it out of the way to prevent arcing.
- Check your car’s manual to see where the blower motor is on your vehicle. In most cars, it’s on the passenger side, just under the glove box.
- Use a flat screwdriver to remove the plastic panel under the glove box. Some vehicles require you to depress a switch inside the glove box to do this. Double check for clips and trim that might be in the way of pulling the panel off before ripping it off.
- In many vehicles, the blower motor is right there. In others, you’ll have to remove the center console instead. Check your user manual.
- Depending on the vehicle, you might also have to remove the glove box. To do so, push the retaining clips out of the way or remove the bolts if there are bolts. Then, simply slide the glove box out.
- At this stage, you can turn the car back on and double check that the motor is getting power. To do so, use your multimeter.
- Unclip the wiring harness from the blower motor. This should require using a screwdriver to depress the clips.
- Use a ratchet to undo the bolts holding the blower motor in place.
- Slip the vent connections off. These may have a push pin or a clip attachment, but they may just slide off.
- Unbolt the old blower motor resister and depress the clips to remove the wiring.
- Install the new blower motor resistor.
- Install the new blower motor. Start by reattaching the wiring, then the hoses, then put the bolts back in.
- Start up and test your car and the fan before putting everything back in place.
FAQ
If you still have questions about replacing your blower motor, this FAQ should help:
How long does it take to replace a blower motor?
Normally you can replace a blower motor in 20-60 minutes.
However, if you have to take out the center console, it could take upwards of 3 hours. On the other hand, this is unlikely in most vehicles.
Is a blower motor easy to replace?
In most vehicles, replacing a blower motor is very easy to do.
The only thing you’ll have to be careful with is checking that your wiring goes in the right places.
What causes blower motor failure?
Blower motors can fail for a number of reasons.
Age, debris, electric spikes, wire failure, relay failure, and other issues are all common culprits.
Conclusion
Replacing a blower motor is a relatively easy job but you’ll have to do it if you want your AC or heat to work properly. In most cases, you can expect blower motor replacement costs around $150-$250 for the job, but rates can go well over $700 at dealerships. Of course, you can also do the work yourself to drop that price to $75-$150.
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