Overheating

• The most common cause of head gasket failure is when the engine overheats. The heat causes the cylinder head and block to expand, which can crush the head gasket around the cylinders. This can cause a leak of combustion chambers, coolant or oil. The gasket then becomes destroyed. If your vehicle has a leak in the coolant system, it can cause the engine to overheat, and in turn, cause the head gasket to fail.
  
  

Bad Gasket

• The head gasket can also fail if the materials used were not the best choices for your engine. The head gasket can also fail if its parts are not tough enough for everyday driving. This is more likely to happen when the vehicle has a lot of miles on it. Installation is another cause of a head gasket failing. If it is not installed correctly, it can be ruined.
  
  

Engine Problems

• The head gasket can also fail if the engine has a pre-ignition or detonation problem. Detonation increases the pressure in the combustion chamber, which can crack the gasket armor. This causes a loss of compression. Pre-ignition happens when an area inside the combustion chamber gets so hot it causes an ignition instead of a spark.