I would ask if your vehicle has had routine coolant renewals since you have owned it. I have discovered that some head gaskets that I have changed have suffered complete deterioration due to infrequent coolant changes. On a second note: I have also noticed with some of the high mileage engines I’ve dismantled there has been erosion of the coolant jackets in the cylinder head(s). The pattern often points to a lack of coolant changes as well as the brand of coolant being utilized. Engines that have used MB coolant from day one then get renewed on schedule seem to be less affected by some of the above mentioned problems, IMHO.

On a third note there has been a number of material changes with the head gaskets that fit the mid 80's to early 90's 4 & 6 cylinder engines. Early failures may have been a result of the material being utilized at that time, I do not believe this to be the case as of late.