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Dear dm960,

Hope you're well. The issue with plastic side-tank heater cores or radiators, is that plastic embrittles with heat and time.

It is easy to inspect a radiator, and possibly to see a small crack. A heater core cannot be inspected. Thus, I'd favor an all-metal heater core.

Sadly, the factory-original all-copper/brass heater cores no longer are made. Those seem to last at least 20 years, presuming coolant is regularly replaced.

I don't recall seeing any posts reporting aluminum core failures of Nissens (or Volvo brand) radiators, which units were factory-original. Rather, it is the side-tanks that fail. Thus, a plastic side-tank radiator should be replaced once a decade (perhaps a tad longer if a car lives outside of tropical/desert conditions).

I'd apply the same rule of thumb to a plastic side-tank heater core, if that's all that could be had. Replace after a decade, even though the job is long and hard. But as an all-metal unit is available, I'd prefer to install that unit.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook