Engine oil leak at 75k miles

When our Prius was at around 60,000 they said it had a leak. They had to replace the oil pan gasket. It took them over 5 hours to do it. It was covered by warranty.

When it was all done, I asked 'How much oil had actually leaked out"? The oil level had only gone down by maybe a cup.

 

From what I was told. My 'leak' was not enough to even drip any oil. The leaking oil had coated the outside of the oil pan. Their standards requires that the oil pan must be dry and clean. We are not talking about a leak to such an extent that the engine is endangered. Or would make a spot on the ground under where it is parked.

 

I always tell people that if you find the leak, then it's not a big deal.
I'd have to know MUCH more about this problem before I committed 2000 bucks to "fix" it....and I'd definately get a second opinon.

How much oil is your car using or leaking onto your driveway?
Where is the leak?
What is the warranty rate for this same repair?

I smell a rat.....not oil.

 

I would ask the shop to tell me exactly what work they are going to perform for $2000, and then get a second opinion. If the oil isn't leaking into the coolant, and you don't see much drop in level over 10,000 miles, $2K is a lot to spend to fix something that isn't really much of a problem.

 

I agree.
You need to ask the shop exactly where the leak is coming from.

There is kind of a finite number of places you could be experiencing a oil leak from, and I would think none of them would result in a $2000 dollar repair.

Even if it takes 5 hours to replace the Oil Pan Gasket, Two grand seems excessive.

Ask for more explanation.

 

you should ask someone to teach you how to check you're oil. it's really easy, and of significant importance to a responsible owner. even your owners manual recommends this.

 

When I had a Camry, the dealership insisted it had a transmission oil leak. So I had them make a mark at the oil level. It never moved down from that level. Toyota is very strict about what constitutes an oil leak. Take the car to an independent mechanic before spending so much money on what might be a non-issue.

 

I agree! Don't trust dealers any further than I can throw them.

 

That's why I lease every three years.My thing is get rid of it before it starts to nickle and dime you.First off I would get a second opinion from a non-Toyota garage and if they say it is what the first shop told you take that 2000 grand a put it down on a new 2015 leased Prius or if it's not to bad wait until the Generation 4 Prius comes out in 2016 and lease it or buy it if you don't like leasing.

 

2k to replace a oil pan gasket? That is rediculious. The gasket itself is 19 bucks and anyone with half a brain could do it themselves. Although if the oil is dry and it is not pooling anywhere or leaking on the drive way I would not think to much of it. Just keep a watch on your oil level. Winter months causes seals to shrink and expand which can sometimes cause slight leaks that go away once warmer weather hits. And never trust a dealer mechanic unless you have no other choice. They will rip you off and take everything including your house to perform a simple repair.