Timing cover leak

Looks like you made out getting a second opinion.

 

Maybe was the valve train cover, not the timing chain cover?

 

Dang, wish I'd found this great forum earlier. A word to the wise: get this leak inspected *before* the standard 60,000 powertrain warranty expires, because it includes some gaskets. With only 61k miles on the car, I should've known better. A service tech at a Toyota dealer got me scared and now I'm $2400 poorer and not that much better off for it.

 

It's been many years since returning to this forum! Want to add my own report of this timing chain cover leak. I purchased my 2010 new in 10/2009, and now it has over 127K miles. Had an oil leak two years ago (~15-20K miles ago), which at the time was diagnosed as an oil pan gasket, and I got it repaired. I don't think the leak ever stopped, but I was finally convinced of it enough and overcame the procrastination to get the car back into the dealer service center last week. This time they found the timing chain cover leak and quoted me $1350. I took it to a second dealer in the area, who gave the same diagnosis and quoted $2500. I got it fixed today from the first shop.
Very disappointed with this discovery! I never even got the promised 50 mpg...40-45 has been typical (now for years I have stopped tracking it, but suspect I get < 40 now). However, I am relieved to find so many here have reported the same issue (timing chain leak), that my experience is not isolated. I guess Toyota quality is not all it was hyped to be when I bought this car 10 years ago. I was thinking of purchasing a replacement Prius (putting the low mpg experience down to bad luck), but now I have serious reservations. Will give that Honda Clarity a good hard look this time. FWIW, my old car before this was a 2001 Nissan Altima, it too had a timing chain, and I sold it after 8 years and 177,000 miles with no engine issues.

 

I just brought my 2011 Prius 3 to the Brookdale Toyota Service center (Near Minneapolis, MN). They did an inspection of my car, said I had "timing cover seepage" and quoted the cost of repair as $3,094.43. It's not under warranty for me, so I'm not going to repair it, I'm just going to o keep an eye on it. But if this is a common issue, that sucks. Does anyone know at what year/version the Prius stopped having this issue? I want to make sure the next one I buy is that model or later

 

Have a second, independent mechanic take a look, one that'll let you have a look at it too. Best view is with the passenger side wheel off, and the plastic shields at the inside of the wheel well at least partially pealed back. If it's an oil/sooty mess, yeah then I'd think it's warranted. But minor localized oil leak, I would just live with it.

As far as I know, there's no way to predict any particular model year will have a leak. The gasket is applied as semi-liquid, then the cover quickly put on and bolts installed.

Also, $3K is way too much. Reported prices here range $1500~2000. With a price like that, doubly so if it turns out to be a minor leak, they are not "on your side".

 

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The timing cover seal will seep and make the adjacent components (timing chain tensioner, sensor and oil pressure switch) appear damp. The actual issue IS the timing cover.

When I did my head gasket job I resealed the timing cover and the oil pressure switch. Never touched the sensor shown. It has been almost 10K and the area is still bone dry. Prior to the head gasket job I was starting to get the timing cover leak in the usual areas.

 

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