Bad luck?

I had made a post about a minor issue in the past but the situation has continued to evolve and I thought it would be best to update with the new developments and a better format

Feb 18th- Decided I needed to trade in my sedan for a larger more practical vehicle with the amount of equipment I haul for work and changing needs a Tacoma seemed to be a good fit with their reasonably good history with reliability. Found a 2017 TRD off road with 70k miles, it has a higher optioned sound system, rims and a hard bed cover all of which are very nice, doesn't have carplay or radar cruise which to me not a big deal at all. Initial inspection everything looked alright, normal wear and tear for the age and nothing I was uncomfortable with. Dealers typical "detail" the vehicles on the floor to make them look a bit nicer even if it does hide maybe a paint chip or two, again not a big deal a used vehicle will always have signs of wear. Carfax of the truck looked clean with oil changes every 5k miles.

2-3 days after taking possession of the truck I noticed a oil stain on the floor at work coming from the truck, all fluids were within normal ranges but I did find oil on the crossmember to the rear of the motor, was In fact dripping while the truck was running. I took it to the dealer they said it is On them and they will fix at no cost and provide me with a loaner in the mean time while they figure out where the leak was and how long to get parts.

A few days later I was informed that the rear timing cover was leaking(before you call me an idiot trust me I know where the timing chain is) and that they had also found a missing bolt on the skid plate, a paint chip and that the tires were a bit below their standards, all of which they would fix free of charge. Very nice of them and I truly do appreciate the dealer, they were polite and informed me of what was going on every step of the way.

Truck was picked up on March 18th and noticed immediately that the tire pressures were no longer reading, drove around a bit because I figured that with the tire swaps they may need a while to sync, that never happened so I returned and they reprogrammed them and got that going well. Next day at work I was able to begin inspecting the truck, the coolant reservoir is empty but there is enough in the system so it doesn't overheat, the power steering fluid is below the cold minimum line, upon moving the truck I found yet another oil stain coming from the exact same location. So I will be going back again and hopefully something will be resolved here soon

 

Frustrating I’m sure, but you did buy a well worn (but not worn out) used vehicle that’s 6 years old, I’d just be happy they’re taking care of everything,,,, they’re probably loosing money at this point, so I’d tread lightly.

 

Seems they are at least trying make it right.

 

Keep us posted. Interesting saga unfolding here. A ‘17 Tacoma with 70k has zero problems in like 95% of cases. Do we have a mileage rollback candidate here?

 

All these issues seem rather common and also minor. I think the dealer is being very nice to you. You shouldn’t feel unlucky.

 

thats a bunmer but hey at least youre lucky the dealer is willing to help

 

The timing cover leak is not minor.
It’s a BIG job. At first, I was surprised they fixed it “free”.
But then I continued reading, I’m curious “how” they fixed it.

 

I meant that small oil leaks are minor. They can be annoying, but they don’t cause any significant issue. All cars will eventually leak oil. TBQH, I don’t think there is much ROI in fixing them in most cases.

 

Yeah, they all leak somewhere at some point.
Some are nothing more than a small inconvenience, others are big inconveniences.
Adding oil is always the “easiest” fix. I’ve done that, and still do that.

 

Cheap rust/corrosion protection. Self distribution option...

 

OP stated oil leaking from the rear of the engine, timing chain cover at the front?!

 

I was waiting for someone to comment this lol. My theory is that they believed it to be the front due to how common that one is when all reality this makes sense to be the rear main

 

I was thinking that too. I guessing it is rear main seal if coming from the back of engine. Op just open the plate to rear main seal and see if it is that.

 

She ain't no spring chicken but she also is no where near ready for the crusher. Fix it and drive it brother!

 

Yeah, but that doesn’t mean much.
OP said dealer found the timing cover leaking.
He never said if there was another leak?
I’ve seen oil leaks in the front, that migrated to the rear.

We need more info, maybe the service report when OP picked up the truck.
It should say what they “fixed”.

 

No paperwork

 

For all we know, they sprayed it down with brake clean and sent it back.
It was nice of them to “offer” to fix it.
But I’d be highly surprised if they did a timing cover AND fixed a rear oil leak.
I’m not saying they didn’t, but that is a big job.
It is like 13+ book hours. And your truck is used and and out of warranty.
There’s motive to “fix it” cheaper.

How long did they keep the truck?

 

They had the truck for about 2 weeks, said 20hrs of labor

What's this plate for the rear main?

 

There is usually an inspection plate you can pull off to inspect for oil leaks.
It’s ear the bottom of the transmission, right where it bolts to the engine.
If that’s the plate you are asking about?