New guy, brand new Tacoma...leaking oil?

Hey all,

New guy here. I just got my first new truck, a 2012 Tacoma Access Cab, 4WD V6. It had 12 miles on it when I bought it a couple weeks ago, and it still has only about 200 miles now. The plan is for this to be the "home projects" and "fun" vehicle, as opposed to a daily driver. Pyrite Mica, if anyone's wondering.

So I was all excited about this truck until today. The times I've driven it the past two weeks, I had noticed a slight burning oil odor, like right after an oil change. I thought, "New vehicle, probably will go away soon like after an oil change." Today, after probably the longest continuous drive since I got it (around 30 miles or so), I got home, put it in the garage, and noticed the burning oil smell again.

I opened the hood, and there was smoke coming from the passenger side of the engine compartment--not a lot, just a faint column originating from under the accordion-style tube (sorry, not a mechanical guy). Upon closer inspection, I noticed oil on the triangular shaped metal protrusion beneath it. A small amount had dripped down onto the hot manifold beneath it. On examining the garage floor, I discovered a few more recent oil drips; not many, maybe a half a thimble's worth of oil.

Below are pictures of where it's coming from. The first is taken from the passenger side of the engine compartment looking across, the second is zoomed in on the area. You can see some oil pooling up just below the hole in the plate. It appears that oil is seeping onto that triangular area from just above it, between where the parts come together.

To help confirm that was really the case, I wiped off the area well, then went out and drove about 20 miles this evening. When I came home, I checked it again, and there was fresh oil on it. In fact, I could even see oil trickling out from the part and down to the low point below the hole.

First off, is this uncommon on a brand new Tacoma? Second, does anyone know exactly what component is leaking here, and whether it's going to be a major deal or not? There isn't any chance this is something else, is there? i.e. like factory lube or spilled oil during construction running out when the engine's warm? I know this should be under warranty, it's just kind of a pain to have to take it back right away, especially since with my job, I'm not going to have a chance to take it in until next week probably.

Thanks in advance for any insight.


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New truck means it shouldnt be your problem. Call the dealer and have them send a tow truck for it.

 

Stuff happens, don't sweat it, just take it into the dealer.

 

Is it leaking from the Valve cover?

 

Welcome to TW. I'd take it to the dealer, they should make it right.

 

^^^this

 

could be residual from a spill or something but I'd take it in.

 

Dealer should fix....

 

Just got the truck back from the shop. They replaced the passenger side valve cover and gasket. Hopefully that takes care of it, I'll advise here if otherwise.

Thanks for those who responded.

 

The same thing happened when I got my 2008. The dealership put a new valve cover gasket on it and I have had 50,000 leak free miles.

 

Mom's 2012 Explorer leaked oil from factory. Just take to the dealer and they will fix

 

Welcome from GA. Hopefully the leak is fixed for you.

 

This is sort of what I was afraid of.

My mom got a new 1995 Explorer, and it leaked oil from the beginning. They had to take it back numerous times, each visit, the dealer would say, "It's fixed now. We replaced the whatever seal, or the transmission somethingorother, we even did the dye sublimation test, and it's good." But each time it would keep leaking. Finally after about six or seven visits over several months they got it to stop.

A few months after that, she was backing out of the garage, looked through the windscreen and thought, "What's that?" One of the frame coil springs had simply fallen out of the suspension and was lying on the floor.

After that, my parents resolved to never again get an American car.