Leaking Crank Seal??

So I went to the dealership today to get my oil changed and tires rotated. When they were done, the service manager said that my truck has a leaking crank case seal. Estimated 500 bucks to fix! Has anybody else had this problem, and how severe can this get? Also, what are the possible causes for this, how can it be prevented and is this a common issue with the 4cylinder?
Thanks

08 2wd base auto 2.7l

 

How many miles does it have?

 

59,000

 

Unusual for a crankshaft seal to fail at that low of mileage. The 2.7 isn't known for seal leaks. But seals just sometimes fail for no reason. Even if you are religious about maintenance. As far as severity, it will eventually start leaving a spot under the truck if it isn't already. You may want to contact Toyota and see if they will help you with the repair b/c the mileage is so low.

 

I agree with Fordless, pretty uncommon for a crankshaft seal to leak at this mileage. Sometimes excessive crankcase pressure can cause an otherwise healthy seal to leak. I'd check the operation of the PCV system and make sure it's working properly before doing anything else.

 

I have swapped it out on a 4.0 V6. Hardest part is breaking loose the crank bolt.

 

What about synthetic oil? I have been using mobil 1 5w 20 for the last few oil changes. I thought I read somewhere that synthetic oil is bad for seals.

 

Synthetic oil is Not bad for seals. It has been suspected with causing oil leaks on high mileage engines that has used dino oil its entire life and has developed a ring of gunk at the seal. When switched to synthetic and it cleans the rig of gunk off and a leak developes.