Timing Cover Leak

Hello all, another timing cover post.

I'm in the process of trying to sell my 2016 Tacoma TRD OR to get something a bit larger for the family, and a prospective buyer got a private inspection who says I've got the dreaded timing cover leak.
I've never seen a drop of oil beneath the truck or had any issues with it, so I'm curious how serious this "leak" is or if it exists at all.
I've attached some photos here to show what I have found looking on my own now.
Truck has 100,500 miles on it- painfully close to warranty...don't want to think about it.
Let me know what you think from the photos and if this is an issue or more attempt at price negotiation. I realize now I may be attached to the truck more than I thought; almost took it personally when someone said there was something wrong with it!
Thanks

 

If you wanna sell it your going to need to have it fixed or if its covered under warranty get it fixed then sell it.....

 

This is serious; the repair is a large one, I believe to get to it, the engine needs pulled and reinstalled. Potential buyers probably don’t even want it at this point. I think the going rate to properly fix is in the $3,500-4,500 range

 

@Gfenza89 … I saw you asking about this in a few other threads.

 

Yeah, I'm aware of the horror stories and potential pain involved in all this.

I guess I'm really just wondering that if the leak never reaches enough to drip to the ground or really cause much of a mess inside the bay, how much of an issue is it really? No measurable loss of oil is there through changes / dipstick checks. Maybe I'm being too relaxed on this, but it seems like something I can live with driving until it actually becomes a problem? Could be short sighted of me I suppose.

 

If you don't have drops or measurable loss it's not a pressing leak to fix. This is basically your notice to save up for it. Thats not a pressurized oil feed area so it's not gonna just explode or anything. Obviously the best thing is to fix it but unless you have to constantly top off the oil it's not at the stage of pressing. Just nucance.

 

you absolutely can live with it. A new buyer shelling out todays prices for used trucks isn’t going to want to even look at it. If you want to be a good person and also sell it as is, price it $3k under market, disclose the leak and let the new buyer deal with it.

 

It’s not a big deal. Leave it be . If not leaking on the floor not to worry .

 

First, degrease the area and clean it really well. With Toyota there is a difference between "weeping" and "leaking" ie rear diff carrier.

 

Appreciate all the responses, truly.

Learned a lot today about the truck and this damn leaky timing cover. My current plan is to live with it and just accept the lower price the dealer offered to buy it from me rather than try and get a few more grand out of a private sale. I don't want to cause someone else to have to deal with it, and the current used market is hard enough for people as it is. I'm trying to move into the GX460...blasphemy, I know, but I've got it in my head and want to give it a go.

So! The truck stays with me a bit longer, and eventually it will get reabsorbed into the great Toyota mothership.

 

We like GX460’s here. Good choice, best of luck getting rid of your Taco.

 

While this is a great idea if looking for the source, doing so will lead to oil dripping on garage floor as it will no longer be absorbed by the built up dirt. If it was mine , I’d leave it as it is

 

It will leak eventually. I had the same issue but resolved it under warranty. It is a known problem w/ this motor. Does it have to be fixed immediately given it is no longer under warranty, probably not - it is just sweating and not leaking yet. It is a huge job. The dealership had my trucks for days but the master tech was able to do it w/o having to pull the motor.

 

clean all the dried up oil off and then watch it over time. worst case, clean it up and trade it in.

 

Toyota coved mine under warranty at 70K miles... It is a silent recall..

 

recall or TSB?
Have any info on that you can share? Others may greatly benefit from it.

 

Here in Ontario if it doesn't drip during the safety inspection it passes. I have a feeling that the dealer you're selling to will just clean it up and then leave it for the new buyer to deal with. You might be better off cleaning it then getting it safetied. If it'll pass a safety inspection you can sleep easy and make the few extra bucks that you should be getting. It's a used truck with 100k on it, people who expect you to warranty it need to buy elsewhere.

 

oh yeah, I highly doubt they are going pull the engine and reseal properly. They probably already knew what the cost of this repair and that there are some cases in earlier year 3rd gens. I'd be surprised if this wasn't an attempt to make another $3k on the trade in.

 

right on dude

 

Neither.
Technically he got it covered under “good will”.
Some dealers are very helpful, can talk with Toyota and help the repair get covered.
A few TW members have had the repair covered by Toyota and many had it covered under their extended warranty.