2012 Toyota hilander-- toyota dealership is rec. reseal timing cover
Get a second opinion from an independent mechanic.
How many miles do you go before you have to add oil?
They usually make that recommendation when the timing chain cover is leaking oil, a common occurrence with the 2GR engine.
You have to decide whether or not resealing the engine is important to you, there is a lot of labor involved.
I have never had to add any oil… at this point it must be a really small leak…
You shouldn’t need to add oil, timing chain covers leak a small amount, measured in ounces per year.
What happens if you don’t reseal it? What are the risks… I’m thinking of selling my car to a friend and want to tell her the options
You get oil spots in your parking spot and your landlord gets upset.
If oil soaks the suspension bushings they will deteriorate but that is not a common occurrence.
Many ignore timing chain cover leaks if the vehicle is out of warranty, they tend to leak slowly over the years.
It does not always turn out that way but many times the statement ( How to lose friends is to sell to or buy from a vehicle ) is true .
Here’s some info . . .
My brother has a 2008 Highlander with the same 2GR-FE engine as yours
It’s led a rough life and has about 160K on it
The timing case cover has been seeping for at least 5 years now
But there have never been any drops on the driveway. Anything that seeped out was either caught on the cradle or the plastic splash pan
So i suspect it’s not worth it for you to pay for this repair
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The oil leak will eventually coat parts of the engine with gunk. That can make future diagnoses and repairs more difficult and time consuming for the shop. All the car engines I’ve owned have eventually sprouted an oil leak somewhere or the other, usually from the valve cover gaskets. If the leak starts to drip on the ground, then I’ll fix what’s leaking. That’s my own usual personal fix-or-leave-it-alone criteria.
Thank you… makes me made that Toyota is trying to scam me
Some more food for thought . . .
When the timing case cover is seeping, it looks really bad
But it’s one of those cases, where the bark is worse than the bite
Is it leaking or not?
If there is a leak those owners with warranties want to know about it before the warranty expires, that way it gets repaired at no cost to the owner. People get very upset when they are told that their engine has been leaking for a long time just 30 days after the warranty expires. Those without a warranty can chose to live with the leak.
Oil under the timing chain is not under pressure. So leaking will be very minimal. If not adding oil then I wouldn’t worry about it.
Well, it’s not a ‘scam’, I bet your seal is leaking a bit. But it’s far from a necessary repair in most cases. I’d live with it.
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@amy.korkowski – Dealership service departments all most always point out every thing they see because they tend to receive more flack for not doing so . This is where the vehicle owner decides to have it taken care of , get a second opinion or just drive merrily on.
+1
My friend’s routine, after getting an Inspection Report from the Toyota dealer’s service department, is to take that report to his independent mechanic for verification. Many–perhaps most–of the items on that report are deemed to be unimportant by the indy mechanic, and in regard to the repairs that he does consider to be necessary, he charges about 30%-50% less than the dealership does.
Here’s an example of a dealer scam - took my car in for oil change/tire rotation/check, they said I needed a new $150 windshield washer pump. What I needed was fluid… 
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I always fill my WW before going in, one of there services is to top off fluids, would add water to WW.
It’s actually rtv
I think Toyota insists on calling it FIPG
Formed In Place Gasket
