Wife took in 2003 4Runner 150k miles, for tire rotation/balance. Was told front wheel needed bearing replacement, oil leaking badly from both timing chain cover and valve cover gasket. Dealership wants $600 for bearing, $1500 for oil leak. We take it to same dealer every year for maintenance, did boots last year. Does this sound right? I feel like I’m being ripped off. Eastern North Carolina
$1500 seems awfully high to fix the oil leak for the timing chain cover gasket and the valve cover gasket. I have an 05 4runner…and this is the first time I ever heard of one of these vehicles ever having a timing chain cover leak or a valve cover gasket leak.
Get another opinion. Find a good independent. And if you actually do need these gaskets replaced…then have an independent do it…you’ll save yourself a lot of money.
How Often Do You Check Engine Oil ?
How Much Is Needed To Refill ?
Does Vehicle Leave Spots Or Puddles Of Oil ?
This Information Is Needed Information.
Often, oil leaking badly at a repair shop is really a minor leak viewed from the standpoint of profit needed badly.
I’d monitor the oil every week. Add oil to refill whenever it is a half quart low. Keep track of how much oil is used between oil changes. Half the cars on the road leak and/or burn oil. The secret is to never let it get low or engine damage will happen.
CSA
The Wheel Bearing . . . Ask To Be Shown Why The Bearing Needs Replacement. Compare To The One Opposite That One On The Same “Axle” (If it is front then compare to other front, rear to other rear).
See (Hear, Feel) For Yourself.
CSA
+1 for @MikeInNH. Did the dealer put on a mask when they asked $1500 for a relatively simple repair?
10 hours labor to reseal the timing chain cover. I have a Lexus on the lift right now with the 2GR-FE engine leaking oil from the timing chain cover, warranty pays 11.6 hours.
They don’t leak much, if it isn’t leaking on the suspension bushings it may not be worth repairing.
Well, Nevada’s post kind of brings it all into perspective.
If warranty pays 11.6 on the Lexus then it must be a bear of a job. 
On front wheel drive applications the engine must be removed.
On the 4Runner it can be resealed in the vehicle.
First off…the 4runner is a forward facing engine…NOT transvers mounted. It makes it a LOT easier to work on. The timing belt on my pathfinders (also forward facing) was a piece of cake compared to my wifes Accords (tranverse mounted). So little room to work. I seriously doubt the 4runner is going to take 11 hours to replace the timing chain gasket. The hardest thing will be dropping the oil pan.
I don’t think anyone in this thead stated that this truck has a transverse mounted engine. I was just giving examples of labor times for the 1GR-FE/2GR-FE engines.
The labor time to R&R the oil pan is 5.8 hours on the 4Runner.
I may disagree with the crowd here and say we need more info. I haven’t looked anything up yet, but I assume your 4-Runner has the V-6 engine. If in fact there is an oil leak that will require removing the timing cover, at 150,000 miles the repair should include all new timing components. That means new chain(s), guides, and tensioners. $1500 seems quite reasonable if all that is being done. If it isn’t, it should be. People who seem to disdain cars with timing belts because of the maintenance costs seem to change their minds when faced with the cost of timing chain repairs.
As for the wheel bearing, seems a little high, but are they quoting for one side or both, and any other parts being replaced at the same time?
TIME OUT
TSB " Some 2003 – 2007 model year 4Runner vehicles with 1GR–FE engines may display
evidence of a small oil leak . . . "
What ? The suggestion I gave earlier about determining whether the leak was enough to bother with wasn’t any good ?
We’re fighting and killing over pulling engines and hours and hours of labor, involving hundreds of dollars. Half the cars on the road seep/leak a little oil. Many aren’t anything to bother with.
Electric Man was told the vehicle was leaking badly, but he didn’t see it. He wants advice.
The car is 9-1/2 to 10-1/2 years old. Shouldn’t he find out if the leak is bad for real or just somebody trying to get $$$$ out of his wife, first ?
CSA
Chilton labor times 2003 4Runner timing chain
4 cylinder 12.4hrs
V6 2WD 10.6hrs
V6 4x4 11.8hrs
No idea how bad this leak is but it should be noted that the price quoted on the oil leak repair and which is considered to be gouging also includes a valve cover gasket, or plural, as part of the total.
Personally, I would not feel comfortable replacing a timing cover gasket on a high miles car without installing a new chain set at the same time.
Murphy’s Law, which is always hanging around, says that if the chain set is not replaced it will be rattling a month later…