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There are two basic oil leaks that seem to happen on the GX, one is the valve cover leak and the other is the timing cover leak. Neither of those should cost $7k to repair. I haven't heard of any GXs having a head gasket leak, this would be the first. Not to say that it cannot happen. If it was a head gasket leak it would cost quite a bit of money to get it repaired. I would take it to another shop and get a quote there, maybe an independent shop.
Have you noticed any oil spots where the truck is parked? I would recommend a second opinion and that price is crazy high if this is needed. If this is truly needed, use a reputable mechanic (not the dealer). Something to review here. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...-oil-leak.html
Definitely get a second opinion from another dealer or better yet an indie shop! There is an online Facebook group called “GXOR” that is fairly active. You can probably find or ask for a few recommendations specifically near you.
i has the timing cover leak as well (2013 with 101k miles) and the dealer wanted $2800. i talked it down to $1200 with a new water pump since we just bought the vehicle from them a few months before. Your estimate is way too high, i’d call a another repair place, even a toyota dealership of near by would be lower.
That’s no good. I would say absolutely not to spending what the dealer is asking. Look for a reputable Japanese auto shop and get second opinion.
Also, FYI, the water pump is something leaks on these vehicles and I had mine replaced under warranty. The “cost” on the paperwork $600 for it (billed to the extended warranty co.).
If you can share your general area, I’m sure some members can recommend some shops that can look at the leaks. Good luck!
My timing cover leak was quoted at a little over $3k, including water pump replacement, by my dealer. I still haven't gotten it done however as the leak, at this point, is very minor.
It's still disappointing though considering the expectation of quality and reliability that comes with Lexus. It seems like the timing cover leak is an increasingly common problem with the 460 and is a very pricey repair.
Hi everyone, I could really use your advise/help! My husband is deployed and I received some very unsettling news today from the Lexus dealership service department regarding my 2011 GX460. It has 80K miles on it, sits under a carport at home and is only used to drive my kiddos to school and home. We also get it serviced at the dealership regularly. There was an oil leak which is why I brought it in. Here's the message from the service rep.
First message..."good morning, DJ at Lexus Carlsbad. I hope you enjoyed the weekend. So my Technician just came back to me on your vehicle and we have a major oil leak for sure. leak is coming from the driver side head gasket and the timing cover. We also have slight seepage starting to come from the water pump. We would need to take the top of the motor apart to re-seal the gasket on the driver side and take out most of the components from the engine bay to get to the timing cover. It's a very labor intensive process and would be looking close to $7,600 to perform the repairs. The repairs would include new drive belts and a new water pump which we always recommend when we are around the timing cover because we are right there and it's no additional labor. Also, full inspection of the vehicle also finds back brakes all the way down to 3mm and the back rotors have been turned already so we would have to replace rotors as well $765.55 is the cost for full rear brake job. I realize this is a lot of money, of course I would go to my managers and see what I can discount it down to, but I wanted your thoughts on moving forward. Is it something you may want to move forward with?"
After I asked him a few questions, here is his second message..."The valve cover gasket is very delicate and prone to oil leaks. Over time the gasket becomes brittle and will crack due to exposure to dirt, debris, heat and other elements. When this occurs, the gasket can lose its integrity and leak. The leak at this time has not gone into the tube seals or spark plug chamber. Once the oil leaks into there, your spark plugs will not fire properly causing the engine to misfire, and that is when your check engine light will turn on. As of right now, the oil leak has not affected any operation of the motor. This would be a preventative valve cover seal to prevent any damage to the motor. As for the brakes, I looked into your history and we have had to change brakes about every 20-30 thousand miles, we performed both front and rear brakes at 64,000 miles. so a little less than normal but not to far off. We have just resurfaced the rotors the last two times, so there is just not enough metal to resurface again without going below the safety specs on the rotors. I have my manager putting together a new price for you and as soon as he is done, i'll let you know."
They know my husband is deployed and I rely on the vehicle for my three kiddos. This all just seems very strange to me. I would GREATLY appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Thank you so much!
So the first call they wanted to replace a head gasket (fairly big job), but the next message was just the timing chain cover.
Here's a story about one on my visit to the Lexus dealer, me over hearing a conversation with a service manage;
[numbers and details are samples, I don't remember the exact parts and prices] Hello Customer, we found a leaking out put shaft seal on your LX transfer case which would cost $2500. Also the ancillary belt should be replaced at $350. ...pause for shock to set in for the customer... Good news is that the transfer case leak is not too bad so we can wait on that but we recommend replacing the ancillary belt. The customer happily agrees to save from paying the $2500 bill
This tactic is to shock the customer with an outrageous price, then offer the alternative (which has been highly inflated also, but since the new amount is lower, the customer seems happy to pay that).
So it seems (from the second corespondent) that the job is actually a leaking timing chain cover which is a lot less work than a head gasket. I would get other quotes from different shops. The rear brake disc and pads should be around $200+/- for 2 disc and pads, any brake shop can do that job. Remember that this is mechanically a Toyota, so any Toyota dealer can work on it too (the rear brake disc and pads 'may' be the same for the 4runner). Same for the GX engine, it's the same as used in Tundras, so a visit to a Toyota shop for a quote would also be advisable. If the brakes are not too bad, I'd wait until you husband returns as it's a very easy job to do and he may want to do it himself. If there is not much of an oil leak, I'd also wait on the timing chain cover gasket. However, do check the oil level regularly.
Just got word my timing cover gasket is leaking @122K. I have nothing on the garage floor and understand the cover can catch some of it. Anyone else let it ride with good results?
Just got word my timing cover gasket is leaking @122K. I have nothing on the garage floor and understand the cover can catch some of it. Anyone else let it ride with good results?
It's been a little over two years since mine was first noted by my dealer. The first time they said it was very minor and that it just needed to be monitored. The second time they didn't note the severity. Most recently, they again noted that it isn't severe.
It's been a little over two years since mine was first noted by my dealer. The first time they said it was very minor and that it just needed to be monitored. The second time they didn't note the severity. Most recently, they again noted that it isn't severe.
Great info but what was your mileage? round about works.
Can you visibly see any of it topside or through wheel well? I thought I had this too but ended up being oil that had drained down from a botched oil change from previous owner. Also check around the AC compressor and make sure it isn't oil from the compressor shaft seal.
I have a 2014 GX 460 Premium 95K mi; its CPO and under warranty. I was under my car to grease the drive shaft and noticed a leak on the front of the motor. The dealer told me that it was the timing cover leaking and it was $3k. They claimed they did not know I was under warranty till I said something then they "noticed" I was. They said they needed to drop the trans and motor. Its covered under warranty but goes to show you its worth it to get under your truck. I was also having the trans serviced so there will be a "discount" on that service because of the over lapping labor. I mot a fan of not addressing an issue until its too late. Ill keep any informed if they want to know. Plus side is I have a 19 RX loaner for a few days free of charge.
The issue is fairly simple: where the engine block, cylinder head and timing chain cover all meet they form a T shaped junction. Slight irregularities in machining of these parts can lead to small differences in their surfaces in regards to depth (ie. they don’t line up totally perfectly). This is normal, however over time the flexible gasket that seals these surfaces together is subjected to more stress at this location, potentially leading to leaks. The solution? Replace the failed flexible gasket with more carefully applied flexible gasket and the issue shouldn’t reoccur.
The scope of work is large: the front bumper, radiator, all the accessories, and most of the emissions control system on the engine are removed simply to gain access to all the timing cover bolts. Here’s a GX460 totally torn down with the cover off:
GX460 engine, cover off
And a frontal view of the engine highlighting the two places the heads meet the block where they can leak from:
Timing cover off, leak locations
…and up close of the driver’s side spot that was leaking on this GX460:
Timing cover leak location
Simply cleaning the old gasket material off the engine and timing cover, renewing gaskets as they are disturbed as well, corrects this issue and prevents it recoccuring. CARspec technicians normally apply a small amount of extra gasket material in the groove picture above to help seal the junction as well.
I just got this diagnosis too from the dealer when I took it in to get a recall performed and a few other small items. About 103k miles here. Quoted about $2,600.
Since I've never noticed any oil leaks, never burns oil in between changes, and cost was so high, easy decision to pass on this one.
Glad to hear others have passed with no ill results. I'll keep an eye on it long term but I doubt it's worth worrying about.
05-20-19, 01:57 PM
