gt1209

My 2017 RX 350 with ~50k miles has a timing cover leak, and the vehicle is out of warranty. Lexus quoted $6k to reseal it. Lexus corporate said they would cover $1,500 out of the $6k.

First of all, I'm disappointed at Lexus. This is my third Lexus and I wouldn't expect a problem like this for a vehicle with 50k miles.

If I choose not to get it fixed right away, should I just keep monitoring the oil level on a periodic basis until I notice the leak gets worse? Are there other options that I should consider? A local shop said they can repair it for $3.2k, but that's still a significant amount of money.

xxx350L

The repair is expensive because it’s very labor intensive; check this out:

Cropdustef

My 2016 RX with 63K on it developed the same at about 45K. My mechanic cleaned it up on the outside with brake cleaner and applied high temp. silicone over it. I get no oil on the garage floor. He's done this about every 15K. The oil in the timing case is NOT under pressure so it's more of a weep than a leak.

mnemons

It should be covered by Powertrain warranty 6years/70000 miles. I had it fixed but the dealer had to fix it two times within 12 months. It's not an easy fix. But 2 years later, I can still see some oil residue on the floor, and I am out of warranty, so I'll just leave it. Because it will leak again..no matter what new material they used to reseal it.

gt1209

I'll try this method. Thanks for your advice.

I suspect I'm over the # of years. It's a 2017 so it was probably manufactured in 2016. Otherwise Lexus would have let me know that it's still under warranty.

What do you do about the re-leak? Monitor the engine oil level and then add oil as necessary?

jcg0324

The warranty starts at the "in service" date. That's the date it is purchased new.

mnemons

I only saw one or two tiny drops on the piece of paper I placed on the floor every two weeks. I do not think it will dramatically reduce engine oil level between oil change interval. 2023 RX has moved on 4 cylinders Turbo now. I doubt Toyota will address the issues anymore.

Cropdustef

You will not lose any significant amount of oil between changes. A few ounces at very most. I add a quart in 5000-6000 miles and 6000-7500 is my oil change interval. That is considered normal oil consumption/loss by almost every auto manufacturer.

carguy75

I have a 2015 Lexus RX350 AWD that also has a seeping timing cover. I have used Valvoline high mileage oil with seal conditioners for the last two oil changes which seems to keep it seeping and not a become a full on leak. Before I used the Valvoline high mileage oil; the leak was dripping a bit down the front cover onto the frame, but did not live a puddle on the floor.

I will also use about ten coats of Permatex spray sealant on the area. I will first clean up the area and then use the straw on the spray can to push the first coat deep into the seam in the front cover where the OEM sealant is seeping from; and then just load up the spray sealant layers on top of each other after each coat cures. Hopeful it will keep the oil seepage from dripping down the engine cover and seal off the leak entirely.

willameena

Good job. I believe my leak is getting worse. Like the Car Car Guy on U Tube says. The plywood on my driveway is soaked. The smell of oil in the car is bad. It is dripping down on driveshaft and spraying oil all over the underside of car. Just had the engine cleaned in April. I am planning on holding on to this car so I may have it done by Lexus. Have to spend some of my money before I go to Heaven. I have a good mechanic but he is inexperienced with this.

freudie1

It's an extremely expensive job because they have to remove the engine to get to that cover. Wonderful design (and if you have ever been to an assembly plant you see why they don't care about servicing it after assembly as most cars the body and frame are mounted as two separate pieces...so one car where the engine/frame were installed from the bottom up into the body).

On a "fun" note, I have a 2016 RX350 that had this issue. Bought the car used certified so it had a warranty. Dealer was running his mouth that the car needed an alignment (they don't have an alignment rack) and was rude to my wife. I took the RX to an alignment shop who stated that not only was it in alignment, it was in "excellent spec".

Took the RX back and asked the service manager how he determined it was out of alignment. Him, "Well I can tell". Me, "Do you have an alignment rack?". Him, "No". Me, "So yea, I just took it to an actual shop that does alignments and he says nothing is wrong...". Him "Blank look". Me: "Well the good news is since you mentioned on the service report that it has a leaking timing cover you guys can feel free to pull the engine and fix that". Him "That's going to cost you a lot as that's a big job". Me: "Nope, going to cost YOU a lot as this is a certified used car with the warranty still in effect". Him "Oh". Me: *Laughter and walked away to get a loaner from them*.

chuyrobles

This leak has been present on 3.5 V6 models since around 2005. Our 07 ES350 had the timing cover leak and I didn’t catch it till after the warranty expired. Back then, the problem was just being discovered and some did the same silicone repair mentioned above. I managed by going with a thicker oil, from 5/30 to 10/30. That greatly reduced the seeping, and I never noticed a low oil level on the dip stick.

We eventually sold that car to my daughter’s BF, but he comes over to do the oil changes at our house. Engine has 290K and it burns about a quart of oil every 2K, but still has no oil leaks.

Our 18 RX350 has the seepage and is still within warranty but I have taken it in yet. I was looking for the leak when I did the oil change and noticed it around 40K.

freudie1

Yep, it's a garbage design. Had it been machined with a gasket groove utilizing a real gasket this never would have happened. Some engineer in Japan took a short cut (probably saved Toyota $.02) that now costs them thousands when these come in for warranty "fixes".

Dumb.

RX350FS

I bought a used 2016 RX350 back in May of 2023. If I knew about this oil leak issue, I would have stayed clear away from these cars. Last night I noticed a small amount of oil on my girlfriend's driveway. Not sure if it was my car or if it was from her friend's car. I haven't gone underneath to look for oil drops. Guaranteed is coming from my car, i just know it.. I bought this vehicle in hopes to have years of reliable service. Not so sure I made the right choice.

chuyrobles

@RX350FS This timing cover leak sucks but it is more of a seepage than a leak. Most folks don't notice it until they see drops on the floor/ground. By then the car will be past the warranty period. Our 07 ES350 had the seepage and the engine made it to 300K with no mechanical issues - not many other engines can say that. In fact, despite knowing about the potential leak, we went ahead and bought a 18 RX350 with the same engine, and it developed the same seepage. This time I kept a close eye on the involved components and discovered the seepage within the warranty period. Yet, I haven't taken it in and I probably wont. Some have reported the problem returns. This job involves removing the engine and trany out of the car. With this much work involved, I don't trust a dealer mechanic to not mess up something else. Every time I change the oil, I clean up the seeping oil. In both cars, no oil drop ever hit our garage floor, and I never had to add make-up oil. It seeps that slow - for most of us.