We're considering buying a 2011 IS350. The car has just under 100,000 mi. And is clean. Our mechanic checked it and said there's a little bit of a leak around the timing chain cover normal for the car but if it goes it's a $4,500 repair.
We have the same engine in an RX350 with 139,000 mi on it. No leaks, no issues. Mechanic said it could go thousands and thousands of miles with a little bit of a leak like that and never go bad. Is this something we should worry about and walk away from the car?
The Car Care Nut has a very detailed video about this very common problem. Worth watching if you are serious about buying this vehicle or one with the same series engine. Bottom one is that you can live with the leak, it is slow but if you don't keep cleaning the seepage you will eventually get oil on your exhaust and have burning oil smell. If you want to repair, the engine has to be removed. Expect 20 to 24 hours labor. He charged his customer 2600. The repair must be done by a mechanic that has a lot of experience with this exact repair or you risk serious problems. Good luck.
https://youtu.be/RMvjhUVjyc0?si=XgFvsE_jmW3jliZC
@oldandy No doubt, you don't want Hillbilly Bob's Garage doing that kind of repair. One has to be very careful when installing the timing cover back on with the sealant as not to smear it. I'm sure most mechanics are careless when doing that task and I'd only want CCN doing that job. Glad I'm only 3 hours from his shop.
I would not buy a car that shows signs of needing a $4500 repair down the road unless it was cheap enough to factor that into the price. Yeah, it might last years and thousands of miles before that happens - or it could spring a serious leak tomorrow. (Possibly others here who are more familiar with that engine would have a different take, but it looks like a crap shoot to me.)
