Front Timing Cover Leak

Apologies in advance for the less than perfect pictures. Looking for a nice 2.5 Gen Tundra and they all seem to have a lot of oil accrued up front behind the serpentine belt.



The bolt I'm pointing to seems to be highest point I can see oil staining at, so all these salesman writing it off as spillage from the oil fill neck doesn't seem to add up. Just trying to do my due diligence to ensure I don't buy a truck that's gonna need any significant work to address oil leaks.

 

The timing cover leaks were mostly from the passenger side because of insufficient sealant being applied by the robot.

 

So would you not worry about mild oil seepage on the front driver side of the engine (appears to not be valve cover or cam tower related)?

 

It may indeed be from spillage but I would have them clean it up then drive and see if it comes back. Is the truck sold as a certified Toyota used vehicle? Make sure the warranty will cover any repairs if you notice any oil after the purchase. If it's not in writing, pass on the truck.

 

Yea this truck was a 2020 CPO truck and I was shocked at how many little things my buddy and I could find wrong in a few minutes. This truck even had a loose oil drain plug that was actively leaking. Made me a bit skeptical of their "120 point inspection by a master mechanic" shpeal

 

https://youtu.be/Y35nPGILVI0?si=l0wRxXPEihdPmUwI

So the first area of oil accumulation the guy shows in this video is exactly what I first noticed and then traced backwards to the bolt pictured above. It was heavy accumulation on that corner of the engine and didn't seem likely to be a valve cover

 

Sounds like you should pass on it. The certification is pretty thorough and you shouldn't have found any issues. If the dealership is willing to let the certification slide I simply wouldn't trust them. I would also suggest you call Toyota Customer service. Toyota corporate takes certification very seriously.