“No Engine Replacement Needed”: Toyota Owner Gets a Much Lower Second Opinion After a $25,000 Quote

A Toyota Tundra owner brought his truck in for a pre-trip inspection and was told it needed a new engine. Once front axle work was added, the total estimate climbed to about $25,000.

Rather than approve the repairs, he took his 2016 pickup to Dave’s Auto Center for another look. In the video, Dave goes through the inspection and even calls the original shop so its owner can explain the recommended work.

At his Centerville, Utah shop, Dave begins with a truck that has been driven in. The owner had reported no overheating or other warning signs of engine trouble, which makes Dave skeptical of such a major repair.

There is, however, a noise to investigate. The owner asked him to check a clunk that appears when the truck is in four-wheel drive, so Dave and a technician raise it for a closer inspection.

A Closer Look

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Dave checks the oil and finds it at the proper level. He also says the engine sounds normal while he looks for leaks. He notices a small amount of oil near a valve cover, but describes it as a slight seep rather than a drip. Taking off the skid plate gives him a better view underneath.

He then tests the truck in four-wheel drive while it is up on the lift. A scraping noise leads him to a metal dust shield that is rubbing. After bending it back with a screwdriver, he has the technician run the truck again, and Dave says the noise is gone.

That still leaves the first shop’s reasons for recommending major repairs. Before speaking with the customer, Dave calls the original shop and opens the conversation by saying, “I’m here as a friend, not a foe.”

The Other Side

During the call, the first shop’s owner clarifies the $5,700 axle estimate. He says it covered the entire front differential assembly, which sends power to the front wheels rather than just a single axle.

He also says a cooling-system pressure test lost pressure, which his shop connected to a possible head-gasket leak inside the engine. In addition, the shop found movement where both axles entered the housing, and he says the bearings were the reason for that repair estimate, not the noise complaint.

Dave says he does not agree that those parts need to be replaced. At the time of the call, though, he has not yet done his own cooling-system pressure test. He plans to check for combustion gases in the coolant and measure axle movement, but the video does not provide the results of those tests.

In a separate conversation, the truck’s owner says he has not been topping off the coolant. Dave finds the reservoir is not low and tells him he sees no reason for a new engine or front differential.

The owner says he wants to keep the truck for many more years. He bought it with about 35,000 miles on it and says the coolant has not been changed since.

For maintenance, Dave recommends a fluid service and new spark plugs, and he asks the technician to check the air and cabin filters. He also wants the axle movement measured with a dial indicator, a tool used for precise small measurements, and asks for a photo and the result to be added to the work order.