Hello. I have a 1998 Toyota Camry LE. The engine is a 2.2-L, 4-cylinder
engine.
The car is, obviously, about 7 years old. However, the car has only
28000 miles on it.Recently, a Toyota dealership performed an oil change. As part of the oil change, the dealership performed a routine inspection of the car. The mechanics at the dealership said that they examined the car's timing belt and that the timing belt was cracked. The mechanics said that the timing belt needs to be replaced. The mechanics will charge a little over $300 for the job.
The mechanics said that the belt is cracked because the car is aging.
I am very skeptical about all of this. From what I have read, people replace a timing belt every 60000 miles.
Also, the mechanics said that my car has an oil-pan leak. The fix for that will also be a little over $300.
I will probably get a second opinion from another shop. However, I would like some input from the people in this newsgroup. Is it common to have a cracked timing belt on a car that is 7 years old and that has
only 28000 miles on it? Is it common to have an oil-pan leak on a car that is 7 years old and that has only 28000 miles on it?
Thanks for any information.
Regards,
Alex K.