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Recently had a routine oil change done on my 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the dealership service dept. Once it was all done I was informed that the oil pan is dented and also has a small leak around the drain plug. It was "recommended" to me that the oil pan be replaced entirely, along with the oil pan gasket. The quote came out to a little under $1000, with an emphasis on it being a 5-6 hour job with lots of labor involved. Obviously I was surprised and taken aback, so I said I would get back to them on that and left.
I went home and Googled the parts in question... the oil pan is like $35-$50 and the gasket is around $30-$40. So I thought to myself... how does ~$60-$70 in parts turn into $1000ish??
In any case, I called a different mechanic shop for a second opinion, they quoted me around $710 if I brought my own parts... not including the $35 or so for the oil change.
Before you ask, yes, I did take a look under my truck and confirm that it does in fact have a small leak... as evidenced by a small 1 inch diameter oil spot on the pavement. The leak must be new, since I regularly get my oil changed at this service dept and it never came up before. As for the dent, that's nothing new and it's been dented for over a year now (but no leak). I don't recall "running over" anything so there is the possibility a service tech messed up the drain plug somehow, who knows.
Ugh, this car has become such a money-pit over the years, I don't think I will buy American again. I had a Ford before this Jeep and it also turned into a money-sucking black hole.
Your thoughts on these quotes? Is this "normal" for such a simple $30-$50 part? Any "quick fix" tips in the meantime?
FYI I live in an apartment complex unfortunately, so I'm limited in doing my own auto repairs or experimenting. If I was a home-owner with an actual garage or drive-way that would be a different story.
Also, the vehicle has a little over 170k miles on it, not sure if that matters.
I went home and Googled the parts in question... the oil pan is like $35-$50 and the gasket is around $30-$40. So I thought to myself... how does ~$60-$70 in parts turn into $1000ish??
Because they probably have to rip half the damn vehicle apart to get to it.
I had to put a new gasket for a pan on a '03 buick Regal about two years ago. I had to remove the bolts on the left side of the engine for the motor mount brackets so I could lift the left side of the engine about 1 inch giving me enough room to get it out. I think there was about six bolts and four of them were buried, one bolt I refer to as the "bolt from hell". It's in this very narrow space between the transmission and the engine. Getting it out was difficult, putting it back in....? Pack a lunch.
Quick tip and how I manged to get it back in. I took a very thin and long srewdriver and used the electric glue gun to glue it to the screwdriver. This works great because it breaks very easily and you can work with it really fast if it falls off. I was able to position it with screwdriver and it allowed me to put a little downward pressure on it. There wasn't enough room to turnit with screwdriver but I was able to get a wrench on it and get it going.
In any case, I called a different mechanic shop for a second opinion, they quoted me around $710 if I brought my own parts... not including the $35 or so for the oil change.
Had to do it on my 2016. It took the dealer a day and a half once the parts came in. On mine at least, they had to drop the front end to get in there. There's zero room to work.
That said...it's not just American cars that cost money. Our 2004 Camry had a leak at the timing chain cover. $2 gasket and a few other parts...and almost a grand in labor to take it all apart and put it back together. An oil change on my bike is time consuming too since you have to take half the fairing off to get to the oil filter.
My dealers labor rate is $140 hr which is normal around here, so $700-840 in just labor on yours. My 2001 F250 diesel needs a new oil pan, it’s a 17hr job with having to remove the engine (and good luck on that with all the rust) it won’t be happening. Truck only plows snow a few times a year, fix would be worth more the truck. Buying quarts of oil is short term quick fix for now.
After hitting a serious pothole in my wife's 2001 Jetta GLS, same thing. The oil pan was $100, labor was 7 hours at a reasonable $60/hr. (Small town mechanic). Replacement of the water pump was along the same lines, the whole front clip needed removal. Not like my old 63 Fairlane I had a few years back.
We had a Lincoln Towne Car (1992) hit a pothole and a rock and punched a hole in the oil pan.
You have to lift the engine to get the oil pan out, so the replacement cost was around $3,000. (the car was worth maybe 1500 tops).
We just stuck a bolt in the hole with a rubber washer on the head and that plugged it well enough for a few months. Then it started leaking too much. We found a mechanic willing the clean up the pan with a grinder to get good adhesion and plug it with some JB weld. He charged us $40 (after adding taxes). It lasted until the transmission failed (about 18 months more I think).
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Given your leak is at the drain plug hole, I would look at the following:
1. Put a large rubber washer on the drain bolt and tighten it firmly. Make certain the washer is not something that dissolves in oil.
2. Re-tap the drain plug hole with a larger tap and try a larger drain plug.
3. Plug the drain hole with JB weld and make a new drain hole.
4. Find the crack and plug it with JB weld. Be careful you do not JB weld the drain plug in place - or, if you do, then go to number 3 above.
5. If the leak is very small/slow, just check your oil every time you fill up your gas tank and add more oil as needed. (to the oil sump, not to the gas tank).
Just for future reference... which car brands are "easy to work on" and not with all the parts "buried" like these poorly-designed American vehicles?? I will definitely take that into consideration for my next daily driver
Who designs these things? You would think that these large corporations would aim to make their vehicles "easy to work on"... but apparently that's not the case
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