2016 Toyota Highlander LE AWD 2GR-FE head gasket leaks externally, 158,000KM
Hey everyone!
I have a bit of an issue with my car. At the beginning of last winter, I took my car to the dealership for my usual biannual oil change, and the tech spotted a seepage of coolant on the rear cylinder bank between the head and block of the engine. They had to put in 2 litres of coolant back into the system, apparently there's no low coolant level warning system on the car, so now I have to keep an eye on the reservoir and top off as necessary.
Obviously, the fix is pulling the engine and replacing the head gasket with a stronger one that can resist the corrosive effects of the pink Toyota coolant, and road salt and other corrosives. The caveat being, the mating surfaces have to be re-machined, which can then cause timing issues, from what I've read. I was quoted 5000$ for the repair (Understandable because the engine needs to be dropped out of the car, plus disassembly, ect) But I was wondering if there are any alternate routes I could take that wouldn't break the bank? The car has 158000km on the odometer which is supposed to be peanuts on this engine. Any advice would be welcome.
Many thanks!