u/trytoholdon

I recently brought my ‘22 MDX with 67k miles to the dealership for an oil change. The tech called me to the back and showed me this picture of the tensioner apparently leaking fluid. He recommended that I take a loaner car and let them immediately replace the tensioner, timing belt, and water pump for $2,000. I purchased the car only two years ago as a CPO and it is still under warranty, but the tech said that would only knock off about $600.

I understand replacing the belt, tensioner, and water pump are part of regular maintenance at 100k, but this is way earlier than I expected to be dealing with this. I also happened to stumble across this post alleging this same dealership is running some kind of tensioner replacement scam, although I have no evidence of that.

Question: How urgent is a leak of this nature?

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48737208/how-oklahoma-city-thunder-became-nba-newest-villains

“The discourse about the Thunder -- online and on the floor -- is often dominated by discussions about how they're officiated. Gilgeous-Alexander has been accused of "foul baiting," including by Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown following a March 12 loss to the Thunder. The prowess of Oklahoma City's defense, the league's stingiest in each of the past two seasons, is often partially attributed to the contact by aggressors such as Alex Caruso and Lu Dort. It has resulted in the Thunder becoming the NBA's new villains, taking over the mantle from the Warriors.

[…]

"Shai's the best at [drawing fouls] in the league," Brown said after Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 16 free throws against the Knicks. "His body control is amazing. Not only that, he knows when to attack, how to attack and who to attack, and then he still has the awareness of where everybody is on the floor. Then when he goes into his shot, he does a fantastic job of contorting his body, and if he feels any contact at all, he knows how to twitch his body or whatever to [sell the foul]. It's just the gamesmanship to get the call. So I take my hat off to him."

Gilgeous-Alexander has ranked among the league's top three in total free throws attempted in each of the past four seasons. That fact has generated a lot of grumbling about "all the dropping and the falling and the flopping and the flailing," as his friend and fellow Canadian Dillon Brooks put it midway through the Thunder's sweep of his Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.

But at least one Thunder teammate scoffs at the suggestion that Gilgeous-Alexander benefits from a friendly whistle.

"Yeah, it could be better," Caruso said. "It's crazy."

A simple statistical search supports that point.

In NBA history, guards have averaged at least 30 points per game in a season while playing enough games to qualify for the scoring title on 48 occasions. Gilgeous-Alexander's 9.0 free throws attempted per game this season ranks 32nd on that list. The 8.8 free throws he averaged in 2024-25 ranks 33rd. The 8.7 he averaged in 2023-24 is tied for 34th.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.9 free throws per game in 2022-23, which ranks 12th among the club of 30-points-per-game guards. That occurred during Gilgeous-Alexander's first All-Star campaign as he led the Thunder to a 40-42 record -- before he would reasonably benefit from so-called "superstar calls." (A fact that might interest those who long for the good, ol' days: The top free throw seasons in this search belonged to Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan.)”