Does anyone have experience with having the oil pan gasket replaced? My dealer claims mine is leaking & quoting almost $4000

[Pickels]

Does anyone have experience with an oil pan gasket replacement? My dealer says I have a leak ( no oil spots on driveway ) & is quoting almost $4000 & 18 hrs. to replace.

 

[CPO]

My Dealer had reported that my 95k TourX has an oil pan leak, & quoted 16 hours & $2,500, I had not observed any spots on garage floor, so insisted they put it on a lift & we inspect together. A little seepage noted at one corner, but after removing "belly pan" no residue anywhere else or in the belly pan. 5,000 miles later & constant oil level checking still no evidence of leakage. I don't think Buick actually uses a normal oil pan gasket, but rather a sealant. I do plan on keeping this car. I am not ready to perform this repair until it becomes visually apparent.

 

[HotZ28]

Did the stealer dealer even try to snug up the bolts, or just want to rape you for $$$$$? I would just snug up the oil pan bolts & forget about it. From what you described, you do not have much of a problem yet.

 

[Pickels]

Does anyone have experience with an oil pan gasket replacement? My dealer says I have a leak ( no oil spots on driveway ) & is quoting almost $4000 & 18 hrs. to replace.

Did the stealer dealer even try to snug up the bolts, or just want to rape you for $$$$$? I would just snug up the oil pan bolts & forget about it. From what you described, you do not have much of a problem yet.

Thanks both you guys for your input. I think I’ll keep an eye on things to see what happens. If push comes to shove, I guess I’ll look for a reputable independent to do the job.

 

[jclin4]

I guess I’ll look for a reputable independent to do the job.

^this.

 

[abizzle]

It is my understanding there is both an upper and lower oil pan and I’ve also heard they use a sealant instead of a gasket. Fixing the upper oil pan requires the engine to be partially removed, which is why it’s so expensive.

My lower pan appears to be leaking and I’m going to try and get it fixed for free. Before I bought the car, I took it to a dealer for inspection and they noted oil residue on the lower pan. Recommended fix was a new drain plug and reseal the pan. Since then, I’ve been to the dealer three times for other issues and each time I asked them to check the oil pan. All three times they said there was no problem. Well, now it’s a problem.

 

[Jack GS]

As @abizzle said, there's an upper and lower pan. The lower pan is easy enough to replace. Contrarily, the upper pan requires the removal of the front timing cover, front exhaust pipe, catalytic converter, oil cooler, and even the PTU. No small job.

If it's not leaking enough to drip, I wouldn't bother with the procedure. Consider it self applicating corrosion prevention. Keep 'r topped off and don't even worry about it.

According to ProDemand:
Oil pan parts & labor (12.6hrs) - $1,283.51

P.S.
There is a Technical Service Bulletin for an oil leak from the pan area. I would highly encourage you look up and present TSB: 18-NA-201 to your service advisor. The fix is much less invasive than a complete pan removal.

 

[eccs19]

Here is the link to the TSB Jack mentioned.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10198841-9999.pdf

 

[Rickintroy]

Does anyone have experience with an oil pan gasket replacement? My dealer says I have a leak ( no oil spots on driveway ) & is quoting almost $4000 & 18 hrs. to replace.

My TourX had a drip from the pan at 60k. Dealer fixed it under warranty. I saw the warranty invoice to GM was $2800. There are multiple gaskets and seals involved.

 

[D2R]

Had mine done under bumper to bumper warranty when the car was less than 3k miles.

 

[thesyguy]

Mine has been leaking for years. I wipe it off every oil change and keep right on going. It is literally milliliters of oil and has no effect on the level in the motor. I can buy a used motor with 30-50k miles and have it installed for less than the price to fix the oil pan from GM.

 

[hzdtctc]

I had the oil pan gasket on my 2019 Enclave replaced last year—costing around $5,000, which GM covered. However, the dealer appears to have misrepresented the situation on the final invoice, falsely stating that I complained about an oil spill on the garage floor. I never made such a claim. Everyone knows the stealership tricks.

 

[fredzy]

Mine has been leaking for years. I wipe it off every oil change and keep right on going. It is literally milliliters of oil and has no effect on the level in the motor. I can buy a used motor with 30-50k miles and have it installed for less than the price to fix the oil pan from GM.

Yeah my engine (2018, 92000 mi) looks to be weeping oil from approximately everywhere. The volume lost over the 5000 mile OCI is negligible/non-detectable on the dipstick so I'm just gonna monitor 🤷‍♂️

 

[CPO]

I did utilize the TSB info from an earlier post & had the suggested fix done for $70 @ 96k. Now at 106k with no sign of seepage.