In March 2021, my 07 4Runner ended up at this shop and they determined it had an issue with a leak from the differential. I was told they could rebuild it or replace it. I asked them to replace it. I live out of state and the 4Runner is not driven often, however it does not just sit. Less than a year later and fewer than 3000 miles since the repair, the differential gave out half way across Texas. When I got out, the differential was pouring smoke and I could hear the gear oil boiling inside. As a reference, I checked the boiling point of the prescribe gear oil and is 600 degrees.
I called the shop to ask about warranty of parts and was told they only warranty labor. I asked them if they could point me to who ever they got the parts, and was told to text them my contact info and what vehicle and they would get back to me.
The image shows how long it took them to reply to that request and the other image shows the cost of an apparent rebuild.
The cause for the current catastrophic failure was a leaking dif seal where the drive shaft meets the differential. The current repair bill for a new differential and labor is over $4,000 plus the plane tickets I have to buy to go pick it up when it's done. I was charged for a repair that failed less than a year and fewer than 3000 miles later. When I asked for some sort of recourse, there was none from this shop and no contact for nearly half a month.
Take what you will from this. I can only speak to my experience. I will no longer be involved with any shop that cannot back their repairs with a warranty of some sort. This will end up being my $5,000+ lesson. Free advice for you. read more