Hello all,
The check eng light came on in our family's 06 this week so we took it to the dealer to have them check the code and they told us the charcoal filter was leaking and would cost over $500 to trace and repair. Im guessing it has something to do with the emissions regulation, but not sure yet. Now granted I'm not a mechanic, nor do i play one on TV, but that sounds a bit pricey to me. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance....

 

First read the owners manual and any warranty info booklets that came with it. Thought the EPA mandated that certain emissions parts like this filter and this EVAP emissions system be under warranty for 36M/36K milies. Some states also required additional extended warranties on certain emissions parts. Check with your states enviromental agency.

The leak will not result in driving problems but the car will not pass an emissions test.

Do you have the exact code(s)?

If the filter, the part is NOT cheap but it may be available at a much lower cost from non-Toyota auto parts stores, or a auto junk yard might a used one. This part should last longer then this and in most cases the life of the car.

Might also be a vacuum hose leaking (common).

A good dealer should be able to use their testing equipment to run down the exact problem area pretty quickly and not guess. And a decent third party shop should be able to do the job cheaper.