Toyota Repair: 1999 4 Runner - water pump, powertrain warranty, toyota dealer


Question
During my regular oil change my service man said that the water pump was starting to seep a little and to have it replaced next time I come in and he also said to do the timing belt at the same time.  I have 47,000 miles on the 5 year old Toyota so I think I should be able to go another year before I change the timing belt.  He's definately not giving me a break by doing them both at the same time, water pump $275 and timing belt $379!  Also, can I just go to a good service station for teh water pump or should I go to the toyota dealer?

Thanks,

Answer
You need to return to the toyota dealer and tell them that the water pump is part of the powertrain warranty and is covered for 5yrs/60,000 miles from the date of first use, the dealer should look up the date of first use and see if the warranty still applies, if it is(this is important)you should have the timing belt replaced at this time, the labor to replace the belt should be a lot less because they have to take most of the parts off to replace the water pump anyway, the cost of the belt and the additional labor will be at your expense.