Toyota-Lexus-Subaru-Honda Pan Gasket

The engine pan is where the oil pools when it’s not being circulated through the engine. Most of the Toyota engine pans are sealed pretty well so that they don’t leak very often.

Tercels, Paseos, and older Land Cruisers are an exception to this. Other models pan gaskets can leak as well, but with all of them, the first thing you want to be sure of is that something else isn’t leaking from above and catching on the edge of the engine pan and making it look like it might be leaking.

Even “non-leaks” can result in the edge of the engine pan collecting oil and looking like a possible leak.

For instance, every time your oil is changed and the oil filter is removed—unless someone is darned thorough in their clean-up—most likely a little bit of the oil that spills from the oil filter dribbles down to the edge of the engine pan.
Once there, it tends to migrate around the entire perimeter, making it look for all the world like it could be leaking. Rule of thumb, unless it’s so definite that it’s obvious, it’s not a bad idea to clean wet area and then re-inspect it before jumping in to replace the pan gasket.