Help me with my new old car thanks!

[bigwillfrisco]

Hello folks,
I have a toyota corolla that I got as a gift with 148k miles on it.
Got it at 138k and its run like a champ ever since then.
Although I am on a tight budget I would like to know if there is anything I should check or replace ONLY in the case that if it broke in the future it would cost much more to fix or damage other things. (i've heard people say that if certain belts break, they can damage the engine.)

I had the car taken to a reputable garage for a pretty thorough inspection. Other than minor things I've done due to their recommendiation, they said the timing chain cover leaks oil and it should eventually be resealed and this will be between $600 - $1300 (5-6 hours labor plus parts.) Is this important to fix, is this an example of something that will be a much bigger problem if it brakes in the future?

Thank you for your help.
-Will

[TrailDust]

Welcome to the nation, Will! I see you also found our 8th Gen Corolla forum, so hopefully some of the members there will be able to help you out with your issue.

[bigwillfrisco]

Yes I did thank you. Thanks for the timely welcome, I don;t know a lot about cars but I want to get more involved in my own, and this site seems like it'll be perfect helping me to do that.

[eyeball96]

to TN Will