rear axle seal leaking! how long do I have?

[KidVermicious]

I was getting ready to ask, but I wanted to see a pic first. just in case.
not all models/years used the snap-ring, and I wasn't sure what year you were dealing with.

I think this is a '96 axle, not sure. It's not like the earlier axles with the snap ring right up on top, it's hiding under the ABS ring which is why I missed it.

 

[mrfitsaro]

On my '96 limited I had same independent mechanic try 3 times to fix seal. 2nd and 3rd at his expense. All three failed in a one year time frame. I finally took it to my local dealer for repair. Still good after 14 months. Experienced Toyota mechanic is very huge in my opinion for this repair. I will only use dealer or proven Toyota knowledgeable mechanic for axle seals in the future on my other 3rd gens.

What did they charge you??