Can you imagine suddenly you notice your car has an oil spill and you need to replace it? As you know, every car has a piece of rubber, but it is considered an important part. It helps prevent oil from leaking out and limiting potentially dangerous situations.
That is the rear main seal. However, if that part is damaged, do you know what exactly Rear main seal replacement cost?
Today, we will learn together about information related to the replacement of the rear main seal!
What Is A Rear Main Seal?

The rear main seal is a rubber part that is round and thick and located between the crankshaft and the engine block. This device is working as a hard bee in the engine compartment.
If this part of the vehicle leaks, you will lose some oil. However, many people continue to use it without paying attention; the engine will lack oil, which will eventually cause other parts to rub against each other.
Too much friction will cause the bearing to fail and the cylinder to fail. If the amount of oil leaks increases, some engine components have to work at total capacity, and then they will fail quickly.
Especially for parts that cost a few dollars at the parts store, the rear main seal usually costs no more than $25. However, the cost of replacing these parts is quite expensive and takes a long time to implement.
This problem can occur in most car models with small spaces and brings many difficulties and obstacles to the Mechanic in replacement and repair.
If your part leaks, a good OEM will be replaced, and it should fit snugly to make sure oil can’t escape from your engine. Besides that, you have to make sure that the part is very soft and basically like a new device.
If you do not want the rear main seal to malfunction and spend a lot of money repairing or replacing it, please regularly check and care for your vehicle.
Where Is It Located?
It helps keep your crankshaft lubricated and prevents oil from leaking out of the engine. Therefore, this part is mainly located at the rear of the vehicle. It is always the case if you have a rear drive.
Usually, it’s always located behind, right between the engine and transmission in your vehicle. In front-drive cars, this part may be located on the right side of the engine compartment. If you plan to check the information somewhere, look for this unit in the back.
For the front wheel, the engine is oriented differently than in a rear-wheel-drive car. It is also the reason why the disassembly, assembly, and repair process becomes more complicated.
The narrow engine bay is also why repairs are so much more expensive than you initially thought. Therefore, the best way to avoid losing a large amount of money for a car is to immediately choose a model with a large engine compartment right from the time of purchase.
In general, those are why cars with muscular, spacious engine compartments and spacious passenger compartments are popular in the US. Basically, those cars are pretty simple in the repair process, and it doesn’t take too much money to change parts.
Why Does The Rear Main Seal Fail?
The rear main seal error occurs due to 2 main factors:
Heat element
In the engine compartment, a large amount of heat affects the main rear main seals and causes them to fail after a long period of use without maintenance.
Longevity factor
Longevity and durability are always factors that lead to damaged parts and vehicles. Whether or not you can keep your car durable depends on time; the part becomes brittle or more pliable. Sometimes they tend to harden and become looser, allowing oil to leak out.
Besides, during use, you need to make sure not to pour too much oil into the engine but only pour a moderate amount, following the instructions of the Mechanic or the manufacturer.
However, according to the manufacturer’s advice, the rear main seal does not work correctly for some people because they pour too much oil into the engine.
So they had to remove some oil from the car. Driving in the rear primary seal condition is too much oil and leads to oil spills, making your vehicle more and more degraded. And, of course, the cost of repairing an oil leak is also not pleasant.
In this case, it may be because of the front-wheel-drive system, so when the rear main seal fails, it will splatter at the bottom of the car.
So make sure you don’t get too much oil into your car’s engine. It is also one of the factors that increase your replacement and repair costs.
When Should You Replace This Seal?
It is a pretty good question! You can replace the rear main seal when you have the money ready to repair it. Better yet, don’t try to continue driving with oil leaking out.
When the rear main seal fails, oil droplets begin to appear, and your vehicle will malfunction due to a lack of oil at any time. After confirming your car has an oil leak, always have an oil bottle ready in the trunk to replace the leaked oil.
However, you cannot let this situation last forever because it will become more and more serious. If your car loses too much oil, the replacement cost will be much higher.
So, our advice is to replace this part as soon as you discover an oil leak. Or, if it doesn’t cost too much, take your car to the garage for regular check-ups.
Rear Main Seal Replacement Cost
In general, similar to the cost of patching a tire or washing a car, the cost of replacing the rear main seal is not cheap. As shared above, this part is quite reasonable, but the replacement cost includes that part and labor.
Depending on the garaging address you choose for repair or replacement, here are a few prices as well as addresses you can refer to:
- Your Mechanic has a 12-month warranty that costs around $699-$1640.
- Midas also has a 12-month warranty with a price tag of about $644-$1787.
- Mr. Tire is a famous address that probably everyone writes; the price here also fluctuates in the range of $628-$1820.
- NAPA is one of the reputable maintenance places, with costs falling from $699-$1550 for the most extended package up to 24 months.
There are also some places with limited warranty time as well as cheaper costs. However, to ensure the safety of every trip, you should choose reputable, quality addresses at a reasonable price.
This work requires the craftsman to take a long time to complete as desired. In fact, it will take them 6 – 10 hours for the device to stabilize and go into operation again.
In addition, if you leave your vehicle in an overcrowded garage, you need to have patience because they have to prioritize fixing the cars that have been brought in before, and the repair time is shorter.
How To Save Money On This Seal
If you want to save some money on this part, check the car thoroughly every time you go on a long journey or check them regularly.
Cars, if checked regularly, can detect early signs of parts and replace them immediately. At that time, the price will be pretty different from when you let the part fail badly.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the information about the rear main seal below has helped you better understand the operating mechanism, why it is broken, how to fix it, and the most important thing is the repair cost!