Rear Main Seal Replacement Cost

On the end of your car’s crankshaft is a mechanical seal. This seal ensures that engine oil does not leak out. If it starts to crack or otherwise malfunction, you will be left with an oil leak.

You will pay between $650 and $850 for this replacement. The labor should cost around $700, while parts are only about $35. These figures do not include taxes, and the fees mechanics may change on top of labor and parts. The range in prices is due to the amount of work that goes into changing out the parts on different types of cars.

Rear Main Seal Replacement Cost Comparison

Your Mechanic

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	12 months	$699-$1640

 

Midas

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	12 months	$644-$1787

 

Mr. Tire

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	12 months	$628-$1820

 

NAPA

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	24 months	$699-$1550

 

Walmart

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts	Limited	$15-$95

 

Amazon

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts	Limited	$12-$113

What Is Rear Main Seal Replacement?

Replacing the seal can be an in-depth job, no matter what kind of vehicle you have. There are a lot of parts to deal with, and the mechanic has to be careful not to damage the engine or let oil leak out in the process. If the oil has already begun to leak out, though, then further repairs and cleaning may be required.

Benefits of Rear Main Seal Replacement

Why should you have your rear main seal replaced? It’s not something that you need to get fixed right away, but the sooner you get it fixed, the more money you are likely to save on repairs later. You can protect your engine, camshaft, gears and other parts from wearing out prematurely by getting the leak taken care of. You will also protect your vehicle from damage caused by leaking oil. On top that, you won’t have to keep such a close eye on the oil levels, and you be able to drive without wondering how soon you need to top up the oil to prevent car damage.

What Is Done during Rear Main Seal Replacement?

To determine the location of an oil leak, the mechanic may place a dye into the oil that’s perfectly harmless, but that shows up easily under a UV light. Once the issue has been diagnosed, then the work begins in earnest.

The mechanic will have to take out the transmission and the flywheel (or the flex plate, depending on the vehicle). This will allow him to access the seal. Then the housing for the seal will then be removed, and the mating surfaces on all sides will be cleansed. Then the new seal can be put in place, and the transmission and other parts are put back in their place.

This may sound straightforward, but removing some of the parts can take hours, especially if the mechanic is taking his time to ensure that nothing is damaged. When everything is finished, the mechanic will check for leaks once more.

When to Get Rear Main Seal Replacement

You can drive your vehicle when the seal is malfunctioning. The oil will leak out, and you will need to top up the oil more frequently. If you drive with low oil, then you can damage the camshaft, gears and other parts that need oil to act as a barrier between them, so they do not wear each other down.

You will want to fix this problem eventually, but it isn’t an emergency if you can manage to keep the oil topped up.

To identify when you are having this problem, you should look out for oil leaks under your vehicle, the smell of burning oil as you drive the car, and an oil indicator light on your dashboard. You may also hear grinding noises or other sounds from the transmission if your oil gets too low.

While the rear main seal won’t wear down over time, it will degrade, and it will have to be replaced eventually.

How to Save Money on Rear Main Seal Replacement

This probably isn’t the kind of job you can save some money on by doing it on your own. If you are the kind of person who likes to engage in DIY projects for fun or just to cut your costs, you should probably avoid this one, since it requires so much work and specialized tools and training to complete.

We suggest saving money by comparing labor costs from one mechanic to another. You won’t save much by comparing the cost of parts or sourcing the parts yourself, but you can save quite a bit of money by shopping around for the best deal on labor for the replacement job.

Sample Rear Main Seal Replacement Costs

Model	Labor	Parts	Total
Ford F-Series	$648-$826	$24-$89	$672-$915
Chevrolet Silverado	$1331-$1698	$24-$89	$1355-$1787
Ford Focus	$1070-$1365	$33-$44	$1103-$1409
Toyota Camry	$1331-$1698	$24-$89	$1355-$1787
Toyota Corolla	$773-$987	$20-$31	$793-$1018
Nissan Altima	$633-$800	$28-$51	$661-$851
Honda CR-V	$630-$803	$24-$74	$654-$877
Honda Civic	$702-$895	$21-$74	$723-$969
Honda Accord	$666-$849	$21-$71	$687-$920
Ford Fusion	$1070-$1365	$33-$44	$1103-$1409