2008 Rx350 Rear Main Seal

[lexusvexed]

I have a 2008 Lexus RX350. I took it to the dealer last week and they told me about leaking rear main seal. My vehicle is just running 73K miles. I have not seen this kind of issue with my other new vehicles like Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The dealer estimate the cost of repair would be $1640. I live in a moderate climate and there is no big fluctuation in temperatures. I am not sure if it is a poor quality design by Lexus or inferior part. I was told that they have to dismount the transmission to change the seal. I request any advice and experience from other owners. Also I like to know if I can postpone the repair and top the oil frequently to maintain the level...any impact to transmission if left unrepaired..

[1990LS400]

It's not unheard of. A rear main seal on first Lexus (1990 LS400) failed at a very low mileage - probably under 20,000 miles - but it was replaced under warranty.

This is still another case of a serious failure on a vehicle just out of warranty ... i.e. the 70,000 mile drive train warranty. Damn ... this repair should be covered as it surely happened while the vehicle was within its drivetrain warranty

I suggest leaning on your dealership and Lexus corporate VERY hard. There is no excuse for this not being fixed at no cost to you.

[lexusvexed]

A vehicle with low mileage giving such problems does not speak well of Lexus quality

[PaulS]

I had the same problem with oil dripping on my garage floor from with my '00 ES300 and dealer recommended I change the main seal. Then I discovered that the dealer had been overfilling the engine oil. The oil level was about 3 inches above the full mark on the oil dipstick. I mentioned this to the dealer on the next oil change and I noticed the oil was filled to the full mark. I noticed there were no more drops of oil on my garage floor. I thought I was losing my mind but it has been about 3 months since the oil change and there has not been a single drop of oil on the floor. The dealer does not mention the oil seal any more (andthey also do not admit to overfilling the oil!). Just thought I'd share my experience with you...

[SmilingBoognish]

A vehicle with low mileage giving such problems does not speak well of Lexus quality

I have been incredibly underwhelmed by the build quality of our 2008 RX350, as well as the 2007 ES350 which was recently given to me by a relative. Silly things like the doors not fitting properly in the RX and the wipers scratching paint off the hood in the ES. I would be hard pressed to be a repeat customer, quite honestly.