September of 2008 my local Ford dealer replaced the rear main seal in my 2007 Taurus after I finally convinced them it was leaking. I had to take pictures of it right after I drove it when there was still oil hanging off the aluminum plate between the transmission and oil pan. They looked at it twice before I brought the pictures and couldn't see oil. Probably because it doesn't leak when it's parked. You have to look right away after driving.

A little over 1200 miles after the repair, it started leaking again. I've had it in twice and they tell me they removed the plate and "it's bone dry". Of course when I get it home and crawl underneath and can wipe oil off the plate with my finger.

The Ford dealer told me that mine is the only Taurus they've seen with a leaky rear main seal. They're still trying to tell me that mine doesn't leak. Just because is doesn't drip when it's on their hoist torn apart (obviously not running) doesn't mean it doesn't leak when the engine is running and I'm driving down the highway. I've been watching the oil level ever since I changed it. It is almost 1/2 quart low in only 2000 miles since the change.

Ever since they told me that Tauruses don't have a rear main seal problem, I've crawled under every Taurus I see in a car lot. Guess what, they all leak!!! My 80-year-old neighbor owns a 2003 Taurus with only 29,xxx miles. Her car was down a full quart of oil at 3000 miles after an oil change. She was shocked when we discovered this because it doesn't leave oil spots in her parking space and she obviously can't get under the car to look.

From my 1990 Taurus to my 2007 Taurus to Tauruses of my friends and neighbors, I haven't found one that doesn't leak. Does anyone else have a leaky rear main seal? My car is about to go out of the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. It's been fixed once and in looked at 4 times. I don't care about a little oil seepage but I'm concerned that it's losing 1/2 a quart in 2000 miles.

Any confirmation or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I don't know about yours but mine is always still full or at least less than a half pint low after about 5000 miles. I never really change the oil at 3000. Mine is a 2007 with 74000 miles on it. Even though most don't leak, it is a Ford and they do leak. Just a thought.

 

Maybe mine only leaks when it's full. It was down 1/4 quart so I topped it off. Now it's down another 1/4 quart but in the last week (about 225 miles) it doesn't seem to have lost any more.

I can deal with some leakage. I just don't want to have to add oil every week like I did with my 90 Taurus. I'm going to watch it for another week and see if it goes any lower. My real fear is that a small leak will turn major AFTER the warranty expires.

 

Did you try going to another dealer to get another opinion. I've had 5 taurus and 3 where SHO's. my current taurus's are a 93 SHO and 99 arent having any trouble. Just any FYI, i noticed when I did my 92 SHO the the rear main is 2 piece and the pan gasket is RVT sealant and two piece of rubber in the middle. ( one for front and back ) You need to ask them at the dealer if they changed the seal, because that requires removal of the tranny or if they just did the pan gasket.

 

The first time they tried to fix the leak, they thought it was the oil pan gasket. They replaced that and I was back in a week with the same leak which they said was just residual oil that didn't get wiped off. I wiped oil away for a week and finally took it back. That's when they decided it must be the rear main. This time they removed the tranny and replaced the rear main seal. Then 1200 miles later I have the same leak but they say they can't see it. That was in May. Now it's been another 3000 miles and it's getting kind of oily down there where the drips blow back while I'm driving. Fortunately it's not leaving puddles everywhere I park.

I don't think the dealer can deny it's leaking now. I haven't taken it back to argue with them because at one point they told me that unless it was losing a lot of oil (define "a lot") Ford wasn't going to pay to tear the tranny out again. Also they said since they replaced the rear main once, someone from Ford would probably have to come and inspect it. I'm just wondering if it's a poor design and it'll leak no matter if they try to fix it again. I don't like the idea of them tearing the sub-frame apart to get the tranny out again if it's not going to help.

Since you've had 5 Taurus can I ask, when you change the oil & filter, do you fill with 4.5 quarts of oil like the book says or does it take more to check full?? My old 1990 always took more after driving but that one used (or lost) quite a bit of oil so I was never really sure.

 

Nope, Ive always put 5 full quarts in at each, oil/filter change. I can only imagine your pain since its a new car. Is it a DOHC duratec V6 or the old 3.0 OHV vulcan V6.

 

Okay, so my car isn't down quite as much as I thought. I only put 4.5 quarts in it at the last oil/filter change. So when I had to add oil the following weekend it was just because I didn't put the full 5 quarts like it needed. Thanks for the info.

Books used to say one amount for an oil change and another amount for a change with the filter. I always thought that was dumb because I always change the filter when I change the oil. So I just assumed when the book said 4.5 quarts it meant WITH a filter change. Dealer also told me that they put 5 quarts in with a filter change but it's nice to hear it from someone else as I don't completely trust the dealer.

My 07 is the 3.0 OHV vulcan V6--pretty sure at least. Aren't the DOHC duratec's the 3.5 they put in the 2008 Taurus with the old Ford 500 and Freestyle body style?

I talked to the dealer yesterday about the leak. When I change the oil again I'm supposed to bring it out and get some dye to put in it so they can see where it's leaking. But they also told me that Ford isn't going to want to pay to take the tranny out and replace the rear main AGAIN when it's only leaking 1/2 quart per oil change. I forgot to ask how many miles in their oil change--6,000??? I change mine at 3,000.