The Lemon Index$1,800 middle bill · most between $1,200 and $2,700
25 owner reports on 15 models
Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Sierra, Volkswagen Passat
Owners reported paying a median of $1,800 for a rear main seal replacement, with the middle half of bills between $1,200 and $2,700. That's 25 owner reports on 15 models (24 complaints to NHTSA and 1 YouTube video). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $5000%
- $500–$1,0008%
- $1,000–$2,50064%
- $2,500–$5,00028%
- $5,000 and up0%
Share of the 25 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Equinox | 9 | $1,800 | $1,600–$2,000 |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 14 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Related repairs
Engine replacement $8,000 · Fuel pump replacement $915 · Throttle body replacement $600 · Timing chain replacement $2,500 · Fuel injector replacement $1,700 · Spark plug replacement $865 · Head gasket replacement $3,000 · Ignition coil replacement $715
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11760820, 11725908, 11565825, 11540582, 11407070, 11397601, 11390197, 11352474, 11330759, 11303062, 11287941, 11191652 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $4,200 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a rear main seal replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $1,800, and the middle half paid $1,200 to $2,700, from 25 owner reports on 15 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a rear main seal replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Sierra, Volkswagen Passat. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do rear main seal replacement costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 24 complaints to NHTSA and 1 YouTube video: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.