Hello,
I’m considering buying a 2010 Ford Escape with 215,000 km on it. The price is low, and it seems to be well-maintained. However, there’s a small oil leak around the rocker cover.
How serious is this issue, and what might it cost to fix?
I don’t know much about car repairs, so any advice would be really helpful.
Thanks.
Hey,
If it’s the 3L V6 engine, a small oil leak can become big within about eight months. From my experience with two of these engines, the leak can cause the oil level to drop significantly between changes. I didn’t fix it and just added oil every 2,500 km.
On the bright side, the oil leak can help prevent rust on the front end, similar to older Chrysler models.
Small leaks sometimes fix themselves, but that’s not always a good sign! Keep an eye on the oil spots under your car, as it might lose oil without dripping. Check it weekly. Losing some oil doesn’t mean you need to rebuild the engine. I had a 2008 V6 with a leak that ran fine from 238,000 to 284,000 miles. Another one didn’t leak until 192,000 miles.
Nothing’s guaranteed, so stay attentive and you might get many more miles out of it!
Hey Williams,
A leak around the rocker cover is probably a valve cover gasket issue, which is usually an easy fix. To be sure, you might want to have a mechanic take a look at it
Hi,
I had a 3.0; it never leaked enough to be perceptible on the dipstick, and the shop called it “seeping”. Said it would cost about $2k to fix, but never did