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Toyota Altezza: 3S-GE Rear Main Oil Seal Leak

3S-GE Rear Main Oil Seal Leak is a common engine fault on the Toyota Altezza on the 1998–2005 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $500 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 7 documented faults on the Toyota Altezza.

Vehicle
Toyota Altezza
Engine
3S-GE
Years
1998–2005
Fuel
petrol
Gearbox
manual
System
Engine

This page covers the Toyota Altezza as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Altezza faults7 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Clutch yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The rear main crankshaft oil seal on the 3S-GE BEAMS engine is a single-lip rubber seal pressed into the rear of the block. With age and heat cycling, the seal lip hardens and loses radial tension against the crankshaft journal, allowing engine oil to weep or flow past the seal onto the bell-housing and flywheel. Contamination of the clutch friction material is a common consequence on manual-transmission Altezzas, requiring clutch replacement in addition to the seal itself.

What you would notice

  • Oil seepage or dripping from the rear of the engine/bell-housing junction
  • Clutch slip or judder caused by oil contaminating the friction disc on manual variants
  • Burning oil smell from the underside of the vehicle after driving

How to check it

Where to look. Rear of the engine block at the crankshaft flange, behind the flywheel

Inspect the bell-housing drain hole and the lower rear of the engine block for fresh oil seepage. Clutch slip or judder on manual cars warrants immediate seal and clutch inspection. If a workshop inspection is possible: Remove the inspection cover (manual) or torque converter cover (auto) to check for oil contamination on the flywheel or flex-plate.

Parts involved: Clutch.

What it costs to put right

$500 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the rear main seal ever been replaced?”
  • “Is there any clutch slip, judder, or burning smell under the car?”
  • “Is there visible oil at the back of the engine or on the bell-housing?”

Now check the Toyota Altezza you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Toyota Altezza buyer questions

Is 3s-ge rear main oil seal leak serious on a Toyota Altezza?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Altezza. The rear main crankshaft oil seal on the 3S-GE BEAMS engine is a single-lip rubber seal pressed into the rear of the block. With age and heat cycling, the seal lip hardens and loses radial tension against the crankshaft journal, allowing engine oil to weep or flow past the seal onto the bell-housing and flywheel. Contamination of the clutch friction material is a common consequence on manual-transmission Altezzas, requiring clutch replacement in addition to the seal itself.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Altezza?

$500 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Altezza years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1998–2005 Toyota Altezza. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Inspect the bell-housing drain hole and the lower rear of the engine block for fresh oil seepage. Clutch slip or judder on manual cars warrants immediate seal and clutch inspection. If a workshop inspection is possible: Remove the inspection cover (manual) or torque converter cover (auto) to check for oil contamination on the flywheel or flex-plate. Look here: Rear of the engine block at the crankshaft flange, behind the flywheel