Oil leak - maybe rear drive? [RESOLVED]

[DesertRivian17]

Well, the tow truck came and got it…waiting for diag and time to repair!

Sponsored

 

[txoutdoorsman]

Good deal. I’m so glad to have mine back. It took them two weeks total

 

[DesertRivian17]

Just got the call from RIV service dept. they explained we had a front drive unit leak from two places, one being the plug and the other being the half-shaft: Technician details:

The customer states Underneath front of Rivian is leaking an oily clear fluid. The cover on thebottom is coated and puddles in the garageCause:- Verified customer concern as shown in media. The first few photos uploaded shown oncustomer's epoxy floor appear to be condensation dripping from the front evaporator drain.This is considered normal of any vehicle and can be expected to continue. Oil leak found atunderbody shield and surrounding areas was in fact verified to be front drive unit oil. Removedfront underbody shield and inspected front drive unit for leaks. Found passenger front halfshaftseal leaking past seal and down drive unit housing, eventually ending up on shield. Removedand replaced output seal as outlined in service procedure. Also found front drive unit drain plugleaking, drained fluid and installed updated plug and washer as outlined in service procedure.Power washed underbody shield and surrounding areas to rid of oil residue. Test drove 15 milesand verified no leaks at this time. Vehicle is operating as expected.

 

[CO-Ed]

I've got my third oil leak in a year, and the repair is to replace the right rear disconnect, for a third time. Anyone else have repeated oil leaks from the same rear disconnect?

 

[MountainBikeDude]

I've got my third oil leak in a year, and the repair is to replace the right rear disconnect, for a third time. Anyone else have repeated oil leaks from the same rear disconnect?

A friend of mine had to have his replaced a week ago on his 2023 R1S, but that was the first and only time, but yes, oil leak as well.

 

[CO-Ed]

I've got my third oil leak in a year, and the repair is to replace the right rear disconnect, for a third time. Anyone else have repeated oil leaks from the same rear disconnect?

For anyone with a leak from the RDU, here's my experience after getting my R1T back from the service center for the third leak.

• My first leak was June2024 (24,900 miles) - from the right rear disconnect. "Seal, Output, Rear Drive Unit, RH" was replaced (so just the seal).
• The second leak was Aug2024 (28,400 miles) - from the same right rear disconnect. "Module, Disconnect, Rear Drive Unit, RH" was replaced (so the disconnect module).
• The third leak was May2025 (42,100 miles) - from again the same right rear disconnect. ""Module, Disconnect, Rear Drive Unit, RH" was replaced (again), this time I'm told there's a redesigned module and the torque specs have changed. The service center also scheduled a mobile visit for a few weeks later to check the RDU to verify there's still no leak.

For reference, I always go into or out of CONSERVE when the truck is stopped.

One thing I didn't evaluate yet is if preconditioning the battery (motors heat up) has any impact.

Sponsored