Are engine oil leaks a symptom of age or mileage?

[JDgreen227]

Was cleaning my garage floor yesterday and noticed that my Y2K GMC has just begun leaking oil, it's not from the drain plug or oil filter. I am truthfully surprised it has gone this long without a leak, as most of my vehicles began leaking oil at the 6 or 7 year mark. The truck still has less than 40,000 miles and I am wondering if engine oil leaks are more a symptom of age or mileage?
Anyone have an opinion on this?

 

[Peacock]

Both. But age has it's effects on rubber gaskets for sure.

Your engine has both metal and rubber(silicone) gaskets.

 

[houstonscott]

First, anything with a gasket or rubber hoses will with time leak. It's time and exposer to heat and UV that drys them out makes them brittle. If exposed to vibration on top of those things they will fail faster if not exposed to vibration too.

HS

 

[troutsqueezer]

My Tacoma PreRunner is 13 years old with 150K miles. It doesn't leak a drop.

 

[kevin37b]

I know the older I get the more I leak .

 

[JDgreen227]

I know the older I get the more I leak .

Funniest thing I have read on TBN in a long time...:laughing:

 

[Katahdin]

Your leak might not be a gasket, or hose, but the rear main bearing seal on the side of the engine that mates to the transmission.

 

[RobertN]

Have you checked to see if there is anythign in it?

My Tacoma PreRunner is 13 years old with 150K miles. It doesn't leak a drop.

My '00 Jag XJ8 does not leak. Funny thing, as a Harley enthusiast for years, the worst leaking vehicle was a '81 Suzuki GS550 I had. Got it from a friend who got it new and took great care of it. But it leaked, parts rattled off. Leaked worse than any Harley I ever saw.

 

[CJONE]

1st of all neither. Poor design and use of inferior meterials [planned obsolesence] is the main problem. If a vehicle is allowed to sit or if it is overheated it will cause seals to start leaking. If the manufacturer used rubber [buna] instead of silicone or viton it will not last as long. I have a 01 7.3 that is completely dry and a 83 cat 4 cyl that does not leak a drop. Can't say that about a few newer vehicles we own. CJ

 

[tcartwri]

Could also be a plugged or failed PCV system.