My 96 Stratus(2.0, 5spd, 85K miles) sprung a leak yesterday. I come home from work, leave around an hour later and notice a black puddle about a foot in diameter under the engine, more on the transmission side. The oil was thick and black. I just changed the motor oil in the past week and that is still light in color. So I think I probably have a transmission leak due to the color. I checked the other fluids(Brake and Power Steering) and they were OK.
So I take it to my trusty mechanic(really I trust this guy) and he says he's never seen one of these transmissions leak. He mentioned the rear engine seal.
Any thoughts, experiences with such leaks would be appreciated.
If he's right and it is the rear engine seal, what's a reasonable cost to replace?