my 2000 rx 300 with 65k has been diagnosed with a differential leak.

my wife was noticing a gas type of smell when running the heat.

is this a major fix?

the lexus dealer diagnosed the problem but didn't have the time to fix it yesterday.

i'm wondering if my local mechanic should be able to do this repair for less.

what exactly is a differential leak in laymans terms?

the dealership said the car is ok to drive until we fix it.

would a leak in the differential lower the performance of the vehicle substanially?

thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

Your differential is still under 6 years/70K miles warranty. Call your dealer and make an appointment with the loaner if it will take them longer than 1 hr.
The differential is where all the torque from the transmission is transfer to the wheels.

 

Sounds like a rear main seal leaking......known problem for RX's.....7 hr. job usually covered under warranty......