why is this car leaking oil on the passenger side of the vehicle?
There are many possibilities
1)-Oil pan gasket is leaking
2) Oil pan drain plug is loose. The metal washer in your drain plug can only be tightened a few times before it loses its ability to seal and should be replaced periodically to prevent leaking.
3) Oil filter is loose and not sealing properly.Overtightening or leaving the old gasket(double gasket) will have the same effect.
4) Valve cover gasket is leaking
5) Oil filler cap is missing or loose
Do not forget to add oil until the leak can be repaired
Are you sure it’s engine oil. I have a 2013 Equinox with the 2.4 4 cyl/6 speed trans. When it was under warranty there was a trans fluid leak at the CV axle shaft seal where it met the transmission. The dealer added florescent dye to the transmission to verify the leak before the repair was done.
Also the 2.4 4 cyl had issues with the oil control rings wearing prematurely. My Equinox was using a quart every 1500 miles at 42k miles before the pistons/rings and timing chain(s) were replaced.
Ed B.
Determining the source of leaks can be difficult. If nothing’s obvious, a shop will clean off the engine, than ask you to come back in a week or so. Often they can see where the leak is occurring then. Sometimes they’ll put dye in the oil, and use a special lamp to spot where the leak is occurring. It appears your Captiva is FWD and uses a 4 cylinder engine, so it is likely mounted transversely. If the front of the engine is on the passenger side of the car, then an oil leak could be from the front crankshaft seal, or a front camshaft seal. Another possibility is the timing chain cover is leaking.