You’re just about to drive away after spending the day at work, when someone flags you down and points out a dark puddle beneath your car. Now, you’re pretty nervous that the puddle could be a sign of a major problem in your car.

The Good News: Unless it’s an emergency, oil leaks aren’t that bad.

Most often, they’re caused by a seal in your engine that’s faulty and is letting oil leak out of it. This can be a gasket, an O-ring, or the oil pan itself, depending on how the leak started.

Sometimes, these leaks can be a sign of something more serious, like a damaged engine block or oil pan. If these are the culprits, you’ll need to have them repaired as soon as possible.

But, the bad news is that a lot of car owners neglect to address these issues before they become more severe and cost them more in repairs. So if you’ve noticed that your car is leaking oil when you park it, it’s time to fix it before it gets worse!