Toilet won't flush & is leaking from the bottom

Yes, if improperly installed and the wax is pushed into the hole. Sounds like that since it shouldn't leak out the side.

Yes they can. Let me explain. When I was the warranty repair and trouble shooter for a large plumbing company we used to get calls like yours. "The toilet does not overflow; the water reaches the rim and gradually subsides, leaving the waste and a small amount of water in the bowl."
As a rule in older toilets this would mean a blocked jet butI was getting these calls on toilets that we just installed in our new construction. So when we got a complaint that one of our new toilets was having a flush problem I went out on the call. After a few calls I found the trouble. When our installers set a toilet the wax ring would spread in instead of out. This choked down on the opening setting up a back pressure that stopped the siphon action of the flush.
The remedy was to pull the toilet and form the wax seal so it beveled out and would spread out instead of in blocking the drain opening. I would have this checked first. After our plumbers began to bevel the ring out out complaints stopped. Hope this helps, Tom

Hi Guys!

Ktedid81, posted something specific, said, "can needing a new wax ring cause a toilet to get backed up"? They then followed up with, "toilet won't flush & is leaking from the bottom". NEEDS, doesn't say , "I just installed a wax gasket"...

My first thought is that the drain line is clogged...not just the toilet, but the 3" drain line that picks up other fixtures, too.

In this case, I'd certainly try to plunge the toilet with a plunger (why not? ), and even use a closet auger if I had one handy. If those tools didn't work, then I would lift the toilet and snake the drain line. Keeping the drain line full with water while snaking the drain will usually help to show where the blockage is...;)

Of course, after that, the toilet will need a new wax gasket , etc.

Mark