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American Mechanic Solves Failure in Toyota Car with Part Costing US$ 10, Overcoming Frustrating Attempts by Dealerships and Drawing Attention in the Automotive Market.
United States – The owner of a 2013 Toyota Avalon went through a true saga to get rid of an annoying noise in his car. After four frustrating visits to a dealership, he finally found the solution at an independent shop, where a simple repair costing US$ 10 resolved the problem that was driving him crazy.
A Frustrating Search for Answers in the Toyota Avalon
The noise in the car was described by the owner as true torture. It wasn’t just the constant sound that bothered him, but also the fear that something worse could happen at any moment. In search of a solution, he turned to the Toyota dealership four times.
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All the attempts were in vain. Every time he left the shop, the noise persisted. The technicians insisted that the noise was normal. However, for the owner, that made no sense. He was determined to find out what was really happening.
Difficult Decision: Leaving the Official Network
After 12 years relying exclusively on the Toyota dealership network for maintenance, the Avalon owner decided to change strategy. He chose to take the car to an independent mechanic, specializing in vehicles of different brands and ages.
The car ended up in a shop in the state of Kansas. The owner traveled from Arkansas to get there in search of a definitive solution. The Avalon, despite its 12 years, was in great condition. The only visible flaw was a dent in the passenger side fender.
A Well-Maintained Car and a Hidden Problem
The 2013 Toyota Avalon is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine. As soon as the car arrived, the mechanic began the inspection. He opened the hood and found nothing loose.
He put the vehicle on the lift and checked the underside. No leaks were identified, which impressed the mechanic, considering the age of the car.
In addition, the main components, such as steering arms, ball joints, stabilizer bars, and bushings, were in perfect condition. These items, which are usually prone to wear, showed no problems. Not even the guide pins in the brake calipers were responsible for the noise.
A Search for the Right Answer
With all the initial checks unsuccessful, the mechanic started to run out of ideas. Determined to solve the mystery, he turned to Google to research possible causes of noises in Toyota models. Most of the answers indicated a problem with the electric steering damper.
Determined to confirm the hypothesis, the mechanic inspected the steering column. The suspicion seemed to make sense, but he wanted to be sure. So, he contacted a friend who specializes in Toyota cars. The confirmation came quickly: the problem was indeed with the electric steering damper.
The Simple Solution to a Big Problem
The specialist explained that although the defect did not make the car unsafe, the part needed to be replaced to eliminate the annoying sound.
When the mechanic disassembled the hydraulic steering motor, he found the problem. The star-shaped damper spacer, made of green rubber, was torn. This small detail was the cause of all the trouble.
The part needed for the repair is part of a kit sold by Toyota, priced between US$ 8 and US$ 10, approximately R$ 57.
The replacement procedure, although laborious and time-consuming, was successfully completed. Now, the owner can finally drive his 2013 Avalon without the noise that troubled him so much.
Curiosity: The Toyota Avalon has never been officially sold in Brazil. The model is a large sedan from Toyota, positioned above the Camry in the markets where it is sold, such as the United States, Canada, and some countries in Asia and the Middle East.
With information from autoevolution.
Trabalho com Toyota à mais de 15 anos. Minha opinião, pela minha experiencia de mais de 30 anos como mecanico nos Estados Unidos é que geralmente quando um cliente que leva seu carro numa concercionária e este é diagnosticado por um tecnico sem muita experiencia, existe um grande risco de isto acontecer. Assim como nas outras marcas, na Toyota quando um carro é levado lá para qualquer diagnóstico o tecnico tem que fazer consultas e olhar os tipos de informação que existe a respeito daquele problema quando este não é popular. Isto, é encontrado em boletim de servicos, recall e etc. Outro tipo de situação é que também este ou aquele tipo de boletim de servico pode não se enquadrar naquele modelo e ano de fabricação, que pode ser um erro, quando este modelo deveria ser enquadrado neste boletim de serviço para este especìfico tipo de reparo. Então foi muita falta de sorte este cliente cair nas mâos de mecanicos inexperientes e que não souberam fazer o dever de casa.
Meu RAV 4v tem um barulho irritante no teto solar quando fechado. A Toyota sugere trocar o teto solar. Resultado, só uso o carro com o teto aberto para saída de ar ou fechado com a cobertura de pano também fechada.
No Brasil essa peça custaria uns 3.000 reais kkkkkk