After a Toyota owner went to dealership to fix an issue four times, a mechanic in Kansas solved it with a $10 part
- The owner of this 2013 Toyota Avalon was driven to distraction by his car’s issues
- The car had been persistently rattling for ages
- Four different dealerships couldn’t work out the problem, but the solution was cheap
Published on Feb 24, 2025 at 4:40 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Feb 24, 2025 at 8:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A deeply frustrated owner of a 2013 Toyota Avalon was experiencing a persistent and deeply annoying rattling noise, so he drove to Kansas.
After being driven to despair, the owner took the car to four separate mechanics in the Toyota dealer network to plead for help with getting the noise rectified.
Each dealer couldn’t help and the car’s rattling noise was getting increasingly loud and worrying.
In a last resort the Toyota owner decided to drive the car all the way between Arkansas and Kansas to a mechanic who rectified the issue with a single $10 part.
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In a recent YouTube video, he shared the story of a 2013 Toyota Avalon owner who was incredibly frustrated by their car and the persistent rattling noise it was making.
The owner had taken the car to four separate dealerships in the Toyota network and none of the dealerships had any clue about what the problem was.
All of the mechanics thoroughly examined the Toyota’s suspension, strut mounts, calipers, control arms, and bushings and there was no problem with any of them.
After the failed attempts to fix his car, the owner decided to drive from Arkansas to Kansas to take his car to the only man who would be able to help-David Long, the Car Wizard.
But then a hero comes along…
The Car Wizard spent a long time looking over the Toyota, intent on finding the cause of the rattle.
Despite being 12 years old, the car was in really good shape, with no visible issues on the car’s exterior or under the vehicle.
The YouTuber and his team took apart the entire steering column, as well as the airbag covers and dashboard panels.
It became clear that the problem was one that haunts many a Toyota owner, the small star-shaped dampener found in the electric power steering motor.
The dampener had deteriorated and this meant there was movement and a rattle in the column which was reverberating through the dashboard.
The dampener cost only $10 to replace, but did take six hours to replace due to the whole dash and steering column needing to be disassembled for replacement.
The YouTube mechanic acknowledged that the Toyota dealerships can only spend 30 minutes troubleshooting cars due to being super busy, so in this case, it made sense for the owner to go to an independent mechanic and make the most of his knowledge.
Finally, this Toyota owner can drive knowing they’ll never hear that rattle again, but they did have to drive all the way to Kansas.
Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle.
