I’ve been a Toyota technician since 1988 I’m a shop foreman at a large dealer in California. You did a great job with this video I see this all too often in my job. It really does make a bad name for the industry. Your attention to detail is excellent. Keep up the good work.

I'm convinced dealerships overlook issues they would need to replace under warranty. Once the warranty expires they will charge you twice as much to replace something that should have been noticed during previous service intervals.

This is why I do my own work. Hard to find not only an honest mechanic but a competent one.

There are just two options really. You either learn and fix everything yourself (and that includes not just cars, but everything). Or you earn enough money so that any repair cost or just getting a new car every 3 years does not matter to you. Being without money and having no skills is the worst.

I went to a local Lexus dealer for an oil leak and they came back with a long list of items that they told me needed to be replaced. Not only did they misdiagnose the oil leak but they told me I need new spark plugs and a new serpentine belt which were both replaced about a month before my visit to this dealership. When I told my service advisor, he had this weird look on his face and then came back and showed me a picture of my “worn serpentine belt”. I’m convinced that he took a picture of a belt from another vehicle. $193 diagnostic fee down the toilet. I knew better than to go to the dealer. I left a horrible Google review and when they tried to call me I ignored all their calls. Stay away from Ourisman Lexus of Rockville. There I said it. Screw them

Awesome. I have always said that having an honest and knowledgeable auto technician is one of the most valuable assets you can have -- particularly for those of us who keep their cars for 10-20 years and 200k+ miles. You would not believe how much your viewers would like to have access to you to service their vehicles. Between your brand-specific knowledge, your integrity, and your attitude of saving your customers money by only recommending work that is necessary and being willing to "keep an eye on" minor non-safety issues, you are a gold mine for your customers. Watching your videos over the last year, your honesty and integrity come through so strongly (along with your Toyota-specific knowledge and experience). I am convinced that this is why your channel is so popular and successful. Keep up the great work and continue to set a high bar for other technicians to emulate!

At my former shop we made KZfaq videos showing the condition and why we recommended work before and then after work was completed. This effectively took the trust issue off the table since people could see specifically why their vehicle needed work. On issues where testing was required they were shown the tests before and after. Many times customers trusted us and didn't bother looking at the materials we sent but often it made die-hard believers out of our customers and a few times it saved us from customers that would claim something "wasn't doing that before", it was always nice to pull up their video and give them a specific time stamp showing yes indeed it was faulty before and here's the video evidence.

I'm so glad there are people like you in the world. I'm a huge diy guy but for special knowledge items I tend to take my car to a shop. If you were in my area I would never take my car anywhere else! Please keep up the good work!

I'm not surprised. I've had issues of my own. Toyota needs to look into what its dealers are doing. 🤔

AMD, you are the man. I have had 4 Toyota truck's since 1984, and I for one, appreciate your videos. You are a plethora of information for anything Toyota, and I have learned so much watching your channel. Recently, I purchased a new 2022 Tacoma, and thanks to you, I know the good and the not so good without having to experience it first hand. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, and that is what you empower us Toyota owners with - knowledge.

Before two years, after technician in dealership left mess in my car together with dirty plastic seat cover, I asked to talk with Management. Salesman convinced me to go have a coffee and come back in one hour. When I came back, I got my car cleaned with out need to pay for service. After that incident I have never had a problem with same dealership. Thank you Mrs TCCN and AMD.

Never bring your car to the dealer unless you are still under warranty,find a trustworthy mechanic is the only way to go

I’ve had similar results with my local Toyota dealer. In my case, they botched a four wheel alignment - THREE (3) separate times! On the first, when you took your hands off the wheel, the car swerved right where before the procedure, it went straight. They spent literally fifteen minutes trying to tell me why I was wrong and it was just due to the crown in the road! Of course, the fact that the steering wheel was also now canted 15 degrees in the opposite direction when traveling in a straight line didn’t influence their opinion that the job was done correctly. Needless to say, on the second service visit, they straightened the wheel, but the car still pulled to the right,. After the third visit and no resultant change, I gave up and went to a local independent shop (recommended by my neighbor) who fixed the problems on the first try. Needless to say, the Toyota dealership wouldn’t refund their charges for bad work, nor would they admit anything was wrong. I wish all Toyota dealerships would have somebody like AMD but sadly, they don’t.

I bet the dealership that reported the life threatening oil leak wouldn't have actually done anything but charge for the repair. Lots of fraud in the auto repair business and dealerships lead the way. They can't even fix a burnt headlight connector? What a joke.

As I retired from the dealership, I had to wish the customer a lot of luck. The 70's 80's gen techs are history. Today, it is what it is.

Completely appreciate the way you presented this information. Very important for vehicle owners to understand that we have to use due care when looking for service providers for our "rolling homes". Thanks!

When I bought our 2012 Tacoma it came with a free oil and filter change for life perk. At each service, I got a detailed check list of the inspections performed. At about 60 thousand miles at every 5000 mile servicing reports of front brake pad wear, after a number of these reports I was told the pads were about to go metal to metal on the rotors and new ones should be installed immediately. Since the pads are a normal wear item, it would of course be on my nickel, and the price they quoted, as is ALWAYS the case, was very high compared to quotes from local chain repair shops and my own mechanic that I have been using for over 20 years. I had my indie replace the pads and it turned out that the original ones were only a little over half worn. At that point I stopped using the dealership for any service and walked away from the free oil and filter changes.

Went into a Hyundai dealership for a recall, the "service writer" said they checked out the whole car and said they found $3500 worth of repairs that needed to be done. One of the itemized issues was a left front noise for $650 ( there was no noise). I looked at the service writer and said "How do you say this with a straight face"? They also said I needed front brake pads and I said I just put new ones on last month.

Thanks AMD, quality honest advice right here. Stealerships give dealerships a bad rep. In fact anyone associated with the motor industry can get tarnished by just one owner’s bad experience. Customers tell other owners, they tell others, and so it goes on. Keep up the great work!

AMD 2 great things you have taught me: 1) not to be afraid to put a little muscle into it 2) how to take things apart w/o breaking them. Thank-you.

Our car recently had a 48,000 mile aftermarket warranty expire. Before it expired we took it to our local Toyota dealership. The transmission had acted up a few times during the three years we had it. They found nothing wrong with it. They said the intermediate steering shaft was making a clunking sound but wasn't a safety issue. Not happy with their findings we took it to the dealer we bought it from which was over an hour from home. They replaced the transmission under warranty. I informed them after getting it back that I could still hear the clunking in the steering. Then they replaced that also under warranty. Now all is good.

As a tech, parts and service director for 11 stores for 27 years, I agree with you 100% and love the diagnosis element. We were number 1 in CSI for 10 years straight until the dealerships were sold to Penske. We had a variety of makes Honda, Acura, Mercedes, 1 GM store. We never "oversold" if we found things we would advise the customer, even put on a rack and showed them if it was underneath. Every custome got their old parts back in a tightly sealed plastic bag. We had great techs, all went to factory schools on a regular basis. Someone mentioned putting off warranty work so dealers could make more. That never happened in our stores. Lost in that comment is the fact for years warranty has paid the same labor rate as retail and the markup on parts is the same. What happens at shops or dealerships is what their training, care of the customer, intent to repurchase rests on management decisions. And? Some of it is pretty bad. But- not all. Keep up the good work and the vids coming.

I just bought a 2006 4Runner. It came with only a valet key + no remote fobs, and I wanted a master key as a spare and to program a couple aftermarket fobs I bought. Dealership cut me a new chip key ($48 !) but said I had to have it programmed in the service department. They gave the whole song & dance how it requires a deep re-seeding of the car's ECU (a 2 hour soak); only one advanced technician knew how to do that; he was booked til late April & I needed to make an appointment now and leave the car with them for an entire day. The price for the programming was $179. And I really should take this opportunity for a full check-over of the new-to-me vehicle, $200 and I'll be glad I did it. I paid for the new key and said thanks, lemme think it over. ("Sorry your Chief Wizard is so busy. You telling me a 20-yr old WyoTech graduate can't do this? And why do we program cars to match chip keys, instead of the reverse?") From their parking lot, I called a local indie locksmith. He said sure, I do Toyota keys all the time. I'm mobile and can come to you. I said nah, I'll drop by on my way home. Parked in front of his house. He plugged in his code reader, futzed around with a couple menus, then said "Right! All keys lost." Punched thru a few more screens, and twelve minutes after I pulled in, I pulled out with two chipped master keys and two working remote fobs. Total cost: $69. *That* is why no one trusts dealerships.😒

Excellent video! Finding an honest and reliable automotive repair shop is incredibly hard. I was taking my vehicles to a small shop run by father and son. They were great! Unfortunately, the small shop went out of business due to property lease issues. I have worked on cars all my life and I know when I'm being scammed or the work is poor quality. My local Toyota dealership sucks. I'm having a difficult time even finding a competent shop for a simple oil change! The search is on. It's maddening.

As a 2013 Toyota Avalon owner I find your videos invaluable. You have helped me out more than once, like my blind spot monitor issue. Keep em coming AMD! Thanks

Thank you for being so thorough in every video you make. It's a real tragedy that most repair shops, especially dealerships, and their mechanics are often worthless or just plain 'care-less' about their jobs and their customers.

I watch a KZfaq channel from Canada. The guy lives in his van. The guy left the van for several days for multiple problems at a Ford dealer. The technician texted this van owner, with photos, over every issue. Why not, it is 2022 and we all have phones? FYI i HATE my Toyota dealer in Roanoke, VA. We are driving our second and third cars purchased new from this dealer. They have phone numbers and emails on us but we are nearly always told they cannot find our appointment. Once my husband waited 2.5 hours for the 25000 mile check. I mistakenly said I was there for warranty work once and the girl jumped down my throat because she said there was no such thing. She knew EXACTLY what I meant. The last visit I asked them to check my tailgate as it does not always work. The guy said so, does it work or not? They would not check the tailgate without a prepayment of $200. I even spoke with the ser, mgr. who said it was like a deductible on medical care. I told her I had a current ext. watt. purchased from them. She stood her ground. When I got home I checked the manual. I was doing it wrong. But, since then it does randomly malfunction. Did I say I HATE this desler? I will buy in another state 100 miles away the next time.

Over the years I have developed an excellent working relationship with the service side of my local Toyota dealership, I work mostly with one service writer and he knows not play games or try and up sell me. He also knows to walk me back into the service area and have the tech point out and explain any issues they discover with my trucks, this avoids any confusion and heads off problems.

Love your straightforward style. Impeccable professionalism. I watch Scotty, TFL, and many other KZfaq channels. I enjoy your straightforward, non biased style. Everyone has their perceived favorites. You always give us true mechanical performance reviews based on experience with vehicles. Thank you for what you bring to the world of enthusiasts and regular car people who are looking for an honest opinion.

You can throw a bottle of ATP 205 into your oil and that will slightly swell those seals and "re-condition" them and they will stop seeping.

I would freak out if I ever see that much rust underneath my cars!

How to get dealerships to admit something is wrong: Go to a dealership and pretend you want to buy a car telling them you want to trade in your car. You really don't. They will inspect your car for free. Have them print out what they find is wrong with your car. If the dealerships name is on the printout, the better. Then go to another dealership where you want them to fix it under warranty. If they deny your claim and say nothing is wrong, you bring out the printout from the other dealership.

Thanks for an Honest Inspection of a customer's vehicle. All those shops and they FAILED to provide the owner a list of issues and what needs to be done right away or for a future date. Good thing he got you to look at it. Keep up the Honest work.

Very hard when you expect the dealer to tell you the truth but they just want to increase their profits by doing unnecessary work or fraudulent billing. Thanks for the good video

I will never go to a Toyota dealership after the experience and the issues I had during and after picking up my car this year, and won't go to other dealership after their ego of trying to sell them over MSRP. Not even going in for my free maintenance, just can't trust them.

This is why this is my favorite channel. Great information, knowledge and tips on your toyota. I am so glad I found this channel. I've done so much work on my 13 highlander since I found the channel. I do all preventive maintenance myself because unfortunately I don't trust others, which includes the dealer. Thank you so much for all the great work you do. 👍

One of the main problems is that the customer's are not allowed to see the work being performe so they never know if the job was ever done.

Though I drive a 2004 Honda Element. I love your channel and your tips. I take my car to the dealer where I bought it since new and though I have been generally satisfied until their recent expansion. Not too long ago I took it for a valve adjustment and a week later I noticed they had broken 2 of the valve cover bolts. I took it back later and they fixed it at no cost except my time. The good thing is that I have a good relationship with the service manager. Some other time they left off sone of the plastic screws from the splash shield. Lately I have taken my car back 3 times for a wheel alignment. Last time they had to center the steering wheel. Now the car pulls to the left 😡. One thing I do like is that they give you a picture of what needs to be replaced. They perform a free multi point inspection. Thanks to my dad I learned to verify the work and ask for the replaced parts back.

It’s hard to find a mechanic that you trust, wish AMD would move here

Wow. Just from pulling the headlight connector out, you can instantly tell what the problem was. Never understood why the dealership couldn't diagnose that or the owner himself, lol.

I just love how very supportive Mrs. Car Care Nut is.

I am a Honda man but I love your knowledge, honesty and find your videos very informative. Keep the videos coming!

Excellent video, you are becoming one of the top guys on KZfaq for this stuff. Huge market for the Toyota repair videos.

I've been through this situation, sad to say. I appreciate your videos.

Nice car for its age. AMD, the advice you provide is spot on. Your attention to detail is what makes you a good technician. I liked the small rant on the body plugs - something so small and so simple, yet are crucial to the vehicle in the long run. The body plug serves a purpose, yet so many vehicle owners are not aware of them, nor under the car to observe they are missing. That is where a good technician comes in. On the mass airflow sensor kit - some shops put together a "cleaning kit" which includes induction service cleaning solution and small bottle of throttle body cleaner in a spray can. Not sure if that was what was done in this particular instance, but have seen parts departments charge out items like this in a "kit". Always enjoy your content.

It happened to my friend who owned a 2011 4runner, he went for a oil change, but smart for him marked the oil filter, fresto the oil filter never changed so he called the local newspaper, the dealership apologized, offered him lifetime oil change but declined.

I just bought a second Toyota. It was a certified preowned 26k miles Toyota RAV4 hybrid XLE. first problem was when I tried to fill up the tank for the first time. It was broken. It was a known problem with a lawsuit against Toyota. Went to a touch-less carwash and my A pillar by the windshield airbags started leaking water. Also very well known problem. I don’t know how they can certify a car with those kind of problems. I also had side mirrors shaking badly with a TSB fix. Toyota Dealer who sold me the car refused to work on my car and Toyota HQ says they can’t do anything if dealer says everything is ok. I ended up selling the car within 3 weeks of owning it. That’ll probably be my last Toyota. That car also costs me 40k out the door and was sold a certified lemon. Also the finance office wouldn’t let me cancel my extended warranty because he was trying to get his cut on it and tried to not give me a full refund. Has to fight my way to the finance director to cancel it.

I have been through tremendous grief thanks to Prince George Toyota Service Dept, in BC Canada. I took my 2009 Rav4, with the 2ARFE, in for a VVT gear replacement. They have it apart, and it was supposed to be ready today, three days after it was dropped off. After ignoring me all day in the service center, they finally, at closing time, told me they can not figure out the timing. And dont know why, so they have no idea when it will be ready. So I had to rent a car, again, to return to my home two hours north of here. That job is routine, and I could add more, but to keep it short, suffice to say that my vehicle is in the hands of people who don't have a clue. And they have it in pieces. It was real nice, just a slight rattle on cold start, and I was just trying to take good care of it, and it is likely dead. How can I trust it after this? Will I even get it back ??? I guess oil changes and tire inflating is their service capability limit.i will NEVER speak bad about Toyota, but NOT their Canadian dealer in Prince George BC. Was planning on upgrading, but I have a terrible taste in my mouth, and when you cant trust the dealer, well, likely the Honda people here will get a sale.

If only every shop could be a Christian professional such as you sir! God bless you! BTW my wife drives a 2012 Toyota Highlander Limited.

Thanks for being an honest and detail mechanic AMD. God bless you and your family 🙌🙌

You and Scotty on you tube are honest car meccanics. Dealerships they have extremely high cost expenses, from the receptionist girl, right up to the toilette cleaner. So for the smallest job they will tell you completely something else. And if the job was done really honestly aprouved by the customer you will still end up with a very expensive bill to pay because a technician told me when a jobb is done in example 5 or 10 min. they will charge you 1 hr full labour. If the job was done in one hour they will charge you 3 times the time spent because this is how it works. I never go to the dealers to have my car checked or fix unless there is a recall.

This is why you go to this. Top notch mechanic your very proud of your work and you don’t Mickey. Mouse you work wish you were out here in Naperville Toyota keep up the great work

I am willing to bet money the "MAF sensor kit" is literally a "kit" of 2 very small spray bottles made by CRC & sold in the WMart auto section for about $7. One can is MAF cleaner and I think the other is throttle body cleaner.

AMD, The longer the RANT the better!! Videos like this are the reason I am ready and willing to pay your channel's sky high Subscription fees😂😁😂😁

I appreciate your videos. I trained and worked in Toyota Germany and do work for friends. I have dealt with shop mess ups that make your skin crawl.

I've only been a toyota tech for 2 years and even I know about the steering shaft pop

Absolutely true. I would rather find a great independent honest mechanic than at least checks instead of ‘suggesting’ unnecessary work, that won’t address actual problems and safety issues. Videos like your can go a long way in giving customers insight into what is really needed in terms of repair work. After a lot of reading and research I feel I am able to make much better decisions on what is actually important work that needs to be done.

Thank You for your honest opinion on the car repairs and inspection. There are too many Deceitful "Professionals" who are't even that knowledgeable or experienced in car repair and charge an arm and a leg to do the simplest of tasks. I would like to see how to repair the wiper assembly on the glass though as there are many other makes of cars with the same problem.

Im no licensed mechanic nore a toyota technician but id be able to find these things easily. It gets complex if you cant see something is wrong but this is right in your face. I once helped an older couple on the phone with an issue their park neutral safety switch broke. No one knew what was wrong with it

I take my car to a large independent auto repair shop here in Queens, NY. They are super busy because they have a reputation for honesty. If you run an honest auto repair business, the customers come to you. They aren't cheap, but vital. Especially now, that everyone is trying to keep old cars running.

Hi AMD, Yes. I have a 2010 Kluger/Highlander in Australia with 160000 kms. The Intermediate Steering shaft clunk happened to mine since new. Toyota replaced it for me under warranty but most likely with the same part. It was good for about a year then it started making that clunk noise again and you could feel it every time when weight of the car changed from left to right example steering through a roundabout... About 8 years later Another dealer asked Toyota if they could replace it for me once again but Toyota refused.... I had to write a letter to Toyota to complain as it was so annoying and they came good and approved the free replacement of the intermediate steering shaft as the dealer told me there was a revised design.... I haven't had any more clunking noise since that time... Other than that...a very reliable car....

Thank you for a few great tips especially the roof drains. I own the same year Highlander Limited with 214,000 miles. I personally change the oil every 5k miles with Synthetic Oil and always use OEM parts and lights. My original headlights lasted 8 years then the after market lights would last less than a year until I went with OEM. Great SUV. Change the transmission fluid every 50k with OEM fluid, the same with the coolant.

You are brilliant sir. Love the channel.

I will never take my car to a dealership unless they are the only ones that can work on what needs worked on. I found a great, cheap, honest and caring mechanic that is 1 mile away from me. I am so glad I found them because I drive 50,000+ miles a year. Plus, they have all 5 star reviews. He found a coolant leak when changing my oil and SENT ME A PICTURE OF IT. The leak was actually caused by the body shop that worked on my car after I hit a deer. Don't settle for crooked dealerships, there are honest guys out there.

AMD, I have quickly become a fan of your channel. To contribute to your thoughts on the repair industry and the poor misconceptions, it is all very true, however the way the flat rate technician industry is designed, it has created these misconceptions itself. It does not cater to technicians learning or taking their time because if you do you will starve. Instead it encourages incomplete diagnostics and parts shotgunning, as well as motivation to sell unnecessary services. I am a ASE Advanced Master tech and hold the basic Toyota certification. I love the product and the work, but the industry has me driven down a different path as of last summer. If I had worked at a dealership with an MDT such as yourself, who is interested in helping others and doing the right thing, I am certain I would still be there. Unfortunately, our mdt was the most arrogant self center person, I have ever met in my life and referred to himself as “one of the best there is” even though all his diag was experience based vs skill and he was spoon fed day in and day out while the rest of us got the warranty diags and less desirable tickets. Anyway, to wrap this up, I agree with you 100% and wish the industry would adapt to the times, to eliminate some of these stigmas.

Way to get them sorted, AMD! 👍🙏 ❤❤

Sadly, most so-called mechanics are not as honest and knowledgeable as you. Over the years, I have encountered "mechanics" who didn't know which way to loosen a bolt, to many misdiagnoses, to overfilling oil changes, to outright crooks who lured you in with cheap oil changes and finding make-believe problems. Thank goodness there are great honest mechanics such as yourself. You are much appreciated.

I wish I had a shop like yours nearby to maintain my 2022 RAV4 XSE Prime! I have a similar shop that I trust to maintain my tire needs. My second car is a 2011 Nissan Maxima SV with 170k miles. At about 160k, the Nissan dealer informed me that I needed to replace my rear struts due to them leaking. I took my car back to Hansens Tire, in Merced, California and they informed me that there were no leaks and that my struts were fine. Hansens Tire of Merced is one of the last owner maintained businesses that has been in business for at least 30+ years that I am aware of. Thank you for the all of great videos and being a reputable auto repair shop!

I love this guy’s honesty.only if all mechanics are this honest.

Excellent, excellent video with commentary and analysis. The kind of shenanigans -- greed, indifference, incompetence and outright claims intended to facilitate fraud - are all too common. Almost all of us have some experience with these elements, particularly (though not exclusively) with dealership service centers and national service chains. (That has been my consistent experience in Chicago, Texas and Massachusetts over several decades). When we've had enough, we move on, leaving, these days, civil but incisive and blunt commentaries on Yelp and Google Reviews. Apart from finding a competent shop, the best defense is knowledge and the powers of observation. You demonstrated that, immediately, by simply looking at the connector/socket for the offending headlight, and identifying it as the problem. And, of course, as you've mentioned in prior videos, transparency in this business, matters. Here, it takes the form of requesting to view (and perhaps to take possession of) the old parts (such as would have been the case with the supposedly changed belt tensioner). I'm up in Chicago for family business, yearly, in the Spring. In 2019, I stopped by for a simple oil change at a Toyota dealer on Touhy and Cicero. They produced a laundry list of unnecessary services (failed to look up prior available history, as well) and misdiagnosed a evap core leak as a mere need for a $150 A/C service. (Declined, as were more than $1100 of bogus service recommendations). I left a comprehensive review of the many failings of this dealership service department on Google Reviews, so it's no secret how greedy and incompetent this service center was, in my case. My vehicle had two issues (while visiting Chicago from Central Texas) in 2019 and 2021. Both times (an evap core replacement, which I know is very labor intensive in 2019 and a rusted out resonator/flex pipe in 2021), a small independent shop (and I've left good reviews for them, on Yelp and Google Reviews), G&G, did competent and timely work, aware of the fact that I was staying in hotels (family member is in assisted living). (I have no financial or personal affiliation with G&G). And, I have a good shop here, east of increasingly expensive Austin, Texas, as well, for specific work I cannot easily do. (Over the last year, I've done a lot of my own work: I've recently replaced a number of items, such as a leaking valve cover gasket, installing new spark plugs, new inner fender liners and engine splash shield, a rebuilt trunk latch, a new serpentine belt, drained and replaced of power steering, transmission and coolant fluids, cleaning the MAF and throttle body, plus a few routine oil changes). And I've been inspecting under the car, the best I could, with the use of ramps. I can only reiterate what you've said, many times. Learn and do what you can, and the quality of the work will be often better, because we care the most about our vehicles. And thanks for clear-eyed appraisal, and the disposition behind that appraisal. __ Parenthetically, I'm soliciting advice. I have a 2008 Camry LE, 155K, original Denso starter and alternator. The alternator still tests out as functional, on my Topdon battery/alternator tester. The starter is original, no grinding or inconsistent power, yet. I'm driving to Chicago in May. And I'm considering replacing (or at least putting in my trunk) DENSO remanufactured alternator and/or starter. Is this a good risk reduction strategy, at this point, given parts shortages, the desire to avoid Chinesium replacements, and the necessity of a properly working vehicle, while in metro Chicago? Thanks.

@The Car Care Nut, as a Toyota tech myself that rear wiper is a 23MM nut, I know this for fact, as I had to buy specifically a 23, cause it's the only thing that Toyota uses a 23 on. I always use the torch just a little bit for the rear arm. And a puller for the arm.

Once again watching this a year later and reminding myself that your Honesty and Great Heart are Top Shelf OEM Goodness! TCCN is my First Recommend to Toyota Owners looking to go DIY so they learn immediately that this is no game. Your years of expertise are invaluable. Thanks AMD & Bless You & Yours 😊

We own a 2009 Highlander with 97 thousands miles here in Houston and the intermediate shaft noise was there since new. Oil cooler line needs to be replace with a new design. Other than that, our car is being without any major issues other than basic maintenance. Thank you for your grate videos.

Unfortunately at the dealership level you're paying for 1st and 2nd year apprentice to work on your car. Usually the mundane work gets relegated to the new tech. Example 》Explain to Tech that you would like the wheel torque set to 83' ft-lbs. Tech argues and says no it's 135 ft-lbs But agrees to set it to 83 ft-lbs but when you check it with your torque🔧 you soon find out it is indeed 135 ft-lbs. 🤔

That's my question exactly. Who do you trust? That is why I want you to look at my car. One mechanic wanted to charge $120 for check engine light, $120 speedometer not working and $60 for horn issue( there's none on the car). That's $300 just for "his time" diagnosing and more $$ to fix the problems. I said that's okay and took it Auto Zone for scan.

I agree with other comments here ,excellent video,, thankyou sir,,,his videos have me interested in buying a late model Tundra with a V8,, with low miles so llife expectancy is a long time

We need more mechanics like youself and Car wizard in every community. Keep up the great content Brada!

Great video. Very refreshing to see such an honest mechanic that knows what he's doing.

I appreciate your honesty and dedication to the owners of these vehicles ( Toyota brands). As an owner of many Toyota and Lexus vehicles over the years starting in 1994. I have found that some dealerships scam their clients by telling them these need to be repaired or replaced when in fact these items don’t need to be addressed at this point in time. Safety items like brakes, steering and drive train issues that will lead to loss of control of the vehicle need to be addressed immediately. Some of the items that required replacement over the years included timing belts, water pumps, brake pads etc. Most of my vehicles reach 10 + years and mileage over 200K without major problems. Only exception was my 2001 Lexus RX 300 required a transmission replacement @ 187k (front wheel drive vehicle). it was still running great after 264k but replacement of the brake pads, rotors, brake lines and associated parts exceeded the vehicles value. So it was traded ($1500). Got the 2008 RX 350 AWD.

Hi AMD.....When I had my 2008 Highlander, I took care of the sunroof drains. Thought I was all set, and after a good rain, I still had a flooded interior. I discovered another way those highlander's flood. Its missing body plugs behind the rear bumper cover. I had half of mine missing, they just fell out from age and drying out. The water runs down the channels behind the rear hatch and in thru the exposed holes and the holes lead back to the interior. I replaced the missing ones and sealed all the plugs so they wouldn't fall out and never had any more flooding.

AMD you are simply amazing. I learn so much from you and you make it really interesting!!! I say this being a woman in my 60s who started watching as I’m looking for a car. I’ve had absolutely no interest in car mechanics but your videos… you are a teacher !

I had the same issue with the wiper. I just sprayed it with penetrating oil and it freed it up. And mine was way stiffer than that lol.

From Sexbierum, the Netherlands: Honesty is you’re best seller, sometimes not what they want to hear but in the end it surely pays off! Keep up the good work!

I'm not a mechanic and have done a lot of diy learning basics from my journeyman mechanic father back in the 50's and 60's. I have made mistakes over the years not major. My dad was retired in the late 80's so missed the birth of the electronic era. I was self teaching myself on the computer era most of my experience being done with my Fiero's. At 75 and now homeless I probably won't be able to incorporate your knowledge but I really appreciate your honesty and trouble shooting. My dad would be as impressed as I am. I wish you well.

Good honest man. Keep up the good work brother.

LOVED the lonnng intro. Helped me feel the frustration of the vehicle owner. 😤

A LOT of shops see a car over a certain year or mileage and they go CAMBER KIT!!!! Recently I went to a few alignment shops for different cars and each one said that. One indy shop didn't even want to touch the strut bolts to help with camber, just wanted to sell the bolts. One after that for another vehicle, said the same and I said to them what's in a kit, just bolts? And they said yeah, and when I asked them why is that, and to just tell me adjustable bolts, they were quiet as mice. That was at a Badyear branded auto center. Long long long time ago before I knew cars, I went to a Flamestone Tire store and they are the worst! Wanting camber kits and bushings on control arms and needed to send the whole arm or part somewhere else to get pressed out and thousands of dollars of work on a car that was worth just a few thousands more than that. Insanity these service writers. Perky Boys did a similar scam trying to sell me rear brakes when I literally just myself personally redone the shoes myself. These guys lie so much. He said they were so thin. But everyone knows they are that way!!! Another guy when I was younger tried to lie to me and say oil was expensive! I was less brave back then but I knew I could get a jug of synthetic for $25 at Wally World. I wonder if when we disappear and never come back if they know we know they lied..

I watched one of your earlier videos regarding those rubber underbody plugs. I bought a 2022 Sienna Platinum about a month ago. Sure enough...found a baggy of those plugs in the glove box. I called the dealership and they said to bring them with me on the first oil change. Heck with that! They were easy to install and I didn't want several months of moisture in the underbody. The sales guy actually contacted their service department and they said they were not aware they were supposed to install them. Not a great start or confidence builder in their mechanics. They also did not want to do the first oil change until 10,000 miles. I am going to force this issue and get it a LOT earlier.

Dealers are not there to help you, they are there to make money fast. Most on their income comes from service/parts not from car sales...

On your future website please list the 10 most reliable/easy to maintain Toyotas from 2000 to present

Honest people are so awesome, thank you sir 🙏🏻

We need more mechanics like you Amd,this is the reason many of customers are struggling to trust garages. That's headlamp connector is so blatant to see.

Toyota needs to send out surveys to its customers about their dealer and what the experience has been. This will give them some data to confront the dealer on their shady practices.

Toyota really need to pay attention to it's US dealers in terms of customer satisfaction

Amazing attention to detail bravo!! Glad I'm subscribed!

in this day , it very hard to find honest garage or dealership , most of them try to pick your pocket

I have an interesting problem with my mechanic as well. I have a 2008 Highlander and my mechanic says that the transfer case, rear diff and transmission oil never needs to be replaced. Now I just got to convince him that I do need the oil changed out.

This is a great KZfaq channel, I have learned lots of useful service tips here. Keep the great content coming!

I had a similar experience. A performance issue. Up a hill the engine would start to stumble, lose power, falter. When the top of the hill was traveled, the problem stopped. could figure it out. Replaced the plugs, points, rotor, distributer cap, wires, a new air cleaner. Checked all vacuum hoses. Replaced a few questionable ones. The local dealer had it all day long said they couldn't find the problem. Upon getting the car back, I accidently found it. The flex pipe for the air intake had a split in it. The split would only open during uphill driving and the engine would tilt a little during applying more torque. I ordered a new air intake tube and the car ran perfectly. Three weeks later, a driver qoing the opposite way in a cloud burst lost control, hit my car directly and totaled it. Oh, well.

Why can’t I ever find mechanics like him who are both honest and qualified.