TOYOTA OWNERS! Always Get a Second Opinion on Big Repairs! Almost Totalled! 

When I took my Yaris to the dealer for a coupon oil change, they had a salesman call me to inform me that the car was in horrible shape, not safe to drive and he could get me a great deal on another used car. That was 5 yrs ago and both the car and myself are still alive.

As a M. Tech myself I see it doesn’t matter whether you are from a dealer/ independent worker when you show no craftsmen ship or pride in your work you deserve not to touch any cars other than your own. I work on every car just as well as yourself doing on Toyota specially. One thing I can say if you are not aware on a certain vehicle as time to time I run into this is why we have service data. So why thing is doesn’t matter where you work cuz you have crap dealership and independent workers everywhere. Laziness has a lot to do with it and/or have no pride in their work making others like ourselves the dying breed look bad. I am glad to see I myself am not the only one who takes pride in what we do. God bless you and your family and those that you take care of.

You definitely make a difference in our community by educating us the viewers. Thank you so much.!

281,000 miles can’t complain anymore. That Avalon is a Keeper for sure!

This is why I try to always work on my cars, I have been let down many times and by Profesional in name only. As a Costumer I will gladly over pay to a good Guy just like you Man. Thank you for being Honest and unselfish to teach us what you know. God be with you and His Blessings.

I started working on my cars when I was 19. 40 years later, I am still learning great things thanks to people like you. Everyone should at least learn the basics so they don’t get ripped off by shady mechanics.

I'm glad you went out on your own and hope that your business becomes wildly successful. You deserve it.

A dealership told my sister her AC on her Honda needed 1500 dollars' worth of work. Took it to an independent mechanic, he said it only needed freon. He also pressure tested the ac before he came to the freon conclusion. I was just shocked. This was a dealership we both trusted. Excellent video.

15:05 This point is so important. Years ago, I once took my car to my local Honda Dealer to get the bakes done. I picked my car at the end of the day right before they closed. On my way I immediately notice the car veering to the right as soon as I put on the brakes, something that never ever hanppened before. I bring it back the next day and tell the service advisor that had worked on the car. He get's all flustered and defensive immediately and says " well.... it's an older car and blah, blah", anway I tell, it only happened after the service. Eventually he ends up grudgingly takes the car. Ater they fix it, he tells me it's fixed. Doesn't tell me what the issues, no apologies, nothing. Just a barely veiled display of annoyance at having to the do the job again.

I used to be one of those good honest knowledgeable mechanics. The dealerships I worked at wanted nothing to do with those traits. All that mattered was how much you upsold. This fundamental difference in ideologies led me to 2 choices also. Start your own business or a new career. I chose a new career and walked after 30 yrs. Good for AMD starting his own business educating and making a difference. The words "underpaid, unappreciated and overworked" ring very true. Sad part is I have a head full of knowledge that I can't pass on. Yet the old dealers I used too work for have permanent road signs that state "Techs wanted apply now" yet nothing has changed.

Thats the big difference between a mechanic who does his job only for money... And a master technician who does his job also with a enormous passion

I remember listening to the “Car Talk” guys on NPR years ago say, “…try not to take your car in near the end of the month because the boat payment is due”….they were being funny AND truthful.

A real eye opener and thank you for what you do.I had a case recently with my 2014 Lexus LS460L with 100000 miles when I took it to a Lexus dealer in Ontario,Canada to do a warranty repair on the fuel system.As I was leaving they gave me a written report to repair an oil leak on front timing chain area and would be a 2 day repair with having to take engine out etc.with a $5000 bill.Took it to my mechanic who said a few drops were present ,tightened the bolts and I have never had a drop of oil on my garage floor now a year later.

AMD, Now that they found you, I hope the owner keeps it for another 285,000 miles. Did anyone else notice the older, comfortable, boxy Avalons sold in good numbers but when they started making them low, sleek and sporty sales fell through the floor? 🤔

And this is why it’s so important to find an actual mechanic that shows pride in his work and works for you, not against you. Another reason as well to avoid dealerships, they are absolutely the worst in most cases… This mechanic is true to his word. I wish I had him in Florida. Well done sir on another video!

This is exactly why I watch this channel! I love my Toyotas, but I don't trust even dealerships to fix/maintain them correctly. They seem to oversell lots of expensive - and perhaps unnecessary services/flushes, but then they won't actual do the work or do it correctly. So here we are - all learning from Ahmed how to do it ourselves if we're not lucky enough to be close enough to have him or somebody else we trust work on our cars.

The dealership wanted to snatch that up for $500 and sell them a car way over price, they knew what was wrong..but they just wanted to steal their car legally

Scary for those of us that don’t have a pro anywhere near us like AMD . Very appreciative of his professionalism skill and ethics . He should be a mentor for all young apprentices.

I’m a toyota mechanic for 5yrs in Australia. Thanks for your video. Still learning and getting hints for the jobs from you 👍

Thanks again as always Ahmed. Customer was smart to bring it to you, ridiculous how petty some mechanics get when you question them. I hope they returned to the dealership and flaunted their car after it just needing the OCV.

I stopped using the dealer in my area because they kept installing a smaller oil filter that was not the correct part number. I researched it and the part number they were using was not an optional one either. I pointed it out to them at the next oil change and they wrote on the bill the correct part number, but when I looked under the car it had the same incorrect filter. Either they put on the wrong ones again or they didn't change it at all. I change my own oil now.

This is why it's so frustrating, all mechanic interactions I've had are similar to what this owner had. It's literally impossible to find someone like you... sadly. If I could find someone like you in AZ, I'd never let them go.

It's hard to find someone so honest. Keep up the great work.

Trusted mechanics are hard to find now days. I never take my car to a dealer unless it is under warranty !

My Dad was a Ford dealership mechanic for many years and I’m a former heavy equipment/diesel truck mechanic. I hate going to the dealership and rarely do so,but when I do go I love listening to the service writers come into the waiting room and tell people about all the expensive repairs their car needs. I’m pretty sure the service writers sell a lot more than the actual salesmen in the showroom.

The car repair industry needs more good honest, knowledgeable, people like you Sir. Your business is sure to expand fast when people watch this video. Why are so many dealerships crooked these days???? You have a great You Tube Channel.

I'm no mechanic, but this is the exact reason I do extensive research on my Camry if or when I have an issue. I will start reading stuff and figure out what the hell is going on before I take it in. If it's something I can do I'll repair it, but if it's something I'm uncomfortable with working on it alone, I'll take it in and tell the mechanics replace this part etc... I love Toyota's but I'm not a fan of the dealership mechanics. I take my Camry across the street to the Honda dealership where I have a couple of buddies who work there. They do quality work and I trust them. They've never steered me wrong. I just buy the Toyota parts and I ask one of them to install the part if I don't know how to do it, and they even give me a military discount.

Thanks for telling people that. I prefer to work on my own car because I have the ability and for the very reasons you talked about. I want it done right! I've had cars in the past serviced at dealers and gotten them back with hoses misaligned, broken covers etc. When questioned, "that was like that"... no it wasn't ... I'm picky... I don't break things. How do you find a good dealership? That's the million dollar question. My personal saying: Dealers; fix one thing and break 2 more. With oil stains in the car.

It's nice to see that someone really gives some real love to cars ❤

These Avalons are great cars. I have one with 300,000 miles. Very comfortable. Tons of rear legroom. Gets great highway gas mileage too (30 mpg on the highway consistently, and I’ve occasionally gotten 35 mpg if I drive like an old lady). Pretty strong engine, that 3.5 liter V6. Toyota’s version of a classic Buick sedan. Toyota basically took the Camry V6 XLE and stretched it to give it more rear legroom and added some sound insulation for a quieter ride. It’s the basis for the Lexus ES 350, just without the Lexus badge. They’re usually kept pretty well because their owners are usually middle aged folks who take care of them and don’t beat them up.

Dealerships are very keen to persuade people to scrap vehicles and buy new (and manufacturers incentivise them to push new vehicles). I wouldn't take their word for anything. The best course of action is to find a good independent mechanic (like you). Even better, learn to repair your own vehicle (I appreciate that isn't possible for everyone).

An excellent video! Very helpful. My mechanic told me once that I need to replace engine in my car, that was honda 2.0l with 110k. I spent 3 days searching the internet and found that might be caused by pcv valve. I bought it, took it to my mechanic he replaced and honda didn't burn any oil. The oil change was at 4k. Before I had to add 2 quarts. He would have never expected it. He is regarded as one of the best mechanic in my region.

I really want to send this video to my local Toyota Dealership...not to piss them off but so they can use it as a training video for the techs.

You are not only honest sincere man ...but educative and analytical genius of a Mechanic!! Love from Africa

Man I would like to drive all the way from georgia to your shop. Very rare to find someone who has passion and integrity in the mechanic field. You're awesome!

The behavior of the dealer and first "independent" mechanic will be the death of the auto industry. Prices are already pricing out 30-40 percent of buyers who just need reliable transportation. Current supply limits and price gouging are alienating another 10-20 percent. The complexity and additional likelihood of misdiagnosis from "professionals" who don't keep current and don't care will take the rest of the market and make people realize the fixation on "investing" $50k in a new car every 5-7 years that depreciates faster than shares of FTX is toxic to their financial well being.

I've been going back and forth about taking my LC 500 to TCCN for routine services. I'm 700 miles away but I think after this video I have no choice but to do it. It's a long way but I don't see any other way to guarantee I get every mile out of this car that she has in her. She truly deserves the kind of care she'll receive. My dealership while very good, they just don't understand how special this car really is.

For me, your channel is a must-see for all car owners.

i have a Subaru mechanic who is a great, honest and reasonable person. He used to work for Subaru and decided to open a small three bay shop in Goshen, NY. A family shop witch I accidentally found coming from my storage unit. I had an 2007 Subaru Outback that I bought new and the dealer was ripping me off. I passed by one day and saw he sells used Subaru's. I went in one day and could not believe the way he conducted his business. He gives you an itemized estimate and road test the car and tells you what you need and what you don't. I would travel 50 miles to take my car to him because it is so hard to find good honest auto mechanics like him.

A beautiful thing you did for this couple, Ahmed! Personally, I love my independent mechanic shop- only had one comeback that I recall many years ago. Once I get all the work done on my “new-to-me” ES300, I may have to drive to you from New York for your “final approval”! (Seriously thinking about it 😉) May you and yours, your team also, be blessed and kept as well!

I have a 2011 Avalon, the facelifted version of this one. It's at 71k miles now and I don't expect anything major soon, but I take better care of the car than I do my own body. I'm extremely meticulous with its cleanliness and even ensure the engine bay looks like it came fresh off the dealer lot. The cynic in me wonders about the integrity of the mechanics in my area - if I can really trust that they will uphold the same standards that I do, or if I'm gonna open my hood to find sloppily spilled oil, missing covers where they were too lazy to put them back, and worst of all, what happened to this customer - spending so much money thinking they were getting quality maintenance, only for it to be so half-assed it's like they just took her car to the back and sat around for an hour, then rushed something together while charging full price. Shit like this makes me want to just make the drive or have my car hauled to TCCN.

True, definitely get a 2nd opinion. To fix a few issues brought my car to a shop that's close to my work. Got a call from the shop that my car was done and they recommended that I get the short block gasket replaced. They noticed that it was leaking oil. Got a 2nd opinion and it wasn't a short block gasket that needs replacing. It was the timing belt tensioner that was leaking oil.

Thanks broo appreciate your help!!! We need more people like you!!!👍

You wrote to me a while back about your video regarding Toyota Sienna's. You were telling everyone what is right and wrong about those cars. Your video was accurate and I thank you for your channel. Also, thanks for reaching out! I now have a Toyota (not a Sienna but I Prius) and I love it. 🥰

Please keep covering this car! I have an 2006 with 175k miles. Excellent condition except the timing cover leak being the big ticket item. I watch every video about this car I hope know you are doing so much good in this world. Dishonest or predatory people aside (both mechanic and customers) it helps you are bridging the knowledge gap. Keep up the good work!

I only wish your business would be in my state. Your are truly unique

Brother I think you are one of the most fair and reputable mechanics on RU-vid doing what is right by the people... thanks 👍

In my book, character counts. Lord bless you with more success in your business. It is always a pleasure to see your honest, straightforward views on the world of automotive mechanics!

Love these videos. Who has not been shafted by a mechanic or dealership in the past, if you owned vehicles over the years?

Not only are you knowledgeable, you explain thing thoroughly and make it understood. You seem like an honest, caring guy. If I lived in your area, I’d bring my Toyota to you. And your shop is clean.

Great video. Thanks for sharing what happens to so many. It is good to hear from a good mechanic. Thanks for what you do.

Awesome video. As always super honest. Whoever did those rear brakes and didn’t recommend new rotors Doesn’t know what he’s doing.

We appreciate the Toyota knowledge you share with us AMD! 🙏 👌👍

Love your advice, yes I trust you. As a retired mech I know lazy mech/ dealership will take the elec approach, yes the path of least resistance. Your advice of ALWAYS seeking a 2nd opinion is excellent and you are to be commended.

Picked up my new Hilux from the dealership today. Asked the sales guy to enable Apple car play. Looked at me strangely and said all done mate. Couldn’t get car play to work. Returned to the dealership next day. Two seperate people couldn’t get it to work. In the end the workshop supervisor told me it had not been enabled. Fixed in 15 seconds flat. Welcome to Toyota Australia. God help me.

A Good mechanic is hard to find a good dealership is very hard to find we need more mechanics like you my friend keep up the good work and thank you.🙏

We don’t want to work on your car but we’re happy to sell you a brand new vehicle.😂

thank you very much for your expertise and your willingness to share it!! You make such a difference in the car community on RU-vid! Cheers :)

You are a good honest man your customers don’t know how lucky they are to have you working on there cars.

I love and appreciate you! I told my local Toyota dealership that they couldn't have possible executed a thorough inspection for the amount of time they had my car in the bay and they basically told me I didn't know what I was talking about. I worry that lots of shops don't do their due diligence are merely try and get you in and out as fast as possible and it is a bit scary.

Awesome videos just got me an 07 Camry with the V6 with 241k miles on it it’s been well maintained no coolant leaks and cost me 1800…..I’m not even worried about the mileage.

Hi AMD, I wish your shop was in Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦. I am having a real difficult time finding honest dealership in Northeastern part of the city. They all claim as knowledgeable but you are on a different level of being knowledgeable.

I'm looking at an Avalon as my next car so I'm absorbing as much info as I can about it. You've been a treasure trove of information and you've gained a new subscriber

Got the same car 2007 avalon with 238k drives new still, best used car ever just maintain it thats it

If I owned this car I would send an email to Toyota Corporate Customer relations department, and then go to a different dealership in the future.

This is exactly why I became a DIY car mechanic.

You are the defintion of a true professional - great job!

I was asking a toyota question online and they posted ur video on how to changed a sealed tranie. I have seen many videos on how to do it but I have to admit that your video is one of best one.

Wish more mechanics were like you. Am lucky enough to live not too far from you, am in Rockford Illinois

The really sad part here is, they brought this Avalon to their "trusted mechanic" and he said the same as the Stealership. Fired!! LOL As always great info/video! Gotta love the 2 month update too!

Very passionate about your industry!!! Great advice and I would like to thank you for what you do!!!

Thank God for u AMD! Thats a nice lookn Avalon! She is very fortunate to have u now! Great job/video as usual! 👍🇺🇸

I’m glad God gifted us Ahmed, Scotty Kilmore, The Car Wizard , and Your Car Angel . Just solid honest men helping out their fellow human beings. May the Lord bless them and their families greatly .

There you go again. Doing what you do best and that’s your Honesty to me my friend and Customers that bring there cars to your shop you are Truly a Honest Hard working Top Notch Master Mechanic one more thing I got a total hip replacement and as soon as I get better I’ll have my car and truck service by you ❤ all your videos and keep up the the excellent work you do it would be so nice if there were more honest mechanic like you Sir

You are a great honest mechanic. Love every piece of your channel

Madam is lucky to service car in TCCN garage. I like this video. Thank you!

Best car repair videos out there !

You are absolutely right about dealership maintenance. My wife's 2008 Solara is only maintained by the dealer and they never bother to clean or at least wipe off oil and dust on the engine after change oil. Two days ago, check engine light came on and I scanned it. the code was P036 I think, something to do with misfire and idle was rough. I figured it was one of the ignition coil. After more troubleshooting, it came out to be cylinder # 6. So I called the dealership for ignition coil and quoted me for $200 each which I thought was ridiculously expensive for a piece of plastic with maybe $5 worth of electronic components. So I looked it up in Amazon and they have it for $20 delivered to my house. I installed it, the car ran good just like before and no more code. I know you always preach original manufacturer's parts only. Do you think I made the right decision buying cheaper part? Will it last long and not harm other components? Also the valve cover gasket is leaking on this car and the dealer quoted my wife $1100 for the job. Is that a fair price? I loved your videos I learned a lot , keep up the good work. Thank you, Armand.

AMD, another great video. I have shared via email and text with friends who are interested in buying used vehicles or maintaining their current vehicles. The Chicago area has numerous dealers with sketchy service departments. Although I still bring my 2022 4Runner to the dealer, I always scan it with my BlueDriver tool prior to servicing and request the parts being replaced which are reviewed by an independent mechanic.

Same story on my 2014 Avalon. Car runs like a top with 157k miles and the dealership is always recommending thousands of dollars worth of work. I’m just waiting for it to get to 200k so I can take it to AMD for some work and possibly a video.

Ok, watching this makes me want to buy another Avalon. I own a 2011 Limited, and that was the year they began installing backup cameras. I love that Generation! I highly recommend buying one!

Man the world is a better place when we have good people like yourself being honest with people. Great video as usual, Thanks for doing them! I hope somebody at Toyota takes notice and learns from them and tries to improve their mechanics. I know they got good ones still, but they really need to work on that area especially now that we are getting more and more complicated vehicles. I think you and Brian (Fordtechmakoloco) are two of the best mechanics I have seen on RU-vid. Experts in your fields of expertise. I do feel for him though being a Ford Tech must get tiring with an unending line of Fords to fix ha ha:P

I always appreciate your videos and really wish I could have a mechanic as caring, knowledgeable, and thorough as you. Hearing stories like this gives me trust issues.

Your videos are so impressive. I have a 1998 4 runner with 363 ,000 miles. Minimal problems just have taken good care of it and not at a dealership. It saw a dealership once after I purchased it. Fortunately, I have a mechanic like you. I just recently purchased a 2023 Tacoma 1300 miles now. Boy, they have really cheapened every component. Even with excellent care, I doubt that I can expect the same service from this Toyota. The question for you is,it requires 0-20W oil. The chart in the manual shows a temp range fronm -10f to 80f. I live in Arizona, where we typically see 90f lows at night and 110f to 115f daytime temps for 2 months. Should I not use a different oil at those temps?

Thank Goodness the owner found you.

This was an awesome awesome video and I'm happy that the customer was able to give you an update after the work had been done.

Great video, as usual! I have a 2002 Sienna with close to 280k miles and it still runs and drives great. Anyone who has you as their mechanic is very lucky!

In a previous video, you installed Toyota struts on a Camry. KYB is an OE supplier of struts/shocks to Toyota/Lexus. Do you not believe or support in installing KYB struts/shocks as an aftermarket parts? Thanks AMD for posting another great video.

Thanks for the video! Would like to see how to replace the oil control valve in this engine 😊

Good video! Sad what was occurring, but, glad you were available and honest about what was really happening✊️

Another of your fabulously informative videos. I enjoy watching them even though I don't own a Toyota. Keep up the great work. It's much appreciated!

Dealers have an interest in getting you over to the sales department, so don't listen to a service department that tells you this. I would say that generally once you are out of warranty the dealership won't have much respect for your 'old' car. I would never say this will 'always' happen, but it's far too common.

Trading forex/Equity and commodity is the fastest and easiest way of making money online.

Thank you. Your honesty is to be admired I wish you were closer than 11 hours away

Thank you for all you do for Toyota owners.

Thanks AMD. I greatly appreciate your expertise, information and willingness and ability to share and educate us ... in a nice clean shop.😎 So Sad. So True about Dealers and Shops. A sign of our times. Glad that customer found you and is now in good hands. *** BTW *** I imagine you also serviced those stuck pins on the brakes.... right? Thanks for sharing your fine work and suggestions with us. A fun "Reverse" story for all of us reading here. Some 3 years ago I bought a 2003 Lexus RX300 (with a genuine 112K on the clock ... from the local Lexus dealer who had serviced it for years and had just taken it in trade for a new RX. It had a good service record but I also saw that it would need new front rotors upon the next HARD crash-avoidance SLOWDOWN on the freeway. I was able to speak with the mechanic who had prepped it for sale. OFF THE RECORD; he told me that NONE of the "Sales" people cared about "such an old dog". (aka not enough commission) It was destined for the auction if not sold in the next few DAYS. I bought it AS IS for a song ... I think even Scotty Kilmer would approve of my having bought a car from ... OMG ... a dealer. I did 2 things as soon as I got it home: A. Changed the Xmission Fluid and FILTER ... Xmission fluid had been changed at 63K, but was a bit "sluggish" thru the gears ... due to (as I suspected) a partially-clogged internal xmission-fluid filter. B. Since I can not lift 60 pound wheels safely, I had the rotors changed (very low cost, but very good work) at my local "Brake & Suspension" shop ... plus they put 2 guys on it and I was in & out in 45 minutes. (3 years later it still stops like a dream .. thank you Les Schwab Guys!) To date, I have spent about $2,100 on parts and materials (all OEM quality & most from RockAuto) for preventive maintenance, plus an early 120K service ... including all 6 Coils and Plugs. I also did my own complete professional-level detail. Took me a WEEK ... an hour here and three there ... removing the old faded and cracked Clear Bra ... was a NIGHTMARE! Very hard to remove it without damaging the paint. Dealer / Shop charges, plus outside costs for everything would have been well over $10K. Things from VVT Solenoids to a noisy Cabin Air Blower, all 3 Mode-Door Actuators (I managed to inject them with WD-40 (Flex Steel Spout Can) to "flush away" the copper dust and stop the HUNTING), a new Starter Motor and rebuilt Denso Alternator ... Plus new Denso AFRs and the downstream O2 sensor, etc. Bottom Line: A wonderful vehicle, but only a fanatical DIYer like yours truly 😇could afford to own it ... and be willing to do the necessary 2 or 3 DOZEN "fixes" that it needed. But now it is "Nearly Pristine". "Non-Automotive-aware" neighbors and casual observers ... often mistake it for "NEW"

Thank you for your informative videos. I have been a Toyota ASM for over a decade now and have gained valuable knowledge from your channel that I am able to pass on to my clients in order to better serve their car care needs. Keep up the outstanding work!

Dude, you are 100% awesome! Keep up the great videos, we all love them and you!

First I would like to say that you're a very honest person to your customers. Second thank you for your videos I enjoy watching them, I learn a lot of information that I can pass on to my customers, I work for a big chain auto parts store. Third I would like to say that not all dealerships are trying to rip you off at least the one I bought my 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD from takes good care of me when I get my 5k miles maintenance done. My dad worked there for years so I trust that they are doing everything that needs to be done properly. The last time I went to get my maintenance done I was going on a 2k miles round trip and was due for an oil change and tire rotation. When I went to pick it up I asked the lead technician who works on my vehicle how much I owed he told me to have a safe trip and that I was all set, I gave him $20 to buy himself lunch.

Fantastic work as always, thank you!