Vibration feedback into steering wheel

I have a 2001 Toyota Echo which developed severe vibration feeback to the steering wheel when the car was driven at low speed or stopped at a trafffic sign or signal.

I took the car to the Toyota dealer and they checked the brakes, replaced the front rotors. They also checked the fuel pump and other engine components. The spark plugs and PCV vale were replaced, as well as the crank seal.

When I left the garage, the vibration reappeared after driving about five minutes. I immediately went back to the garage and waited while the mechanic checked the car. He came to the waiting room and said I would not believe what they found. I went to the garage with him and the hood on the car was raised. He started the car and there was no unusual vibration. He closed the hood and the vibration started again. The problem was that the underhood reinforcement panel had come unwelded (or unglued) and it was vibrating. A mechanic came from the body shop and put a sealer/filler at the loose spots, we let the car sit for a while, the mechanic said the sealer/filler would expand to close the gap, and I drove the car home. The vibration had stopped.

While it was a good idea to have the brakes checked, etc., that could probably have waited awhile.

Congratulations.
You did the right thing. It turned out to be something minor, but it could have just as well been a tie rod ready to come loose.

Happy motoring
TSM

If the car was vibrating WHILE it wasn’t even moving I can’t believe they thought it was the rotors.

Lucy

it sounds like the shop misdiagnosed your car

What was their justification for replacing the brake rotors?

Were they undersized, or was the runout excessive?

Whether you needed brakes or not, that was clearly not the cause of the vibration

Apparently, the mechanic initially guessed, and was wrong

What about the spark plugs, pcv valve and the front crank seal?

Plugs and pcv valve were overdue?

front crank seal was leaking?

Granted vthey fixed the problem, but it sure was costly.

I think I’d look for a better mechanic for the future.

Yosemite