WAdriver

Same rattle - belt tensioner replaced under warranty - rattle no more!

I have same noise on my 2007 auto Corolla - whirring and whining noise at 60k. Have been complaining about it every service for last two years, but the Toyota service centre claimed they couldn't hear a noise! Decided to change to a new service centre - found one which is a specialist Toyota transmission centre. First time at the new one they suggested a test drive with an experienced technician - and he identified the noise immediately as diff whine. Thats the good news. Bad news is that they say there's a lot of Corollas of that vintage and younger with it, they've re-built quite a few transmissions and sometimes it fixes it, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it comes out sounding worse! The service centre suggested I just learn to live with it, as it doesn't mean the transmission is going to wear out any sooner or anything. Whether that is right or not isn't really the point - well ok it is an important point. But, there's also the fact that car companies go to an awful lot of effort these days sound proofing a vehicle, so an annoying high pitched whine can't be seen as 'normal' like it would have 20 years ago. Then there's the effect it will have on the resale value of my 'investment' - is a potential buyer going to believe it's nothing to worry about? I haven't decided yet if I'm going to take it any further, but the warranty runs out in a few months, so I'm going to have to decide soon. If what I've heard here, and from others, is true - that Toyota knows about this problem and has made a high level decision not to fix it en masse, then I'm disappointed. I know every big company has to decide where it draws the line between customer satisfaction and profit, but I expected more from Toyota!