Q: Minivan rattles and steering wheel vibrates

asked by on September 21, 2016

The hood on our minivan rattles, so I took it to the dealer. I was told there was nothing wrong with my vehicle and they sent me home. I called them later to discuss the low mileage that my van was getting; yet again they told me it was ok. Nearly two months later, my van broke down. This time the dealership repaired the sending unit and they replaced the sensory kit. The hood had not been correctly closing and they replaced the latch, plus fixed the hood bumper. They did not fix an intermittent engine noise that I can still hear. When I make sharp turns, the steering wheel vibrates and they did not fix that either. Also, there is no arm rest on the middle seat (captain chair), so when someone is sitting in that seat, they easily lose their balance since there is nothing to which they can hold on. I was told by the dealer that the seat comes that way and there is nothing that can be done about that problem. In your expertise, how can I fix the steering wheel vibrations, the intermittent engine noise, and the chair without arm rests?

Steering wheel vibration during turns might be an outer constant velocity joint. The mechanic can check general condition of the engine, even if the engine noises are not present when the vehicle is checked. Check aftermarket automotive suppliers for non-factory seats with an armrest. If you would like to have this checked by another professional, an independent mechanic from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the shaking problem to pinpoint adjustments that can be made.

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