Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Minden, Nevada

My wife and I just returned from a trip to South Lake Tahoe. Our 2006 Pilot 4WD got 25+ MPG going up HWY I5 from Simi Valley, California to Folsom, California, about 420 miles. We drove around Tahoe for a week and decided to return home out the back way using HWY 395 through Bishop and Lone Pine. We filled up in Minden, California and drove non-stop to Simi Valley in 8 hours, about 470 miles. I still had about 1/4 of a tank left so we drove around Simi Valley for another three days before I filled up again. We averaged another 25+ MPG on the return trip. I purposely did not check my mileage while we were driving up and down the mountain or around Tahoe. The average MPG numbers cover over 1,000 miles of Highway and freeway driving with the air conditioning turned off and the cruise control set at 69 MPH. I have all four Good Year Integrity tires inflated to 36 lbs air. There were two people in the car at all times and the back was loaded with the usual luggage needed for a one week holiday in the snow. Considering the size of the vehicle, I am very pleased with the mileage numbers that we are getting. Oh, and one more thing, we did hit some traffic going home down 395 that slowed us to a crawl for about 30 minutes. Not too bad all considering!

Please, time is running out, the pre-Sept. 1 Toyota Siennas are disappearing fast. The fastest way for me to get the name of a dealer who will sell to Canadians is through people who have already done this. This is people helping people. We're in this together. I'm not a Toyota spy, just part of a retired couple living between Bracebridge and Minden in Ontario. We've tried NY and Ohio with no luck. Please e-mail me at sassmuskoka@yahoo.ca. I'm calling dealers in the US, but there are alot of them, and Time is running out. Thanks. Frances

Greg, I thought you might be interested to hear an update on the knocking noise I had reported a few weeks back. The noise got progressively worse and my husband took it to the local Toyota place yesterday, and once again, a service mechanic drove with him and this time absolutely and unequivocally heard the knocking noise, exclaiming "well if they can't find the cause of THAT then there's a problem!" To cut a long story short, the noise is gone, and apparently it was a loose nut on the rear toe causing the toe rod (or whatever it is they call it) to knock against the exhaust system (I think????). The back left wheel was also badly out of alignment. I'm no mechanic but it seems to me that this noise started when I first got my tyres rotated, but the shop insists that the loose nut would have nothing to do with the tire rotation. In any case, the knocking is GONE and finally, I'm a happy camper. Thanks for all your help. Julie

Thanks for replying. The noise doesn't occur on super smooth surface, it's pretty much things like potholes, cracks in the road that will cause the sound. If I'm driving 70 down the freeway, I don't hear it, more than likely due to surface noise drowning it out, but if I'm tootling between 30 or 40 miles an hour, then any slight bump will cue the noise. There isn't any pattern to it really, and sometimes it's almost like it's gone, like whatever is knocking about got caught up somewhere and doesn't make a peep until it gets dislodged again. It sort of sounds like metal on metal, but denser. Your comment of "hard hitting like swinging metal on metal" would describe it best. I had my husband drive it today, and I asked him if he heard it, and he said "sort of"!!!! Whatever... I will try all the things you mentioned to see if we can't pin this thing down. It's just frustrating because at times it's really loud and of course it's never loud when it's been at the shop to be looked at... Many thanks for your input. Julie

I have a 2006 Toyota Rav4 V6 base model. Got it almost a year ago and just turned over 16k on the odometer. Since about October, I've noticed a loud knocking sound coming from what seems to me like the driver's side rear area of the car, perhaps the wheel area - suspension? I've had my local dealership look at it - they drove around in it, had a guy lying down at the back listening for the noise - they couldn't find the cause of it. They did safety inspections, said the car was fine. The noise has continued to be there in some capacity but I just lived with it. Sometimes it seemed like the noise dissipated all together. Well today, it seems like the noise is back and it's HORRENDOUS, and it's worse at lower speeds and driving over bumps in the road. It's driving me nuts, but it seems like my local Toyota dealership can't figure out what it is. It almost sounds like my bumper is about to fall off, but when I look underneath, I see nothing hanging, nothing visible that would make me think that it's the cause of this noise. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I trawled this forum and found issues with droning noises (that's not what this is), and one where a popping noise was coming from the front, not the back. If anyone has heard of this problem or has had a similar issue, what did you do to get it fixed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.