A Toyota owner expressed their anger on TikTok over the brand’s specialized oil filter cap. What’s the problem with it?
The TikTok user, Juice (@whothefuckisjuice), questioned what good is a reliable car if the manufacturer makes it difficult to service. While numerous TikTokers acknowledged the frustration of this specialty part, others said the brand’s reliability was worth the pain.
What’s wrong with this Toyota part?
The TikToker looks into the camera while lip syncing to audio. Her on-screen caption criticizes Toyota’s design choice for an oil filter. “Honda and Nissan watching Toyota design the most [expletive], obscure oil filter that requires its own stupid specialty socket,” she wrote.
Furthermore, the audio Juice lip-syncs doubles down on this critique. “Of course. [Expletive] it’s genius. Why didn’t I think of that,” she mouths.
Additionally, Juice comments on the duality of Toyota’s reputation for being a reliable motor vehicle brand. Her issue comes down to the fact that the oil cap necessitates a specialty wrench, she says, which makes servicing the car a headache.
Specialty tools
A Redditor who posted to the site’s r/MechanicsAdvice sub asked about the oil cap. Like Juice, they pointed out that the oil cap isn’t a traditional “spin on” filter. Attached to their post is a picture of the cap in question, which features a square sized hole.
They added that after purchasing a 2010 Camry they noticed the strange cap style while attempting an oil change. Moreover, they wanted to know if they should purchase the specific wrench sets. But they did express trepidation in doing so as they read negative reviews for many of the tool sets.
Numerous commenters stressed the importance of getting the correct tools. One Reddit user said that they didn’t recommend purchasing an expensive brand like Snap-On. Rather one that ensures the caps aren’t being damaged during the extraction: they recommended Bluepoint. However, it appears that several manufacturers supply and sell their own, such as this $38.99 set on Amazon.
Several other Redditors also cautioned against not using correct tools as they, from experience, have damaged Toyota parts themselves.
Beyond Toyota?
In a Quora forum discussion, users expressed how multiple auto manufacturers engage in this practice. One person asked why modern cars seem so difficult to work on. Additionally, they questioned why so many nuts and bolts were placed in hard to reach spots. Even so, many components necessitated the usage of specialized tools in order to access them, they added.
One responder said that as the automotive industry evolved, so did the role of service centers. Early on, it was believed that consumers would be performing the majority of repairs and maintenance themselves. The commenter argued that as a result, cars were designed with this in mind.
However, in an attempt to drive reliance on dealership service stations and maximize profits, cars are becoming less and less tailored for self-maintenance. Further on in the post, other commenters aired their grievances with design choices in their cars.
“On my Cayenne Turbo, the battery is UNDER the driver’s seat. Not only that, you need a proprietary tool to access it,” one user wrote. The Tesla Model 3 also has a low-voltage battery: it’s also placed under one of its front seats. Replacing this battery isn’t as easy as popping the hood and unscrewing some bolts, either.
@whothefuckisjuice “but my toyota will last me forever” yes. now good luck working on it ! #toyota #honda #nissan ♬ Mrboss – Beeartfull 🐝✏️
TikTokers had varying opinions
One person claimed that the proprietary oil filter socket Juice speaks of fits other vehicles, too. “The Toyota oil filter tool fits onto Honda and Nissian oil filters,” they said.
Another seemed to think that this small problem is worth the brand’s long-term driving strength: “Tell that to 300k trouble free miles.”
Juice seemed to concede to this point, despite her frustration. “True. very little compares to old Toyota reliability,” she responded.
Someone else replied that they’re able to use a standard tool for their oil changes. “You can literally use a band wrench for all Toyota oil filters,” they claimed.
And another wrote that they ended up breaking components trying to DIY their own Toyota maintenance. “Y’all ever snapped the plastic housing,” they revealed.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Toyota via email and Juice via TikTok comment for further information.
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The post ‘I’m surprised BMW didn’t think of it first’: Woman demands answers after realizing you need a special tool to work on this Toyota part appeared first on The Daily Dot.