‘You get what you pay for’: Mechanic discovers what someone did to a Toyota RAV4, and it’s a mistake drivers make all the time

A mechanic in North Carolina was fixing a Toyota RAV4 with a coolant leak when he found something shocking. The previous repair was done terribly, using a water pump with no brand name and covered in RTV sealant. This shows that choosing cheap repairs to save money often leads to bigger problems later.

According to Motor1, John, a repair technician from Wilmington, North Carolina, shared this discovery on TikTok to teach people an important lesson. When it comes to car repairs, “you get what you pay for”. Trying to save a few dollars upfront can cost you much more in the long run.

When John removed the broken water pump, he noticed it had no branding or stamps on it. This is a major warning sign. Car companies like Toyota usually use trusted suppliers like Aisin for their parts, and these parts always have stamps showing the brand name.

Quality parts make all the difference in car repairs

The pump didn’t fail because someone installed it wrong. It was leaking from behind the impeller, which means it broke from the inside. This likely happened because the cheap pump had poor seal materials, low-quality bearings, or wasn’t made properly.

But the real problem was how it was installed. The entire gasket surface was covered in black RTV sealant. John explained that RTV is meant for sealing covers or joints, not for replacing a missing O-ring or fixing leaks. 

The previous installer either forgot to replace the O-ring or used silicone to patch the leak when the cheap part started failing. This kind of sloppy work is similar to when mechanics abandon basic jobs after realizing the situation is worse than expected.

“Cheap labor typically isn’t very good. Hence, why when you take your vehicle somewhere like a tire and auto facility that mainly does oil changes, tires, and stuff like that, they really don’t know what to tell you about your electrical concern that your vehicle is having,” he explained. “You bring your vehicle to somebody like us, we can tell you what it is and exactly what we need to do to fix it.”

This situation shows why buying quality parts matters. Car makers don’t make every part themselves. They use trusted suppliers like Denso, Gates, and Aisin. When you buy parts from these suppliers, you often get the same part that came with the car originally, just without the higher dealership price. Making smart choices about car maintenance, like avoiding common fuel pump mistakes, can save you from expensive repairs down the road.

An Aisin pump comes with everything needed for proper installation, including all gaskets and seals. Cheap aftermarket kits from chain stores usually include only one gasket, forcing mechanics to reuse old parts or make their own.