Hi everyone. New to this forum after I picked up a 2013 GS350 RWD for my son. The car’s great expect for a small brake squeal when reversing in the morning (going down the brake squeal rabbit
hole) but the more annoying thing is this squeak coming from the steering wheel. I was hoping it just needed some lubrication on the rubber boot behind the brake pedal but that didn’t help. The squeak is definitely coming from behind the steering wheel. Hoping it’s just the clock spring which I’ve replaced before on other cars. Short video attached for reference. Appreciate any help or advice.

 

That sounds like the clock spring. Very common issue on these cars. It's the ribbon cable behind the steering wheel that connects the controls and airbag. When the lubricant inside dries out, it squeaks exactly like that with every turn. Replacing it is the fix. It's a straightforward job if you're comfortable working around the airbag.

 

Thanks for the reply. I stopped by my mechanic today to have him check it out and of course the squeak magically went away. Then it started up again later in the day. He said it’s not a safety issue and probably isn’t worth replacing the clock spring since they’re pricey.

 

Yup. Mine does the same thing. My employee was riding with me the other day and was making fun of me... OEM clock springs are a little pricey. Anyone have luck with an aftermarket one? I can live with it but does sound a little silly.

 

Yea, I've been eyeing this aftermarket clock spring from ClockSpringExperts for $85. You just have to transfer over the steering angle sensor. Customer reviews seem good. The squeak sound makes the car feel cheap and it's definitely embarrassing!

 

So I ended up replacing the clock spring with a new OEM clock spring that I found on Ebay for $204 shipped from Japan. It arrived within a week so shipping was very fast. I have a 2013 GS350 Base RWD and the original eBay listing showed Toyota Part No. 84308-53010 but what I received was Part No. 84308-53011. The Steering Angle Sensor was swapped over and it installed perfectly fine and no more squeaks. I was turning the old clock spring left and right and it was making all kinds of squeaky noises so it was definitely the culprit. Yes, it's expensive but damn that silence is worth it!

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