Can you adjust the steering wheel on a toyota sienna?

Problem with gear shift and steering wheel in 2003 Toyota Camry. Advice?

• I test drove a Toyota Camry at Karl Malone Toyota. I noticed a couple of problems. The steering wheel squeaks when turning the wheel. Also, when shifting the gear stick (the car is an automatic) to drive or park, it makes a sound like rubbing plastic. The sound is coming from the gear shift, not under the car. It only makes the sound right as you're shifting and then stops once it's in gear. The car seems to drive normally, and there is no sound while driving except for the squeaking steering wheel. We took it on the freeway and felt the transmission shift normally and it had a smooth ride. There was also a small rock chip in the windshield and the emergency break maybe needed to be adjusted. There are some scrapes in the paint on the bumper and driver's door too. Karl Malone Toyota agreed to fix ALL these problems plus give us some touch up paint if we bought the car for $6600 which is below Kelly Bluebook. It has 96,000 miles and a clean title. We saw the carfax. It is in the shop right now and they said they had to order a part from Los Angeles to fix the gear shift, and it should be ready in a couple of days. I'm not sure yet about the steering wheel. My question is do these problems sound serious? Like could the transmission be affected by the gear shift? I got a loan so I could buy the car, but I haven't given the check to them, nor will I, until I know all the problems are fixed and the car is safe to drive.

• Answer:

  The squeak from the steering wheel is usually the rubber bushing down where the steering shaft goes out of the car. Look under the dash and turn the wheel back and forth and you will see where the rubber bushing is. Spray a little silicone lube while pulling the rubber seal out from the shaft very gently. You can also lube it with dielectric grease. Either of these items are very cheap at any parts store and you can do the job yourself in minutes. The squeak will come back over time, but a little bit of lube and it will be gone for months or even a year or two. The noise from the shifter is usually from soda, coffee or other drinks spilled onto the thin plastic plates around the shifter shaft. Replacing them is best, since they can be deformed when the sticky residue causes the plates to not move freely. It will NOT harm the actual transaxle. If they fix both noises and you are happy with the car, go for it.