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Creaks Squeaks Rattles and Vibrations support thread

14K views 87 replies 36 participants last post by  duckymcfly 
#1 ·
Just wanted to kick off a thread for commiserating and trying to solve econobox noises.

During my long drive home I noticed my seat belt height adjuster in the B pillar buzzing at low speeds. Setting it to the middle height seems to have solved it for me.

Between miles 30 and 250, I developed an extremely annoying intermittent plastic on plastic sounding tapping / rattle at any speed over 45 mph from around the passengar front door area exterior. I pulled over a couple of times to press on the side skirt and fender liners to no avail. It was seriously ruining my enjoyment of the car, to drown it out I had to turn up the music loud enough to not hear the engine or exhaust. Luckily, after a couple hours of driving I turned down the music and to my surprise, SILENCE. I assume it must have been something to do with the undertray... tape, maybe a misaligned plastic faster, who knows what that eventually found its resting place.

Overall the NVH in this is better then my friends GR86, and leagues ahead of the first gen FRS BRZ. My roommates years ago had visor and 3rd brake light rattle from the factory.
 
#2 ·
During my long drive home I noticed my seat belt height adjuster in the B pillar buzzing at low speeds. Setting it to the middle height seems to have solved it for me.
Mine does this too, except at all speeds. Drives me nuts. It is the only rattle I've had so far.
I do still have the high pitched coil whine from the blower motor though.
 
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#5 ·
My wifes RAV4 that was crashed, her new Highlander, and my GRC all do this and need to be fiddled with periodically. I can't hear my blower coil but that could just be me, fair bit of latent tinnitus in my head.

any buzzes from the a pillars when you play music slightly loud?
Nope, all good. Although the JBL system is really crap. The JBL in my 04 4runner and in my wifes Highlander is leagues ahead.
 
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#10 ·
My current car (an econobox civic) has these same rattles, which frustrate the heck outta me. Rattles on the driver side B pillar seat belt, and passenger side A pillar when certain frequencies are played in my sound system.

Have you used any produce to fix them like some kind of adhesive? In my civic, I've fixed one of the rattles via a zip tie behind the A pillar cover on the driver side, which was common for most people. Anyone want to chime in on the best ways to diagnose exactly where the rattles could be coming from?
 
#13 ·
Rattling is common from the seat belt adjusters, just be glad we don't have the center armrest, that annoyed the hell out of me in my XSE.

I know this comment is gonna get a lot of hate but all this rattling is the same rattling I had on my XSE, at the end of the day it's a Corolla Hatchback, interior was not upgraded.
 
#21 ·
^^^
That’s awesome please add a DIY thread if it works out!!

In other news, I now get some rattle from my passenger sun visor as well as the lighting controls above the rear view mirror. Seems only to happen on specific surfaces and quiet enough any stereo sound drowns it.
 
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#26 ·
The only buzz that gets me is the overhead controls in the headliner by the mirror. That unit buzzes like a bastard on a couple very specific worn road surfaces. Freeway, around town, the vast majority of streets, no problem at all.
 
#25 ·
Technicians don't look to absorb those noises, they look to eliminate them at the source. I did squeaks and rattles for decades. Toyota sold what I affectionately called the squeak and rattle kit. It was a box full of various thicknesses and densities of adhesive-backed foam and felt. Most all of those noises were a result of two parts contacting in a manner they shouldn't. You needed to stop that by finding which parts and putting something between them to stop the tapping, or at least allow them to be in contact without squeaking against each other. 3M anti-squeak tape was also pure magic. I still have some of each of these things in my toolbox. The weight of using these products and tactics is almost immeasurable.
 
#33 ·
I developed a creak in the rear interior drivers side somewhere behind the rear seats. I folded them down to listen and try and pin point the location, then just wacked everything with my palms like bongo drums a bit.

Problem solved lol.
 
#35 ·
Don't have that one. I'd start with disassembly and reassembly. Interior bits can be finnicky. I have close to 5K miles on my car and have had multiple little creaks come and go over time. The only one I still haven't addressed is my overhead map light but its really only on super rough pavement so I've just ignored it for now.
 
#36 ·
The overhead map one is annoying I have that buzz too. I’m going to get some foam and stuff it under there. Pretty sure that will get rid of it.
I figured out the one I just posted it’s just the rubber seal rubbing against the plastic I have to figure out some kind of live to put on the seal so it stops.
 
#37 ·
My friends Tacoma has the same overhead buzz. Hes just crammed a couple business cards into where the plastic parts meet and that's silenced it lol. I would prefer not to as I believe you're just going to make the problem worse in the long run by bending the plastic.

I haven't looked into disassembling the overhead unit. Have you found it in an FSM or tried to pull it apart? I'm afraid it involves dropping the headliner but I hope not.
 
#40 ·
Does anyone else have the extremely loud and annoying rattle/buzz from the rear hatch area? I’ve seen it in other threads, but not in this one. It’s extremely annoying and happens most at low rpm’s, like pulling off from a stop when the engine sends more vibrations through the car. Also happens on rough roads. I don’t think it’s the cargo cover, so some other plastic piece vibrating.

I think I saw a thread around her recently about someone putting rubber gaskets on their wing mount bolts because it made a noise. I’m wondering if it’s maybe the same noise?
 
#42 ·
exact same thing happened to me. Got quite annoying on a 120ish mile road trip on cooold day on veeery bumpy patchy packed snow roads. Disappeared on the trip back on smooth new blacktop. Couldnt reproduce it when I went into the toyota dealership for a different gripe (the dash cluster gauge not staying put) and hasnt come back yet...
 
#47 ·
This just cropped up for me, in the area by the rear view mirror. Thought the Bronco was going to be the only buzz machine but GR started to feel left out.
I've got an insane buzz coming from my overhead map light housing. It's real bad. If can figure out how to take it a part, I am sure it'd be an easy fix.
Same here. This one drives me mad. It stops if I put pressure on it.
 
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#56 ·
Alright things are getting worse by the day it seems.. it has been 15 degrees in Austin the last couple of days, so that could have something to do with it.

I've got steady rattles around the glove box, rearview mirror housing, center console and rear hatch areas. But the worse thing is going over a sharp bump and the interior sounding like all of the plastics are crashing into each other.

Now I know this is not a luxury car.. we essentially bought a shitbox on top of an amazing drivetrain, but for 45k I did not expect it to be this bad.
 
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