Week-old 08 package 5. The rattle lasts about 3-4 seconds and seems to be coming either from the engine bay or the ventilation system. If you've ever had a leaf stuck in your ventilation system, it sounds like that (but it probably isn't that). It usually happens when accelerating from a dead stop or when braking to a complete stop. Anyone have a clue what this might be? We're going to bring it back to the dealer for a look this week but I'd rather go armed with some knowledge Prius Chat knowledge. Thanks!
I have a rattle as well on my 08. It last for about 1 sec when the engine (forgot which) starts or stops but I've only heard it happen a couple times.
My '07 had a couple of rattles that we tracked down to the center speaker on top of the front dash (on top of the MFD). A little foam tape quieted that one down. The other rattles were the grab handles above the front doors. Still not quite sure how to address those permanently, but a little tap generally quiets them for a while.... Les ---
Are you aware of the noise that the brake pressure accumulator pump makes? If not, make the car READY, then repeatedly press the brake pedal a few times until the pump runs. If this noise is the same as the "rattle" that you observed, then you've identified the cause - and this is normal.
