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07 with anoying noise they can't fix [long]

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by samdaman, Jun 7, 2007.

  1. samdaman

    samdaman Junior Member

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    Got my 07 in early October, and from day one, I [and sadly, my wife] noticed a noise from the left front when going over moderate bumps at speeds of 25-45. It's not just any bump, but small abrupt bumps, like a slightly sunken or risen manhole cover, or an asphalt patch where a sewer line was repaired, or even a well maintained railroad crossing. What's bad about the noise is that it's not a normal, deep throated road noise -- but it just sounds 'cheap' [again, from the frequent passenger wondering why I traded in our Camry...].

    My best description is that it sounds like someone giving a single knuckle rap to the bottom of a tin camping cup every time I hit the right kind of bump. Not like a sharp metalic noise, but a dull 'tonk', as though the tin cup can't really ring because you are holding it with one hand, and just rapping on it [once per bump] with your knuckle.

    I have had it to the dealer five times, but clever folks, they only 'did' something twice, so on the record, it doesn't become a 3-times-tried-to-fix issue. And it's not like they can't hear it. The first time they actually tried something, they replaced the left front strut top. No joy. Next, they were on the phone with CA [where they made like this was a problem reported by other folks too...], and based on that call, they re-torqued the inverter mounting points. Again, not one bit different.

    So I filed a case with Toyota, and they had a regional service rep come by [but I wasn't even allowed to bring my car in for him to look at -- that would have been a third time after all]. He just claimed to listen to a DIFFERENT 07 on the dealer's lot with the result being a call from Toyota saying that they closed the case because the service rep determined that '...they all make that noise...'.

    Out of frustration, I talked to the service manager at another dealership, and when he looked up the repair history and saw two attempts to fix the problem already, he essentially said they simply would not touch it.

    Now I have been lurking here and elsewhere for a while. And I have refrained from posting this, waiting to see if other folks report '...they all make that noise...' -- after all, maybe they changed something in the 07's and I wanted to give it a little time. But nowhere do I read any reports of a sound like this on an 07 or any other year.

    So, I pose this to all:

    Any 07 owners have a similar issue over bumps?
    Any suggestions on what I should do next?

    Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. I love the car, but I hate being beat up that it sounds like a piece of junk.

    [I should add, I have some high quality audio recordings made with mics positioned both beneath the dash and under the hood that I could post somewhere (or mail to the president of Toyota...) if anyone cares to hear.]

    Thanks, and sorry for the long post...
     
  2. gazz

    gazz Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(samdaman @ Jun 7 2007, 08:49 PM) [snapback]457736[/snapback]</div>
    Sorry I do not have the answer, but I have a similar noise. It is probably not as bad as yours as I do not find it that annoying and done nothing about it, does it get worse? Mine is a 2007 March car.
     
  3. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

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    Mine is a 2007 (manufactured Feb. 2007) and I have not ever noticed any type of unexpected noises from any bumps, by unexpected I mean anything that I would not have heard driving my previous car or the wife's car. I did used to have a slight rattle at lower speeds around the glove box area that I never figured out, but it went away.
     
  4. priusmaybe

    priusmaybe New Member

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    Does anyone think that is very lame and unethical that Toyota won't look at the car again???


    It would seem that would be illegal in light of lemon laws, etc.
     
  5. alvinator

    alvinator Junior Member

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    I had a similar noise in my 2007 from day one. I took it back to dealer within a week; they loosened all the suspension bolts and re torqued them and the noise went away.

    hope this helps.
     
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    go back to the first service manager and say "if they all do it, take me for a drive in another brand new one that does it. show me"

    if they refuse, they they must not all make that noise. they need to repair the car. if they refuse to touch it again, tell them you want a statement from them explaining that they will not repair your car. then, call an attorney because they're evading lemon law by refusing to even attempt a third repair. the other dealership won't touch it because they have one shot at fixing it and then the buyback would come out of their pockets.

    tell them if they give you a rental they can keep it as long as they like, as long as it gets fixed. this is shameful behavior on the part of the first dealership.
     
  7. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusmaybe @ Jun 8 2007, 01:09 PM) [snapback]458113[/snapback]</div>
    If it came down to it I would write a letter to your states attorney general about it, and see if anything happens. I bet you will immediately get their attention because the last thing the dealer or Toyota would want is bad press, and I think that most attorney general's offices loves to nail car companies and retailers. And if that is of no help you can tell your local tv station or newspaper and maybe they will send out their instigative reporter. (Investigative reporter)

    For a while I had thought about sticking a sign in my front yard saying Nationwide insurance handled my claim while parking my wife's car with the broken headlight and bumper behind it.
    I swear if my company State Farm doesn't get anything out of them for the hit and run guy that they insure, I am going to start an anti Nationwide website. At least try to get them to lose at least 10 times the money I lost.
     
  8. bgdrewsif

    bgdrewsif New Member

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    Hmm.. there is always a 'metalic rattlesnake' noise that comes from my front drivers side in the engine area... I think it has something to do with the hybrid system... its been there since day one and 20k+ miles later I figure it is normal... it usually happens when I begin braking after having not decelerated for a while...
     
  9. piusg

    piusg New Member

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    Before you guys start throwing around words like "Lemon Law," you should investigate how the Lemon Laws in your state are written.

    I know in Florida, the Lemon Law probably wouldn't cover a noise. According to the Florida Lemon Law:

    As irritating as the rattle or noise might be, it is my personal opinion you'd have a tough time convincing a Lemon Law arbitrator that it significantly impacts the use, value, or safety of the Prius in question.

    I do know that the Lemon Laws vary from state to state--and, at least in Florida, it's very difficult to get any kind of satisfaction from them unless one is willing to invest a significant amount of time, energy, and patience.

    As for the rattlesnake noise from the left front, my 2007 Prius does it too, under the same circumstances. I'm not curious enough to know what it is--it isn't that annoying.
     
  10. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    Oh, hey, I just ran across this thread or I would have chimed in
    earlier. Excellent description of the noise, and I wouldn't mind
    hearing your recordings [hopefully they're in a non-proprietary
    audio format]. My right front makes the same sort of sound over
    very particularly-timed bumps, and I tried pretty seriously to debug
    it last year. See http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/brakeclips.jpg
    .
    This is with the wheel off, two lugnuts back on to hold the caliper
    firmly on the hub, and tape around those so the washers wouldn't
    rattle. Then I went at the hub and brake caliper and whole suspension
    assembly with a rubber mallet, trying to duplicate the sound. The
    only thing that seemed to come close was the little spring-steel
    brake pad clips [orange arrows] rattling in place a little, or maybe
    the pads themselves. Couldn't find anything else, nothing's actually
    broken or missing and per the more recent inspection everything in
    there is in good shape. And yet the noise persists to this day.
    .
    I've ceased to worry about it.
    .
    _H*
     
  11. farrellcsun

    farrellcsun Junior Member

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    sorry i am replying so late, i just found this thread. My 07 Prius (manufactured 9/06) makes this same noise and seems to be coming from the front right. Your description of the noise is the most accurate i've read by far!! It makes me feel slightly better that others are experiencing it.

    I'll probably just bring it up next service (due 10k, i'm currently at 7k) and see if they come up with anything. I'll keep an eye on this thread in case anyone else comes up with a solution.
     
  12. samdaman

    samdaman Junior Member

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    Sorry, I missed the earlier request for the audio files.

    You can download a zip file from:

    http://www.users.fast.net/~clayschn/Prius.zip

    It contains four mp3 files:

    inside was recorded under the dash, just near the parking brake.
    outside was recorded near the top of the left front strut.
    outside_lower was recorded near the bottom rear of the inverter.
    outside_front was recorded near the radiator.

    The audio is 'looped' in each of the files, so the sound can be heard repeated without rewinding.

    If someone needs another audio format, let me know.

    I should note that since starting this thread, I sent an audio cd [with descriptions and a nice printed face] to Toyota USA, and have gotten some renewed interest. We'll see.

    Though at this point, I'm on the verge of just replacing both front struts with non-toyota [if I can find them] at my cost. I'm getting more and more convinced the strut is the source of the sound.
     
  13. farrellcsun

    farrellcsun Junior Member

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    Yep, that's the sound! Mine is coming from the right front side...well, keep us posted with any updates...i'll do the same after my next service. Great forum!
     
  14. samdaman

    samdaman Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(farrellcsun @ Oct 15 2007, 02:09 PM) [snapback]525918[/snapback]</div>
    Are you positive it is on the passenger side? If so, that would seem to eliminate one of the 'factory suggestions' -- namely, that it is the inverter mounting bolts not properly torqued -- and makes me again wanting to go off looking for non-toyota replacement struts...

    Update: a field engineer is now scheduled to look at mine on 10/26. [As a reminder, the last time, they looked at 'another one' on the lot -- not mine -- and proclaimed that 'they all do that'. But of note, they created a new case number, so I suppose that resets the 3x clock. Not that I care -- I just want it fixed. They made noises like they want to give me a loaner for the day, but you know, I think I just want to stick around and watch and listen...]
     
  15. farrellcsun

    farrellcsun Junior Member

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    Hi there,

    Yes, i'm 99% positive it is coming from the front right side. I'm tending to agree with you on the strut idea. Please let us know how the 10/26 svc. goes...i'm curious to know how it turns out. THanks, Farrell
     
  16. geezer07

    geezer07 Junior Member

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    I just stumbled onto this while I was searching the web for the EXACT same noise/problem. I have an 07 Touring that started making this noise after my move where I drove the Prius from Ga to Ca/ bout 2600 miles.
    I have been to the dealer as well with no luck and have done everything short of tearing apart the car trying to find this "noise".
    Please tell me you finally have an answer.
     
  17. daveleeprius

    daveleeprius Heh heh heh you think so?

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    well they don't all make that noise, we have an early 2007 (bought in late Oct 2006) and I haven't heard that noise when going over bumps.
     
  18. geezer07

    geezer07 Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveLeePrius @ Nov 8 2007, 09:08 PM) [snapback]537037[/snapback]</div>
    Mine was also sound as a rock in the beginning. But after 5-7hr on hwy 40 driving cross country the "noise" developed (along with some major back pain--that hwy should be shut down!).
     
  19. Deforest

    Deforest Junior Member

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    Re: 07 with anoying noise they can't fix [long]

    Have the same noise on a 2007 with about 8000 miles.
    It's been in the shop 4 times for this problem. They replaced front left shock (strut?) and the spring cover plate. That did no good. I just got it back today after 2 days in the shop, and they cannot find the source of the noise. (but they caused some other problems - front fender is not installed correctly - glove box will not open without pulling on it (I fixed that myself by removing the centre vent and re-installing it correctly) - and the drivers side arm rest is filthy.
    They said they have to check with Toyota to see what they suggest now.
    I played the sound files, and the noise I have is the same, except it can sound 2 or 3 times in a row if I hit the right kind of bump.
     
  20. riverfox

    riverfox New Member

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    Re: 07 with anoying noise they can't fix [long]



    I had the same problem with my 2007 prius touring. It was a rattle especially bad on rough roads/potholes. It came from the passenger side dash. I took it in to have it looked at. They installed a rattle kit. I believe it is essentially foam inserts that stabilize plastic pieces. It worked great.(for about one month). Now I have the same noise coming from the driver's side. I have yet to take it in again, but I'm assuming they can do it again. We'll see.