Gen 3 Dashboard rattles & creaks

Went to the dealer today, and they seem to have fixed the rattles ... for now.
Tony Graham Toyota in Ottawa, ON

 

Dealer fixed rattles under dash!

I just got my car back too from Camelback Toyota. They did a nice job of adding foam rubber and felt pads under the dash plate. It was a huge job which took 2 days to complete. Maybe they were extra busy as they were open on Monday. A lot of folks who had the day off might have brought their cars in for service.

I do have some tips to share here if you go the dealer-fix route:

1) Make sure you bring it in on a cold morning as I've found ticks and rattles are the worst when the car is cold. Do not run the heater as once the interiors are warm, some noises tend to go away.

2) Have the technician ride with you at the time you drop off the car in order to demonstrate the noise. Many dealers want you to prove there is a problem - mine did. The problem was they called me back that afternoon for the "proof" and of course, it was tougher to re-create some intermittent noises on a sunny afternoon.

3) TSB-0141-10 is only applicable to the upper windshield noise issue cured by spacers. I tried to use it in the problem description and got "shot down". If you have dash plate rattles in a Gen 3, there is no specific TSB for it at this time.

4) Be nice. I found that being pleasant and assuring the service rep and tech that I would give good referrals and praise paid off.
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All the work was covered under original warranty but I did without a rental car. So far (and I've driven it all over today) all the ticks, rattles and dash noises have been cured. I am so relieved it's over! I hope it stays this way.

Oh, and to those who discovered the loose bolts in the console - I solved that one long ago but did add a hefty piece of foam rubber between the sky-bridge and the center console tucked low and out of sight. Those rattles were fairly easy to solve.

 

Wow, almost as soon as I typed my last reply here stating that the rattles were fixed, they're back. The winter here is colder than ever so this morning the rattles came back. *sigh*

 

My dash only rattles on the left during cold weather (below 60). Other than that, no dash noise...

But I always have the noise from the latching system of the rear seat (passenger side). Dealer wants a full day to check it out...haven't time to drop it off for that long yet.

 

Re: Dealer fixed rattles under dash!

Greg, who was your service advisor?

 

I guess it's OK to drop names here - even if the world sees it as I have high praise for the way I was treated at Camelback Toyota in Phoenix. Again, this was not the dealership I purchased my Prius at so I wondered how it would work out. They were very nice to me so I can recommend the dealership based on my experience.

Ask for West Ballard as he understands the issues with the G3 dashboard noises. Be prepared to leave your car overnight as the job can take up to 2 days to complete. Also ask for Scott as the tech - he did a great job on my car and so far, no noises from the dash on the coldest of mornings here. Be prepared (in fact, insist on it before you leave) to test drive the car with the tech riding along to prove and point out the noises. Otherwise, you could be called back in later on in the day for the proof which could be very inconvenient for you. This is best done early in the morning when it's cold out. Funny thing is, when it warms up or the car warms up, some noises go away. Avoid running the heater on the way to the dealership. You want it cold in the car to maximize the dash noises. Good luck.

 

My 2010 Prius V has less than 2000 miles and has already developed an annoying rattle in the dash area on the passenger side. Depends on the rpm of the engine. Hard to drive and determine exact location. It is disappointing.

 

Is it kind of a buzzing noise when the engine reaches a certain RPM? If so, it's in the passenger A/C vent tube.

 

My rear spoiler is loose. Only have 1600 miles on the car. Are these prone to getting loose?

 

Thanks, that's good to know. That's funny because I kept wondering if it was the vent. Is there a particular fix?

 

My spoiler got loose as well. I took it to the dealer and they supposedly fixed it. It got loose again after a few days so I took the liberty of retightening it myself. I also added some felt tabs where the spoiler meets the sheet metal.

 

Passenger A/C vent tube

My dealer reduced the noise significantly by adding foam rubber everywhere the vent comes in contact with something under the dash. I can still get it to buzz now and then since I know the RPM go get the vibration. It's a design flaw not easily cured. The profile of the vent tube is high and runs along the base of the dash plate. I'm adding denser foam to see if I can mitigate it. If I can solve it 100%, I will pass along the fix.

But as for the rest of the dash noises, the dealer did a great job and the car is very quiet now. I'm happy albeit a bit anal about a quiet ride!

 

My 2010 4 also creaks and rattles on the passenger side of the dash. 7500 miles. It's worse when cold. It is very disappointing considering the cost of the vehicle. Dealer is not able to do much and probably not interested either.

 

Re: Passenger A/C vent tube

Please pass along the name of your dealer, and service agent. I have had my vehicle in twice to Desert Toyota in Tucson and have made no progress on addressing my creaks and rattles.

 

Re: Passenger A/C vent tube

Camelback Toyota - West Ballard service rep. Ask for "Scott" to do the work. He is very skilled at dash work and has done this before. But since you are in Tucson, this could be very inconvenient for you as the service is 2 days. Unless you had a reason to be in Phoenix for a few days and could rent a car, this is a long distance "crap shoot". The buzzing noise I discovered is way deep in the lower right far corner of the dash. It seems to originate under the right dash speaker. I found out how to remove the right side curtain air bag cover trim and then the mini-plate just under the right front corner window. I need to get a friend to drive me around so I can reach around down there and discover the noise. It is intermittent so I don't fault my dealer for not finding it. I will post back when that one is solved too. Good luck.

 

You're not alone. Our 2010 Prius with 8,000k has had way too many rattles from the start. There are two vibrations under the dash on certain road surfaces. The glove compartment rattles constantly. A center console rattle was fixed during the first service, but is recurring. The rear headrests rattle. During our third dealer visit, the tech fixed a rattle over the battery pack. All these are getting worse, and the service manager said he would arrange a meeting with a district tech manager, but we're considering invoking the California lemon-law and looking at (and listening to) the Lexus c200h when it arrives. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. JN

 

Jnelsonmd, are you sure you want to buy another car made by the same company? My Prius has been plagued with rattles since it was new, much worse in winter. I think of it as a Medusa, I fix one rattle and two more pop up. Toyota will have to demonstrate some kind of commitment, other that verbal, toward improved quality control and customer service before I will even consider another of their products.

 

I don't think you will have success invoking the lemon law. Items covered under that law are related to the manufacturer not being able to fix warranty issues, primarily ones that pose a significant safety risk. Unfortunately creaks and rattles are not listed in the warranty. Trying to fix them is a goodwill gesture by the dealer, even if there is a TSB for the problem.

Consumers - Motor Vehicle Warranty and Lemon Law - California Dept. of Justice - Office of the Attorney General

 

+1

 

Re: Gen 3 Dashboard rattles & creaks. Get a civic.

I just drove my wife's 2009 Civic. It has about the same millage as my 2010 Prius. The Civic is tight and quite. It was such a pleasure to drive after the rattle trap Prius. I don't know but the rattles make the Prius feel looser even in the way it handles.

I much prefer the non shifting nature of the Prius and the way it is dead quite at stops.

I have a 1987 Landcruiser that I've owned since new. 200K miles two teenagers, fresh heavy duty leaf springs suspension, stiff as hell and some pretty rough driving and it has no where near the rattles of the Prius, in fact it really doesn't rattle at all. I can remember one drive of about 50 miles over fresh deep snow that created some sort of wash board effect that was so sever the roof was wobbling up and down and after a couple of hours of that no rattles, except my teeth. On the down side 13MPG