Weird ticking sound, please help *video*

Well I'm glad you got it fixed. My stealer wasn't all that interested in even driving the car to attempt to hear the noise. I was give the caveat " we'll have to charge you for the time we spend!" That choice piece of advice came from the service writer I deal with... I wasn't asking them to go cross country with me!

I assume that with 45, 500K on the car there's no warranty now on the drive train? It's been ticking like that intermittently for over a year I'd wager and its not getting worse. $772 sounds like Porsche prices. If there was a warranty on it I'd be all over it, but out of pocket right now I can't do that. Plus I still have to get all 4 of my rims replaced or repaired since they were scratched during the mounting of 4 new tires.

Glad you got it fixed and it's nice to know that I don't have the only one that makes the damned noise! Too bad there's no TSB on it, it would make things a lot easier.

Cheers!

"ES"

 

The service advisor warned there could be a $75 charge for taking things apart to see what's wrong. I had the regular service done same time, when the technician finally freed up to go for a ride, and heard it then determined what was wrong, they were very willing to repair it under warranty. Seems there is a known issue with this. I just shook my head knowing that I've hit some reasonably bad potholes, but nothing catastrophic.

 

I am in contact with the service manager who offered to go on a test drive with me at no charge. The dealer won't have to bill out his time as they would with a tech. So Hope springs eternal I guess. He sounded fine on the phone but didn't say " Oh we've seen a lot of bad axles or CV joints. At least he's willing to listen and maybe we can get this sorted out.

Does anyone have a recording of the actual sound they are hearing? The OP had a video attached with the sound but it's gone now did anyone save it? It'd be a great help, I have no way to record it, clearly a cell phone's mic isn't sensitive enough to do the job! If you have it please post it!

"ES"

 

Oh man, I think it would have been very difficult to record and hear the sound I had. It was just a clicking or ticking sound only noticeable at the lowest speeds. We're talking parking lot speeds or nearing a stop sign to go right. It was a pretty high rate of speed like 8 times a second. Not very loud but I couldn't miss it when it happened. Based on the noise I could really see it being a bad bearing which I guess was due to a bad pothole.

 

Believe it or not I was able to record the noise that I am hearing! I have also found out that I can duplicate the noise anytime I want, simply by applying the brakes to stop and turning the steering wheel to the right! It will NOT make the clicking noise when turning to the left. I have increased the volume level to make it easier to hear. I wonder if the noise I recorded is what you were all hearing? I only had to go 20 mph or slightly less to create the sound. To my ears this is not a wheel bearing noise, it has never gotten louder over time and I only hear it when braking and turning simultaneously. It doesn't make any noise when the wheel is straight and I apply the brakes.

This will make it dead easy for the service manager to hear, since he doesn't even have to drive the car. I should have done this months ago.... I have an appt on Wed this week.

"ES"

 

yup, that's the noise. i have it both left and right turns since 30,000 miles or so. i never bothered to bring it in as people at local dealerships are usually deaf (while covered by warranty).

edit: i had to click POST at least 10 times to post it.

 

Hi friendly_jacek,

Makes me wonder why there wasn't a recall on this, since so many people have it. Of course Porsche did the same thing, IE: no recall or warranty coverage of the Intermediate Shaft Bearing, which when it failed, would destroy the engine. Even when they did decide to cover it, (Class Action Lawsuit) it was only for a certain engines and years of vehicles. I'd caution anyone considering a used Porsche, to NOT buy anything under a 2009 year model. Porsche finally did away with the IMS entirely.

If it was my Prius I'd be calling the Toyota rep and get them to hear it and get it fixed before your 60k drive train warranty blows up!

Thanks for listening and confirming.
Best wishes.

"ES"

 

I'm 3 Months and 10,000 Miles away from being out of my extended warranty. I have always reported my front wheel ticking sound to the dealer and it's well documented with my dealer, but they never hear it. I've finally made a video with audio documenting it on the drivers side.
My hope is that the dealer will accept my video as proof that this is really happening.
I'll try post a video for others to see and hear if it is the same problem others are having.
Has anyone else had success with presenting a video of the main CV axel ticking problem to a dealer for repair?

 

Today I drove around with the service manager, after I played the cell phone recording I had made of the clicking sound. He was able to hear it right away, thank heavens. Then he and the master tech went out and came back with the pronouncement that they would replace the axle, even though I am slightly over the time period of 5 years for the drive train warranty!

Why don't you listen to the recording I have posted and see if it's the same noise that you hear. If it is, use it as proof of your noise. It would help if you can figure out how to make the noise happen repeatedly, so there's no way they won't hear it. Not sure what good a video will be unless it shows something loose that shouldn't be loose.

In my case I could reproduce the noise by getting up to about 20mph hitting the brakes to slow down, and simultaneously turning slightly right.. It will not make the noise if I turn left or if I put the steering wheel hard lock, one way or the other and accelerate. It only shows up for me by doing what I indicated above. Yours may be different.

Good Luck,

"ES"

 

Problem solved. Yesterday the left axle was replaced at no charge by the dealer. No more clicking noise! Was very nice of them to do it even though I was a month or so over the 5 year time period but not the mileage. Kudos to them.

 

Since putting bags on my 2015 Prii, I've been able to drive around at various ride heights. Stock height I hear no noise however the lower I go the more I hear the clicking. Once I'm back at ride height it's gone.


iPhone ?

 

I can't say how the modified suspension is going to be received when you ask for warranty coverage. The variable ride height will be blamed for the noise, I am betting. It's easy to see that changing the angle of the axle puts more load, or less, on the axle splines. Good luck getting them to cover it under warranty. Changing the left axle fixed my clicking noise see my post #205 with the sound attached as a .zip file.

"ES"

 

What warranty repair......who said anything about the warranty. There is no issue with the axles. The purpose of my post was to state that the noise is not permanent.

This is my 3rd Prii & 2 nd gen3 so this not my 1st rodeo.

My '12 Prii was on lowered suspension from 25k miles to 145k miles. When Put the stock suspension back on the noise went away.

My '15 Prii was ordered with the PPP kit so it had factory installed TRD springs. From 1 mile to 20k miles there was no noise. It started shortly after 20k & now that I can bring the car back to its designed ride height, the noise is gone.

So I'm going to say it once more. There is no problem with the axles. Go ahead & have them replaced under warranty.......the noise will come back.

 

So I'm going to say it once more. some of us have no modified suspension, but clicking is there and getting worse. the fact that you repeat false statement doesn't make it true.

 

Who's repeating false statements????? Im not say ur only hearing things am I.......or did I miss something?

I'm only stating my own personal experience. Have I stated that this is not an issue with stock suspension? No.

The face that u guys are taking my statements so personal is pretty comical :lol:

 

It's been about 2 months and 500 miles since my 2011's left front axle was replaced due to ticking noise and the noise is still gone.
Pun intended, but the whole car will likely be gone soon since it's ad'd on Craigslist as of last night.

 

The ticking noise is something the Prius tends to do, whether lowered or not. Has anyone found out if this issue is because something is broken or cracked and will eventually get worse? I have the noise (at 10K) and it doesn't bother me, but if something is broken, I will take it in.

 

my prius makes exactly the same noise when slowing down to a stop and turf all the way to the left. It happen after I put coilover on at 40xxx miles, now it has 92xxx miles and...thanks God, my car still intact. The noise's still there. I don't know my car can make 300,000 miles or not. Little bit scarry

 

I'm sure there are plenty of Prius taxi's in NYC that have far more than that on them! So go for it and see how you get on!

That noise, however annoying, doesn't seem to hurt anything but the owners ears. From where I sit, harmful or not it, shouldn't be making any sort of noise. I hate it when a dealer says " Oh they ALL do it" lol, NO they don't, hell if the car made that noise when it was brand new, how may do you think they'd be able to sell?

Or better yet, if the noise is a feature, think of all the owners who'd be back at the dealer saying " Hey where's that neat clicking noise you advertised? My car isn't doing it! " <grin>

Good Luck,

"ES"

 

I thought I would add my experience with this clicking noise while breaking and turning under 30mph. I noticed around 60k mi on driver's side. Then eventually got worse as in louder. Passenger side was also ticking but not as loud as driver's side. Been trying to get this fixed for quite some time (over 2 years) and many dealers. Finally had it fixed! I had both front axles replaced. No more ticking from either side. I barely got it fixed before my warranty ends. My vehicle is all stock and hasn't been lifted. I bought it brand new. It was about $800 per side for replacement @toyota. Drive next to curbs and somewhere quiet so they can hear the clicking noise w/windows down. I also noticed it more under same condition when driving downhill and car was under load.