TC-Maverick

OK, I'm pretty hot about this F'ing noise coming from the dash up near the windshield. It's hit an miss but I've concluded it is wind related as it only happens with higher speed and changes intensity at varying speeds. I get up to speed, put it in neutral and let the Rpms drop to idle but noise stays consistent
with speed. I shut AC off with no effect either. It'll rarely start doing it @ about 50mph. At the beginning or lowest intensity it sounds like a very loud AC fan. @ about 80mph it sounds like I'm being followed by a Harley. I check near the wipers and under the hood for loose parts or panels and found a rusty
razor blade a responsible dealership employee left behind. After taking that out it still does it from time to time.

What is really aggravating aside from the noise is the inconsistent occurrence and the dealerships response that they will not open the vents. Because to me.. it would seem the vibration is coming from inside the AC vents. Either something in there that should not be or a piece of plastic that's loose and vibrating
like a reed on a saxophone. Based on how hard it vibrates when I take it up to a 100, hoping if its something lodged it will vibrate loose, I believe its loose plastic. They said they would drive it up and down the highway (burning up my gas) trying to hear it. And if I'm unlucky enough for it to not happen then I'm stuck.

Anyone else have this happen?

__________________

VVTinme

I've got a non-stop rattle in the dashboard on the left side. Good luck getting it fixed--that's all I have to say. Toyota dealerships are about as useful as a screen-door on a submarine.

TC-Maverick

Wow..

No wonder the guy at the dealership didn't seem to be listening or taking notes on what I was saying about the symptoms and contributing factors..
Seemed like no matter what I was saying they would take it and do what they had their mind set on.. wasting my time with an ineffective approach to troubleshooting. You'd think he'd take notes after I said it is an inconsistently occurring problem and have observed variables that contribute and factors that don't.

::Lost more Faith in Dealership service centers::

emartin

I too have a similar problem as to what Maverick described. I have a 2011 Scion tC and at higher speeds (60 - 80 mph) there is a vibrating noise like a reed and as the velocity of the car subsides the noise goes away.
The noise is intermittent and sounds to me like it is occurring in the area above the visor on the passenger side and perhaps is related to wind seeping into the sun roof and causing the wind deflector (which is made of fabric) to vibrate.

It's quite annoying when it occurs and I'm really disappointed in this defect in the vehicle. Not sure what to do about it.

_____

rackatak

I have had the same noise. I had the same issue on my 2006 Tacoma. It is the weather strip across the top of the windshield. In certain conditions wind will lift it and it will start to vibrate against the windshield. Next time you hear it, put your hand at the top of the windshield above the mirror and see if you can feel the vibrations with your hand.

Druidiron

I have had this noise since day one. I am pretty sure that it is the plastic cowl piece(s) at the rear of the hood, just below the windshield.
I too have been to the dealer twice about it. The first time, they dident even drive my car and came back with my wedding ring that was sitting under the radio!~ The secound trip, they kept if over night and said they figured it out. They blamed it on zip ties I had used to install my Audi lights.
Anyway, Im 99.9% sure its the cowling, and I am going to take it off, and put some foam around where it touches the metal undernearth and see if that does the trick.

TC-Maverick

yeah I agree. One day I was about to freak out cause my 2 12" subs struggle to drown it out when its at its best. So I pulled over an I put wet wipe packets that you get from restaurants in between the cowl pieces and the metal it rests on...
Hoping this would do the trick, because you can clearly see and feel (on mine at least) how the clips barely secure this plastic down. It wobbles significantly to the touch. It did not make the noise go away completely but seem to change the vibration pattern. Like holding a higher note on a guitar neck. More padding is needed apparently but I refuse to ______-rig my car to the point it looks like $#!t.

Just yesterday I was at the dealer for two noises..
1. This
2. A strange pop/click in the steering action. Which can be faint at times but definitely something that shouldn't be happening. Pop or click in the feel means something not moving smoothly (one way or the other) but to me feels like a bolt isn't tightened down quite enough and under the right strain will click or pop.

This day service consultant Ron Poblacion sits in with me for a ride-along...
Issue number one never showed itself on the very rushed ride-along. Ron instructed me to take a quick route in a circle not giving much chance for this on and off annoyance to appear.
Issue number two occurred the moment I turned the car on and rotated the wheel a 1/4 turn to the left. Immediately I pointed it out to him.. He shrugged it off like oh thats nothing...
Nothing until something in the steering comes apart or fails and I end up hurt and my whole family get FR-s'

Backinblacktc2

iTrader: (1)

Damn I hate that rattle it's loud,annoying, and comes and goes. Mabye some insulating foam will work in the cowl. O yeah lets not forget to mention the random popping/ cracking noise from the headliner.

TC-Maverick

No Denying it now Toyota!
Finally got it on tape...

Tell me this noise wouldn't make you wanna shoot yourself after driving 5 minutes....

http://youtu.be/qmhlByGiXfI

VVTinme

Are you really surprised that Toyota won't fix it? Look at my thread after all. My engine rattles, my transmission groans, my dash rattles, etc. and nothing has been fixed. You need to raise hell with them.

TC-Maverick

Surprised? U kidding? Of course I'm not. Its the reason I have HUGE trust issues with people who handle my car. This realm and the Banking realm are where Americans are taken advantage of the most.. Simply because the service sought after is likely beyond the comprehension of the consumer. A lot of people get screwed over because they don't know better. But I screw back..

Yeah.. I'm not letting it go.

VVTinme

Good luck and keep us posted!

TC-Maverick

So Corporate contacts me. Gave em all I could muster from the top of my head.
So they're going to have someone contact me and track this progress... stay tuned.

fongyz

The cowl noise is a known issue in the 1st gens as well; for me it's on my passenger side, replacing those cheap plastic push-pin clips would help hold the cowl down at high speeds and especially as temps drop the cowl area stiffens up =P so it would rattle more.

HockTc2011

i had the same problem an ab 5 times of taking it to the dealership finally found out what it was the rubber strip between the windshield an the top of the car gets loose an wind vibrates it. They called the glass guy out an put some epoxy in there an its fixed. an if your not sure if this is your problem put painters tape over that strip going across the whole windshield an get on the free way do ab 90 is where mine done it. but mine is fixed now.

ruben7475

so what really is the problem? Im sorry but i took mine to the dealer also and they couldnt find anything... I keep explaining to my friends that i mustve ran over something but the storys getting old... its quite embarrassing if you ask me...

Rageboardr

So I have a 2011 tC and have this ridiculous vibrating noise coming from the front of the car. I think it is coming from the windshield area, possibly the seal along the top. I hear it most on the passenger side when i am traveling at highway speeds. I visited the dealer about it and he suggested that it may be coming from the sunroof screen, but I am not convinced. When i hear it next, I will experiment more with the screen and sunroof just to be sure. He said that the other tC's on the lot were having the same problem so he is opening a file on it with Toyota. I am supposed to hear back something in a few days. Has anyone with this problem been able to find a resolution, or confirm the source of the vibration? I would say that it seems to happen more when it is warmer outside. I can hear it regardless of if the sunroof is open or closed, and have pressed the airdam down just to check that as well. Pressing on the closed sunroof yields no change either, but pressing the windshield does change the sound a bit. I wont push to hard however for fear. I too have a video on my phone which i showed the dealer. If i can figure out how I will upload it as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Xander2011

I have the exact same problem in my 2011 tC. The weird and ANNOYING thing about it is that it doesn't do it often. I only say this because if it did, i would take it to Toyota and have the service advisor drive with me. I also noticed that it only does it when its really hot outside (85-100 deg). My rattle starts at about 20 mph and stops right around when I get to 60 mph. I rattles faster and faster as I approach 60 but after that, it stops. I heard that it was the windsheild being improperly installed. The sealants used weren't applied correctly.

To this day my car still makes this noise only because when I take it in, it doesn't make the noise when I nor the advisor drives it. Of course, thats what usually happens when you take something in to get serviced.

Here is a video I found on youtube. Apparently, noise can come from different parts of the windshield. The noise on this guys windshield is coming from the top while mine is at the bottom, dead center.

adanruiz2010

So I had the same freaken problem I spent a month with Toyota and having them take and keep my cars for days on end. I'm in Albuquerque and they had a tech from the Denver Region for Toyota come down because i found a video on YouTube that some one recorded I actually record the sound of it also and they still didn't believe me. To top things off though I had a small crack on the windshield and they did not want to touch the windshield even when i was going to pay for it and have them fix this ____en Noise. I took it to a windshield place and dropped 350 for a new ____en windshield and he was able to fix it. I saw earlier in the Spread about the Rubber gasket on the top of the window and he said that is what is making the sound check this guys video out he recorded a video i only have the sound PS. Dealerships are scamming people i went a total of about 6 days in October with out a car and the window guy fixed it in 2 hours. If that.

solaragts

Exactly as described in the video the guy took while driving & posted.

Problem is not the cowl at the windshield. It is the cover at the front above radiator and hood latch. The neck on the push pins is too long so cover is not secured. Put 1/4" Fender Washers on the pins and it will take up the free play.

Also we put thin foam around the underside perimeter & also clear silicone adhesive along the back. Foam probably wasn't necessary but the silicone rubber probably is.

See picture if I have posted correctly (first time). If not email me and I will send the photo.

I know this works. Took trip from SC to Tampa varying speeds, etc. Been a month and not a peep !