Toyota Camry Rattles

andrelaplume · January 2003

brought my rattles back worse than ever. I am pissed. If this persists thru the Spring I am having the dealer start to rip the thing apart. If they can not fix it I will sell the beast and with the $$ I get buy a new Taurus which I will dump every three years. It will rattle but I at least I will expect that!

(had to blow off that steam!)

c01 · January 2003

Stuart: The is no better way to insult a Canadian than to call him/her an American.

BTW it is a well documented fact --the quality of the Canadian Toyota plant is far above that of its American counterpart.

badgerfan · January 2003

You likely won't get any rattles in your new Taurus-my 2000 is solid as a rock and going on it's third year and 23K miles. You won't need to dump it after three years either. Reliability is now dead even with Camry.

Heck, my '90 Taurus I had for 10 years and 98K before I sold it. It never had one rattle in all that time. Toyota zealots may find it hard to believe, but it is my true experience.

Get a loaded Taurus SES or SEL new with 24 valve Duratec V-6 for around $17-$19K, save a lot of money and wave your rattletrap Toyota goodby.

rubicon52 · January 2003

"The Toyota plant in Canada is at least on par with the Japanese plants for quality which is the reason for Lexus coming here."

"BTW it is a well documented fact --the quality of the Canadian Toyota plant is far above that of its American counterpart."

The above quotes imply that some type of quality measurements are available for Toyota's Japanese, Canadian, and American plants. I would be very interested in knowing these numbers.

andrelaplume · January 2003

I was a big Ford fan and greatly appreciated the strives in quality they put into the Mystique (my prior car) My car before that was a Topaz---which I must add though much maligned was always serviced and never had any problems for the 7 years and 90K miles I owned it. Sadly though Ford created the Mystique, a car that drove better and was tighter than most imports but they never worked the bugs out of that mechanical nightmare before they dropped it. Then came out with the Focus; another disaster. As far as the Taurus, 3 people I have known have needed assortments of annoying minor repairs and two needed new trannys with less than 60K. I guess if you have an extended warranty on the Ford you are covered but who needs the hassle of visiting the service center all the time. Now between me and you I'd expect a new generation Taurus to be out soon...but based on the crap they have been putting out I remain skeptical--I expect the current Taurus will end up being more mechanically sound than the new one. I really do feel bad too...the service at my Mercury dealer was superior to any other brand I have owned. Loaner cars, 2 way shuttles, free car washes....still I just feel I got to know the staff a little too well what with all the time I spent there. I will say this, if the Camry does not work out, I'll switch back, save $$$ and live with the extra repairs.

nippononly · January 2003

J E: I was not implying that Canadians were part of the U.S. , just that they are living in the AMERICAS, which makes them Americans. For that matter, mexicans are Americans too. And I was referring to someone else's comments by the way...let's not be so touchy...

rubicon: JD Power has given awards for build quality to the plant in Cambridge Ontario, as well as several other plants in North America, including a runner-up award to NUMMI in Fremont, CA, which builds corollas, and Tacomas, as well as the Pontiac Vibe.

Toyota must rate the Cambridge plant highest among factories in foreign countries (foreign to japan that is!) since they have chosen it to build the first lexus ever to be built outside Japan. (the RX330 - production just began last week)

c01 · January 2003

Stuart: No touchiness intended--just merely stating the facts about how Canadiens perceive the yankee giant.

The Cambridge plant--next to home plants rate higher in quality, productivity, more manageable work force etc. than the other non home plants.

rubicon52 · January 2003

You wrote a sensible summary on the reliability of various Ford models (both minor and major problems such as failed transmissions). You also made a valid point that even when repairs are covered under warranty, there is still the aggravation and time lost in dealing with the service department. Yet, you're still considering trading a Toyota with minor problems (rattles) for a Ford with both minor AND major problems? Even if all of the Ford's problems are covered by warranty, don't you think the aggravation of frequent visits to the Ford dealer is going to be as aggravating as the Toyota rattles? Your plan of trading the Ford every 3 years to prevent out of warranty problems will be WAY more expensive than owning a Toyota for 5-6 years because of the way Fords depreciate. I sympathize with your disappointment in Toyota build quality. My 2001 Solara seems to have some build quality glitches that my previous 6 Toyotas did not (the Solara BTW was built in one of Toyota's fabulous Canadian plants).

rubicon52 · January 2003

There are quite a few forums here at Edmunds discussing apparent declines in build quality at Toyota and Honda. If you look at what Toyotas cost 8 years ago versus today in constant dollars, Toyotas are actually cheaper today than they were 8 years ago. This can only be done by aggressive cost cutting. I believe Toyota and Honda have tried to cut costs while preserving their traditional power train reliability. The result has been some decline in build quality. Toyota and Honda could have maintained or even improved build quality and let their prices rise, but they made a business decision not to. Toyota and Honda depend on selling large numbers of cars. If they let their prices rise (compared to their competition) their market would get smaller. I'm not sure that Edmunds posters represent the overall car market. For example, my 2001 Toyota has a misaligned glove box door and change drawer and a loose piece of window trim. Do you think the average Toyota buyer is willing to pay more money to not have these misalignments? Do you think the average Toyota buyer could even detect these trim problems? Even Mercedes Benz does not have the luxury of building the best cars regardless of cost anymore. Compare the current S-class to the previous S-class in terms of the quality of materials and build quality.

badgerfan · January 2003

Badmouthing Fords by sighting a few people who hav had problems is sensible, while complaining about Toyota rattles is not? Seems to me a bit of double standard going on here.

Fact is all manufacturers have had and will have some issues cropping up from time to time, for example Toyota's sludge problems, Honda's transmission problems, etc.

I am not trying to tell anyone that any particular manufacturer walks on water, just to point out there are many alternatives to Camry, Taurus being one, that have been strongly improving in reliability as well as build quality, and they can be purchased new for many thousands less, comparably equipped. And, based on my admittedly small sample of two Tauri purchased ten years apart, rattle free, with zero transmission and engine problems.

vicever · January 2003

My new camry start rattles after 1500 miles. It is high pitch rattle, very annoying to me. But it is not always there. It seems emitted from seat belt. It is not loud, as loud as the rattles form key chain, but at a very high frequency so it is obvious especially at low speed when the cabin is quite.
My taurus rattles like crazy whenever it hit a bump, sometimes I think the radio could drop. It is a design issue, because it seats 6 and there is no support under the panel. The taurus idles very loud compared to Camry which is hard to hear anything until it is moving. The taurus had a blown gasket on its first owner, if it happens to me anytime, I will trash it and buy another car. All in all, camry is better. It is better designed, it has better power even with I4 instead of 3.8 V6 and higher MPG. If it does not rattle, it could be perfect for 18,500 with LE trim. It does has almost everything I desired except heated mirror and ABS.

andrelaplume · January 2003

My frustration with the Fords drove me to Toyota where I spent quite a bit more for some things I am finding were more perceived than realistic. I guess I have my moments (perhaps some guilt too) where I say to myself, hey I did not get the crown Jewel I thought I was going to get with the camry and perhaps the Taurus would have been worth the cost savings over said Camry even with the more frequent service visits. I have to live with the Camry for a few years I guess to make a more rational judgement.

One thing is certain, Ford is not nearly as bad as loyal Toyota/Honda owners make it and Toyota is not quite as 'perfect' as the same loyal Toyota owners tend to protray their cars. My guess is that the Toyota owners have a bit more pride in there cars (?) and are just more defensive.

Time will tell...

badgerfan · January 2003

I can understand your going to Camry based on some bad experience with your Mystique. I had bad experiences with a Chevy Celebrity in the mid 80's and haven't been back to GM since. Fortunately, my two Tauri have given very good service.

Call me the one of last of the "old fashioned" holdouts, but I will stick with Taurus and likely whatever it's Ford successors are until I personally experience significant reliability issues. As long as there are good (and less expensive) cars that have their origins in fully US owned companies, designed by US engineers, built by US workers and containing over 90% US built components as Taurus is, I prefer keeping as much of the dollars I spend supporting the US economy.

Ok, I am getting off my soapbox. In your shoes, I would keep after your dealership and Toyota to get your rattles fixed under warranty. While rattles may be considered minor, I find them to be very annoying, as they are a constant, incessant, irritating reminder of a flaw and if not fixed, you get a reminder of the problem nearly every minute you are driving.

rubicon52 · January 2003

Not sure that I would say Andrelaplume was "badmouthing" Fords. I reviewed his post and the worst single thing he said about Fords was to call the Focus "another disaster". Got out my 2002 CR Car Annual. Of 14 cars in the "small cars" category, the Focus was the least reliable with almost 80% more problems than the average car. Sounds like "disaster" was the right word.

Also, nothing wrong about complaining about Toyota build quality. In my own post I stated that I thought Toyota build quality had declined and cited 3 examples on my own Toyota.

I sense that you're looking to make the case that Ford reliability is now equal or better than Toyota reliability. Again, going back to the CR 2002 car issue, in 14 categories of vehicles (small cars, family cars, large cars, etc.) Toyota is number one in 7 of 14 categories (Infiniti is second with 3). Ford is number one in 0 of 14 categories. Still looks like day and night to me.

badgerfan · January 2003

I was not talking about all Ford vehicles in general, just Taurus. If you happen to pick up a copy of the CR 2003 New Car Buying Guide, put out on the news stands a few months ago, you will see in their writeup that current gen Camry has slipped to "average". The reasons? Primarily rattles. So now Taurus and Camry are both rated average by CR. As far as Focus goes, yes it had a lot of well publicized teething problems. However note, since all cars in general have gotten much better, even a Focus with "80% more problems than the average car" is still likely much better than the average car of just a few years ago.

rubicon52 · January 2003

You say that you weren't referring to Fords in general, just the Taurus. The first two words of you post #115 are "badmouthing Fords" not "badmouthing Taurus". You dismiss the dismal reliability numbers of the Focus as "teething problems" because it is new. Yet, you don't offer that excuse for the new Camry. I think that teething problems play a role in both sets of numbers. In time, I imagine we'll see the Focus numbers improving to slightly below average or average reliability and the Camry numbers improve to better than average reliability.

Basically, Toyotas have ranged from average reliability to much better than average reliability. Fords range from much worse than average reliability to average reliability. In other words, the least reliable Toyotas are equal to the most reliable Fords.

badgerfan · January 2003

I am not defending all Ford products, nor am I condeming Toyotas, Camry or other models. I just can't abide the people who have the attitude that Toyota or any manufacturer can do no wrong, then are astonished when they find out otherwise. Likewise, I cannot abide people who think Ford can do nothing right either, thus dismissing the entire product line.

I am done posting on this board, back to Camry rattles issues only. Andrelaplume, good luck. I hope you get the rattles resolved.

andrelaplume · January 2003

If todays Camry is cheaper in $$$ than the 8 year old one then may I surmise that 8 years ago the Camry's were relatively MORE expensive. Yet they still were big sellers and from everything I have seen on these boards 'better' cars...ie less rattles and body integrety problems. If they could make a better car and sell it for more 8 years ago why not now? I think they are heading down a dangerous path....I hope I am wrong and some real action is taken soon...not just PR statements that claims wrongs were righted and customers are now satisfied.

I did not mean to offend any Ford buyers. I truely wish they would get their act together on all there cars...ironically my experience was Ford was making strikes in just the area the Camry is failing...body integrity and plastics, etc....they really need to get mechanical side in order though. Again I am not picking on the Taurus, considered by most to be close to an average performer. Note however it's replacement is not out yet and new releases have not been favorable lately.

rubicon52 · January 2003

I think I understand your question about relative cost, but I can't answer it because I don't know how the costs of competitors cars have changed.

I have a 95 Camry and a 01 Solara. In terms of 1995 dollars both cars cost the same. However, the Solara has thousands of dollars of features that my Camry doesn't (leather seats, alloy wheels, auto climate control, power drivers seat, CD player, JBL sound system, auto dimming mirror). Because both cars cost the same, but the Solara has many more features, I contend that Toyotas have gotten cheaper. However, I also think the build quality is not as good in the Solara - a few pieces of misaligned interior trim and a rattle or two.

There is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of Toyota buyers would be willing to live with a little less build quality to gain lots of features. I know this and Toyota, Honda, and Mercedes Benz know this. As I said before, I wonder how many Toyota buyers could even detect misaligned trim. The nice thing about Toyota Motor Corp is that if you want the great build quality AND the extra features and are willing to pay more, they offer it in Lexus.

yanker · January 2003

I have a 96 Camry and we own a97 Camry and a 2000 Avalon. Two rattles in 250000 miles both show up when it is cold very cold. I'm willing to gamble on a Toyota but I find the pricing and attitude of the dealers hard to fathom. I may just take an Accord when the snow melts. AS for Ford I had an 84 wagon that they said needed a short block at 66000 miles. I have no short block but do have a short fuse about Ford.

jdeib · February 2003

To respond to duhlynn's post of a few weeks ago.

I have a 2002 SE 4 Cyl that I have had since Dec 31, 2001. It has 24,000 miles and it developed a similiar rattle in the right front strut at the 20,000 mile mark. I was on my way out of town for a long road trip, and by the time I got back to town, I noticed that the front strut on the left side was starting to make the same noise. So, I made an appointment and my dealer looked at it the next morning. It turns out that there is now a TSB for this problem. It is a 2003 TSB and they referenced it on my work order. (sorry I don't have that at the moment) Anyway, the problem is that the strut tower bolts need to be re-torqued. I am glad to report that it works. If you have this issue, see your dealer, they should be aware of it by now. I'll post the TSB number tomorrow.

Hope this helps.

Jayme

andrelaplume · February 2003

..perhaps TSB will come along for these rattles too...?

efontaine · February 2003

I own a 1996 Camry LE 4-door sedan. It has approx. 140,000 miles on it. When I am approaching 20-25 mph while decreasing speed, my car starts to rattle and vibrate. I notice a bounce to my car, up and down. Similar to that, when at idle, the car vibrates. Any possible solutions?

andrelaplume · February 2003

Have you had your tires balanced and rotated lately? An Alignment? Perhaps you are due?

efontaine · February 2003

Tires have all been done. I don't think it is the tires because the problems would be present at all speeds. This is only happening when I am approaching idle speed or at idle speed.
I was told to see if it is a vaccuum hose or possibly a sensor. I am going to check tomorrow.

canoe2 · February 2003

Suspect rubbers for engine mounting are worn out

nippononly · February 2003

could be a torque converter going bad and dragging down the idle to speeds that cause the engine to lug and shake. What does the tachometer tell you?

Could be you have a bad sensor or hose causing a rough idle? But then it would idle rough all the time most likely.

Does it ever feel like it is going to stall sitting with drive gear engaged waiting at a light?

lugwrench · February 2003

My brother just bought a 2003 Camry LE and it is rattle free. He has owned it since November and it is very quiet. I have ridden in other Camrys and never have ridden in one this quiet. It was like riding in a Lexus!

andrelaplume · February 2003

2003 Camry..does the owner live in the North East...may rattles fade when the temp hits 30 or below..hope a suprise is not on th horizon for spring...best of luck and enjoy!

efontaine · February 2003

nippononly, you described my problems accuratly. When I am at a stop light, it feels like my car will stall out any moment.

My tach is right around 750 rpm, manufacturers recommended idle speed. Although sometimes it drops below and the vibrations are rough.

nippononly · February 2003

if it will idle smooth once you take it out of gear, you have a transmission problem - possible torque converter.

If it still idles roughly when you put it in neutral, there are many possibilities, from needing a really thorough tune-up to dirty fuel injectors, dirty throttle body, bad wires, bad vacuum hose somewhere...and on and on...

If it idles roughly all the time, a mechanic will be able to diagnose a vacuum leak easily, whereas you will not. If it has been a long time, you could do a complete tune-up and see if it improves. Or, if it is not actually stalling, you could just leave it for now until it gets worse. But in that case, watch your fuel mileage - depending on what is causing it, you may see a substantial drop.

nippononly · February 2003

if you have a check engine light on, it is probably a bad sensor.

efontaine · February 2003

Thanks a lot for the information. Ny the way, what is the torque converter and how much $$$ for replacement.

andrelaplume · March 2003

I saw this in the Camry problems forum and am posting it here:

'02 SE had a rattle that seemed to be behind the glovebox. My dealer was able to fix it by retorquing the strut bolts. The TSB number is SU001-03. If anyone knows of TSB fixes for any other rattle issues please post them. I am having an intermittent rattle on the driver's side where the seatbelt mounts to the side pillar.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Jayme

nippononly · March 2003

the torque converter is what connects the auto trans to the engine drive shaft - it is big big $$ to replace.

02camryseowner · March 2003

Well, I've had my 02 Camry for six months now. The rattle in the left side of the dash has been driving me crazy for the same amount of time. Spent countless hours taking the dash apart and trying to find it. (And liberally applying silicone caulk to anything that looked like it could cause noise...) Took it in once for that and the sunroof squeaking. They fixed the sunroof but didn't fix the dash. I finally took it back just for that one rattle. I was pleasantly surprised that the dealer spent as much time as needed (over 20 hours) to fix it even though their payment on the warranty claim would be capped by the manufacturer. They had the car for three days, and removed much of the dash, and all of the wiper assemblies. (They were even pepared to pull the windshield, which turned out not to be necessary). Was worth it to be without the car for three days to finally get that annoying rattle fixed! I will find out more info tomorrow and post it here. (Didn't learn what it was when I picked up the car as the tech had already left).

I did learn something interesting: not all known issues result in TSBs. Toyota maintains a support hotline that techs can call into for help with specific issues, including hard-to-find rattles.

To anyone in the Boise area, I would highly recommend Peterson Toyota; as they went above and beyond my expectations by losing money on a warranty repair for somebody who hadn't even bought the car from them. I'll certainly know where to go when it's time for another car.

02camryseowner · March 2003

Turns out the rattle was from a bad spot weld in the body components under the windshield. No wonder it was so difficult to find.

98yoda · March 2003

I have had my 03 Camry SE to the dealer several times for the rattles in the dash. It is finally fixed. What is was I don't know or really care. I was told so many different things I didn't care I just wanted the noise to go away.

Now all I can hear is the rattling in the door pillars, I also went for a ride in the car and the Toyota Rep said it was from the seat belt adjustment. The qoute was "Any moving,adjusting part is bound to make some noise." Funny, my old 98 camry and current 98 tacoma never made that noise.

Anyway, has anyone had success in getting the noise in the pillars repaired. I just need to know what it is to let my local dealer know or else they will just give me the run around, AGAIN.

02camryseowner · March 2003

I haven't started tackling the smaller rattles yet, as I just got the biggie fixed. There were some posts here about the pillar rattles. I think self-adhesive felt (maybe moleskin for blisters) is probably the thing to use for parts that move or slide like the adjustable seatbelt guides.

The dealers don't design or build cars, but they do get paid to do warranty work--so I'd say keep taking it back... and be polite. On the other hand it's such a nuisance to drop the car off, be late for work, have to bum a ride later, etc., that I avoid it like the plague myself.

I'm going to take apart the B pillars this weekend, and I'll report anything I find...

andrelaplume · March 2003

You are a brave sole to let them rip apart the car...I'd have been nervous that they'd end up creating 10 new rattles....

This dash rattle...whenever it's below about 35 degrees my door pillar rattle goes away and my dash emits this annoying rattle. It seems to be centered back from the steering wheel perhaps up by the window. It almost sounds like two pieces of plastic that 'stick' together then release. I thought it might be loose trim where the defroster air comes out but I can not grab the right spot to make the noise go away so I guess it is somewhere in the dash... Was this what yours rattle sounded like? Did yours occur only in the frigid weather? I know many folks think us nitpicking but believe me I had a high tolerance for rattles (I owned a Ford) but these dash noise and the door pillar rattles are simply emabarasing!

02camryseowner · March 2003

I agree that it sounds pretty anal-retentive to be worrying about rattles; but the persistant ones are like Chinese water torture!

My dash rattle was fairly high pitched, like hard plastic or metal. (As I mentioned, it turned out to be metal on metal from a bad spot weld). Also, it was there all the time, just changed pitch a little with the temperature.

I was hesitant to let others take it apart, because the first time I took it to the shop they broke a piece of plastic and stripped a screw which I discovered when I installed my new stereo. Finally, after not being able to fix it myself, I was less concerned. Looking back, I think taking it to a dealer should be the first course of action. Tell them that you want a slow day when they'll have time to really look at it.

I could give you advice about how to look for it, but in the end it's very difficult to find unless you have a way to vibrate the car. The dealers have a device they use while driving--a bunch of selectable microphones with earphones. They change the switch to differnt pickups while driving to help zero in on the noise.

I guess you could remove the left vent and the radio trim ring and drive around for a couple of days and see if you can hear any better where it's coming from. (I think I did things like this for weeks at a time--my girlfriend was quite amused to see me driving my new $23K car around like that...)

bonovox80 · March 2003

Hello,

I just purchased a beige Camry LE4 at the end of February, and have less than 400 miles on the odo. I am loving this car!! I will say, however, that I have been hearing almost on a daily basis what appears to sound like plastic "snapping." It's seems to be coming from the passenger side door area, and is very intermittent. In fact, I've only heard it during my morning commute to work. Indianapolis has experienced a fairly wide range of temps lately, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I don't recall hearing anything the other day when it hit the low 60s...

02camryseowner · March 2003

That's funny, my car also has very loud rattles that seem to come from the rear doors, around seat level I think. But, it's so intermittant that I don't tend to worry about it for long. I've looked once or twice, but haven't been sufficiently motivated to take the back doors apart or pull out the rear seat. I think if I just spent more time in the back as a passenger I could figure it out...

billmahan · March 2003

We own a '94 Camry XLE made in Japan. No rattles 9 years down the road. We own a '97 Camry XLE made in Kentucky. Not quite as solid as the '94, but the build quality is pretty good. No rattles that the radio can't handle.

We have a 2000 Solara built in Canada. More rattles than a nursery ward. No joking! Dealer never has been able to fix them. The JBL sound system cannot even overcome them. Even at full volume.

So country of origin will not necessarily get you a trouble-free car. I'm sure Canada produces many fine Solaras and other cars.

Good cars from Canada? After giving us Peter Jennings, Pamela Anderson, Alanis Morrissette and Celine Dion, I think they owe us something of decent quality. (I guarantee you that some uptight Canadians will take that seriously and get all defensive! We actually like Canada. At least it's not France...)

rubicon52 · March 2003

Have to disagree with part of your post. I think the goal of the Canadians should be to build Toyotas exactly like they built Pamela Anderson.

nippononly · March 2003

it wouldn't be good for the camrys to be stacked...

denatz · March 2003

Purchased new Camry XLE in February, 2002.
After hours of service at two different dealers,
the rattles remain: on dash close to windshield
and in both front doors. The noise from the doors
seems to be emanating from "loose" windows.
Am I condemned to this for the life of the car?
Any suggestions?

98yoda · March 2003

I too have troubles with the window rattles. If you look in your doors where the windows slide up into, there is a little piece of molding surrounding the window. I believe this is the problem. If you put you window down a hair the noise is not as loud. Or as you are driving press up against this piece the noise will lessen.
In message 145 from 02camryseowner he said he was going to take his pillars apart to find the noise but has never commented back. Hopefully he will soon.
I am going to take my car to the dealer some time this week. Will they do anything, I doubt it, but I will bug them until I see the district Rep, again. It is sad that the district Rep and I are on a first name basis. I never thought this would happen in a Toyota. TO bad honda dealers are idiots or I would have traded mine in on a CRV a long time ago.

jtbruin · March 2003

I just bought my '03 camry a little over a week ago and after reading these threads I'm getting anxious/bordering on fixation about rattles in the camry. sometimes i think i hear a rattle coming from my dash, but i'm not sure.

anyways, when do you guys hear the rattles? over minor bumps or on very rough pavement? I know for some of you they developed later on, hopefully they fixed the problem on the '03 camrys. When you get your cars serviced can you bring your car to any toyota dealer or do you have to bring it to the one you bought it at?

petrnyc · March 2003

Due to a large shipment of faulty Radio/CD players Toyota decided to include Rattles as standard equipment feature for your driving pleasure. Your En-Route entertainment now comes free of charge and guaranteed for the life of your vehicle. WHAT A FEELING  TOYOTA !

Toyota Camry Rattles

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