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Toyota Camry Rattles

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Comments

  • deni3deni3 Member Posts: 3
    I purchased a 2002 XLE in February. Immediately
    rattles appeared. Behind the glove compartment,
    both front doors, radio and CD player distortions, and finally the dash itself. Gone to the dealer three times, some rattles fixed, at least for now, others continue. The Toyota
    "price premium" may rapidly disappear.
  • camrytimes2camrytimes2 Member Posts: 31
    I purchased a 2003 Camry in early October to replace a 1997 Camry. The new Camry has been quite a letdown with interior rattles, creaks and squeeks.

    The loudest of the noises emanates from the passenger side B pillar, which I opened up yesterday. I tightened a loose, partially screwed in metal seatbelt guide and added some foam padding in a couple of strategic locations. However, the b pillar noises have not been eliminated. I noticed that the seatbelt height adjustment mechanism is flimsy and may contribute to the rattles, as the rattles are fewer with a passenger seatbelted in.

    The fascia at the top of the front passenger door is also very creaky. I'll let the dealership tackle that one.

    At 1,300 moderately driven miles, my front brakes have started to squeal and a new rattle has started at the left vent/instrument cluster area. Just when I thought that I did not have the typical Toyota dash rattle!

    I really do not appreciate my new Camry and regret purchasing it. I certainly will not buy another Camry, nor will I recommend one.

    As for "should have bought a Honda": Don't go there - I've owned 3 that I purchased new. They had their share of mechanical problems (i.e. replaced faulty front wheel bearings at 20k miles, timing belt broke at 42k miles, leaky a/c system, defective sunroof, 1979 Civic would never start at or below 10 degrees because of a weak [not defective] starter, etc.)

    To be fair, my 1997 Camry was more mechanically sound and reliable than all of my Hondas. I do not hold such hope for my 2003 Camry.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    don't let a few rattles fool you. If I were you, I would expect the new one to be just as mechanically reliable as the '97 was for you.

    For everyone out there with rattles and squeaks, Toyota has been making a lot of public fuss lately (including JD Power interviews) about how they have done TSBs for all the noise issues, so if you have not already been to the dealer with your rattles, take the car in. You just may find that the dealelr can actually fix them and make your car tomb-like quiet!

    Maybe not too, but it is worth a shot. Since this is such a common problem, they should be able to get you a loaner car too.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • rubicon52rubicon52 Member Posts: 191
    Although Toyota seems to have dropped the ball in terms of build quality on their recent products (squeaks and rattles), the reliability of the mechanical systems is probably still as good as ever. My 2001 Solara has a few fit and finish weaknesses, but the only real problem has been a piece of loose trim. No mechanical or electrical problems in 18 months. Based on the 7 Toyotas I've owned my guess is that mechanically the newer Toyotas may be a little more reliable mechanically even if not as carefully assembled.
  • wainwain Member Posts: 479
    which asembly plant is screwing it up?
  • mike78625mike78625 Member Posts: 4
    Basically, the Camry doesnt have any advantage over its main competitors like it had years ago. The problem is that people still have that old image in their mind. Times have changed. Other companies such as Ford(which owns Volvo, Jaguar, Mazda, Land Rover, Aston Martini), Chrysler(now part of DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi), and GM(owners of SAAB, Suzuki, Subaru, Isuzu, Holden, Vauxhall, Opel) have really taken these acquistions to their advantage. They have learned the best things from others and taken them to the next level. Reverse engineering is an age old concept, and no one in this group can doubt that a whole car such as the Camry must have been dissected from top to bottom by others in order to be studied. Making good cars is not hard anymore, as most manufacturers use the same suppliers(Johnson Control, biggest auto supplier of seats and various electronics.)

    To sum it up, people should get out of the Camry dream and just go and sit in another car(Intrepid, Taurus, Galant, Altima) and see where the Camry really stands up today. And forget the reliability story, just go and check the Camry Problem group to see the kind of ridicolous problems it has been having, not to mention the new "rattle" syndrome that just came up. Just go and sit and drive a new Taurus. Not only will it hold up(no rattles for 100K plus, but it will keep on going strong). Combine the excellent fit and finish quality to its strong European handling characteristics as well as its cheaper price, the real winner will be apparent.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    Mike, I saw strides in my Mercusry Mystique in 1995. It tured out to be a bit of a mechanical nightmare. I thought, well the fit and finish is much better, as was the handling and comfort....and it was the 1st model year. Ford never stood behind the product and improved it even when it had initial glowing reviews...even a reccomendation by CR at one point. As my dealer pointed out, they gave up on it. Then come NEW Ford Focus, recognized world wide initially as the biggest piece of crap to come down the pike in some time. This is when I gave up on Ford and went with the Camry with high Expectations. To be honest, if the Camry fails me I'll switch back to Ford and save thousands but I can not justify the switch just yet. Perhaps the Best are going average but when looking at the Focus, it seems the average are falling equally.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I went out to the Penn State - Michigan State game with my friend this Saturday. We took his new '03 Camry and almost didn't make it. On our way out of his driveway the fuse box fell out of the dashboard. I have never seen anything like this happen even on the cheapest Korean import. He could not shift nor start the car. After some fumbling with the wiring harness, we were able to correct the problem and were on our way. The car did get us to and from the game with no problem.

    Today I go with him to pick up his mother at work. He's parked at the entrance waiting for her and he notices the cover on the visor's vanity mirror is askew. Suddenly the cover comes off as he's trying to fix it. We made several attempts and did get the cover back on. I didn't say anything as I didn't want to make him feel bad, but I'm sure he was embarrassed to have me witness these quality bugaboos.
  • rubicon52rubicon52 Member Posts: 191
    If you look at Toyota products over the last 20 years, their reliability has varied from average to the best there is. The average Toyotas tend to be new models or models produced in small numbers. Those that bought new Camrys happen to have bought a car with average reliability. Though I realize that the squeaks and rattles in a new Toyota are disappointing does anyone really want to switch from Toyota to Ford? Ford products are almost the mirror image of Toyotas. The best Ford products (Taurus, Crown Vic) have average reliability. The worst Ford products (Focus, Cougar) have very poor reliability. The 2002 Consumer Reports issue shows Ford Focus with almost 80% more problems than the average car! You may end of trading squeaks and rattles for multiple transmission failures, blown head gaskets, and other serious problems.
  • mike78625mike78625 Member Posts: 4
    Well, after posting #58, I realized that I had left out some very important information.

    I wanted to compare my 1990 Chevrolet Lumina and a friend's 1992 Camry LE. I had the Lumina till 12/2000, when it was hit by a Ford F150 at an intersection. The hit occured at a right angle. The Lumina's bumper basically slid to the right, and the front of the hood became bent. Nevertheless, the car took a big hit, but the funny thing is that it ran like it was never hit. Even the A/C was fine.

    Coming back to the comparison, my Lumina in its 10 years required a water pump, Ignition Module($75), and brakes. Mileage was 145K when the insurance company took it away 12/2000.

    The friend's 92 Camry, however, required a new radiator, CV joints and boots, Engine mounts, Brake master cylinder, an enormous tuneup that cost $450, water pump. His A/C evaporator also developed a leak, thus all the freon escaped. He kept the Camry till 7/2002. Mileage was 150K.

    Basically, we both kept our cars for 10 years and mileage before disposal was almost the same. You can just look and come up with a reasonable conclusion that the Camry was not reliable at all. In fact, I was so sad that my Lumina got hit becuase I hated for it to go. In my experience, that car was basically bullet proof. Everything from the A/C to the transmission ran just like it did on its first day. If you don't call this reliable, I dont know what would be.
  • mike78625mike78625 Member Posts: 4
    I left one more thing out: both front window motors as well as driver side door lock actuator were replaced in the Camry. Rear driver interior door handle broke into two pieces. This is not the only Camry that I know of having problems, a friend's 1990 Camry gave him so many problems, that he sold it in 1996. On the other hand, he kept his 1990 Oldmobile Cutlas Ciera till 7/2001 even though it had the Quad 4 engine that a lot of people talk about. It did not give him any major problems.
  • xonxon Member Posts: 9
    I had a Ford Taurus and a Ford Escort. They are the worst pieces of crap I ever drove. I considered the Ford Focus before I bought my Camry until I read it has has 9 recalls. I had a Dodge Intrepid which was fine until I had mechanical probklems with the transmision after 40,000 miles. None of the dealers stood behind their product. I gave up on American cars. You just hate Japanese cars. What are posting here for anyway?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    will stand behind their product much better than the "big 2.5" if there are problems related to design or build problems that are outside warranty.

    In general, ALTHOUGH NOT FOR EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE EVER MADE, they also build them a lot better, and they generally develop fewer problems later on than the domestic cars do, and that includes the impala, CERTAINLY the intrepid, and the Taurus.

    Finally, they have longer warranties than the domestics, and they are very good about honoring them.

    Anything that people are involved in producing, including cars, will occasionally produce one that is not as good as the rest. That is the impact that humans being on the production line at any point has.

    if you are going to compare one car to another, AT LEAST they should have the same owner so that they have some type of consistent treatment - any car that is babied is likely to do better regardless of the brand than one that is used hard and abused.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • mike78625mike78625 Member Posts: 4
    The Focus might have nine recalls, but the much talked about BMW X5 has had 13 recalls since its debut about 3 years ago. Does it mean the $45,000 X5 is crap? No way, probably the best SUV on the planet. If the $12,000 Focus has a few recalls on it, it doenst make it a bad product. As a matter of fact, the Focus has better fit and finish than the Corolla or Civic. Also, it has better handling and more room and ofcourse better looks. It's the most rattle free out of all of them. These are the things that consumers care about the most, not some recalls dealing with things such as wiper motor and seat back recliner handle. Recalled items are serviced free, but it is the rest of the car that should be looked at.
  • rubicon52rubicon52 Member Posts: 191
    So you're comparing ONE chevy to ONE Camry and concluding from this sample size that chevies are more reliable than Toyotas? That's like flipping a coin twice, getting 2 heads and concluding that flipping a coin produces heads 100% of the time and tails 0% of the time. I think that if you look at ANY bonafide measurement of reliability - JD Power, Consumer Reports, etc. Toyota as a brand has always been better than Chevrolet as a brand. The 2001 Consumer Reports auto issue has a bar chart (pg 13) which shows problem ranges for car makes. Toyotas range from about 5 to 17 problems per car. Chevrolets range from about 10 to 38 problems per car. The interesting thing about the graph is not that Toyota is more reliable than Chevrolet, but that both manufacturers have such a wide range of reliability. I guess this is why CR tends to measure reliability by model and not by make.
  • xonxon Member Posts: 9
    I rented a Buick Century for a week. One of the worst cars I've ever driven. It deceptively looks nice on the outside, however when I drove to Tahoe up those hills, the car BARELY could maintain 45 MPH. Trucks were passing me. It was embarassing. My mother's Nissan Maxima easily outperformed that piece of junk when we subsequently used her car on the same trip.
  • 02camryseowner02camryseowner Member Posts: 20
    Hi. I have a new Camry SE, and it rattles and creaks like crazy. I have spent more time taking the dash apart than you would believe. I'm wondering if anybody has found any definitive fixes. My main complaint is a rattle near the windshield directly in front of the driver. I cannot tell if it's in the dash or beneath the wiper area under the hood. I've secured everything reachable by removing the vents and the radio cover with no success. Next step is to remove the plastic cover under the wipers and see if it's there. Also, the middle door pillars have some really bad rattles, as does the power sunroof. I am planning on taking it to the dealer to see if they can do anything.

    It's really a disappointment, because one of the reasons I replaced my '92 Maxima is that it was starting to rattle--and my new car is even worse! People at work see the new car and ask them how happy I am with it, and I have to tell them that I would not buy this car if I knew what I knew today.

    If I find any fixes, I will post them here. :)
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    Fit and finish were GREAT, remarkable in fact, better plastics, no exposed screws and NO RATTLES on my 1995 Mystique. The handling was even compared to BMW. CR initially reccommended the it too. There were MANY recalls on this vehicle though and in addition MANY MANY trips to the shop for odd items that usually took several trips to diagnos. The dealer told me it was normal for teh car - all kinds of weird things. It seldom cost me much since I had an extended service contract. Still it was a real pain to be dropping the car every other month; getting shuttled to work or hitching rides or even just waiting. I don't have time for that. When they dropped the Mystique I thought perhaps the Focus would build upon it. CR seemed to initially rank the car way up there, perhaps even it's top choice...that is until the user surveys started coming in. To me, the Focus seemed to me to be a smaller version of the Mystique; I had hoped an improved version mechanically and reliability wise. It is not. I guess if you have time to be going to the dealer often and don't mind the wait, don't travel far and maybe do not have kids then the FOCUS is for you and you will likelly save thousands so long as you get rid of it once out of warranty. To each his own....all I can say is if FORD can get it's reliability up they may one day give Toyota a run for it's money - - especially with Toyota quality dipping in some areas.
  • gcsadsgcsads Member Posts: 7
    My wife and I own a 2002 XLE 4 cyl with about 9000 miles and have had rattleing in the dash area for a month or two. Of course I have torn apart things trying to fix it when I finally took it to Seeger toyota in st. louis. They said that there were some loose/improperly installed plastic parts in the front right wheel well and that they fixed the problem. Have not had a rattle since. I hope this helps some of you all with the same problem.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    Now if they can only solve the door pillar problem and Radio area problem!
  • gcsadsgcsads Member Posts: 7
    I haven't had any door pillar problems. What you think may be the radio may actually be the wheel well problem. Sometimes my rattle sounded like it was coming from the radio when in the drivers seat.
  • azspyder1azspyder1 Member Posts: 10
    Very happy with our 97 Camry except since new when encountering pavement bumps-even just manhole covers, it make a heavy crunch/crack like the front end is about to fall off. Actually my toy-- l963 Corvair Ragtop rides far quieter over the same cracked concrete roads Arizona is cursed with. . Is this endemic with the V6 XLEs??
  • 02camryseowner02camryseowner Member Posts: 20
    I have a rattle that seems to be behind the instrument panel, and have not been able to fix it with four or five serious attempts, and a visit to the dealer. Anybody else out there?

    I will say that the dealer fixed the noisy sunroof completely.

    The latest is a very loud rattle that seems to be coming from the rear passenger-side seat area. Haven't had a chance to investigate yet, as I need somebody else to drive...

    gcsads: can you describe what pieces were rattling in the wheel well? I'm desperate, and will look at anything! :)
  • camrysev6ownercamrysev6owner Member Posts: 66
    My 03 Camry SE V6 has the same rattling noises you people have. Oh, except for the noises behind the instrument panel. I actually got used to the noises now so I guess I won't bother the dealer with it. I sometimes fear that they would only make things worst, although they usually do a pretty good job. Just sometimes want to leave it as it is. My friend has an Accord and it had noises coming from the sunroof when going over bumps too.
  • gcsadsgcsads Member Posts: 7
    I will get the service ticket out tonight and write exactly what they put down.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    please advise what was done.

    1) Door pillar crackle / rattle on both driver and passenger side....pretty much occurs all the time.

    2) Rattles behind radio area...sound like loose wires banging aroung...intermittant.

    3) Instrument panel.....rattle that is present less often.

    4) Occasional clunk in the trunk....actually I believe there is a TSB for this one...I just have convinced myself to think it's my son's soccer ball moving around...thats what I tell passengers anyway.

    Also, note most of these rattles disappear when the temp falls to under 20 degrees...I have noticed this over the past 2 weeks in PA. Perhaps Toyota should only sell these cars in Alaska...ha ha ha
  • camrysev6ownercamrysev6owner Member Posts: 66
    I think I have the same (soccer ball) scenario as described. However, I noticed it on my old 97 Camry. The 03 Camry has the same noise too. I only hear it when I start the car off the line (usually after traffic light and stop sign stops). That's usually true when the gas tank is full. But when the gas tank is not full, the sound goes away. Try it as an experiment next time you fill her up at the gas bar!
  • gcsadsgcsads Member Posts: 7
    my service statement states as follows:
    CAUSE: panels not fitted properly on assembly
    isolate noise to front fender area-repair plastic panels by cowl and inner fender liner

    I mentioned in a different discussion that I think the cause of my problems was I had a front end alignment done (not by toyota) and I think they reassembled something incorrectly. I might be wrong though.
  • n4tyn4ty Member Posts: 5
    Bought my 02 LE early August, straight from the factory in Georgetown (where I live). This was built earlier that week, and is supposedly towards the end of the 02 run.

    From the 1st mile, the right passenger window buzzed loudly under acceleration and rough pavement. I could quickly tap the down switch on the right-front power window, and the noise would immediately stop. Put the window back up, no buzz....until next time I used the car.
    After a few weeks it settled down, now is just intermittent and faint at that. But it's annoying.

    Now the dash area has developed a noise that is a combination of buzz and high-ptiched rattle, you have to hear it to believe it. This one is highly intermittent, but when it happens you can hear it over the radio. Pressing on the radio, trim, or other dash pieces does not affect it. It does seem to be affected by temperature: the warmer the interior gets, the less it happens.

    I also have the faint clunking in the trunk that other folks mentioned, but I can ignore that one.

    Past posts recently said Toyota publically stated there were noise/rattle issues, and that they have been addressed. If so, is there a TSB on them that I can send my service dept to? They are telling me they don't know anything.

    Otherwise, I'm happy with this car, but I seem to have bought a rattler.

    Tyler
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    No TSBs other than for the trunk thud. I called Toyota in regards to their letter stating they have corrected such issues but they are full of crap. They could not provide one example of how late model 2002's are made any different than early 02s or even 03s. My dealer has no idea how to correct the rattles. Call and complain!
  • camrytimes2camrytimes2 Member Posts: 31
    I mentioned the rattles in my 03 Camry a while back and have brought the car to the dealership twice since posting.

    The most prominent and annoying rattle came from the front passenger door. It seemed as though the entire piece of fascia around the door pull (dark band of plastic trim right under the window that surrounds the door pull and extends the length of the door) would creak, click and rattle. The rattle was so pervasive that I would hear it on smooth pavement while accelerating, while braking, when the transmission shifted, etc.

    A trip to the dealership on December 13 resulted in the rattle being acknowledged, but no specific source was identified. According to the dealership customer rep, nothing appeared to be loose, so the door was "taped up all around" and the interior fascia was reinstalled. Rattle gone per the rep. Rattle returned with vengeance within hours.

    Despite the aftermath of a major snow storm in the northeast, I kept my appointment today because I figured that between the road conditions and the holidays, business would be slow and perhaps the techs would have more time and patience with the issue. This time, a problem was identified. According to the customer rep and report that I have, a piece of internal weatherstripping near the window was not tight to the doorframe - as it should be. The piece was secured, some "spooge" was applied to key points, and the door fascia was reinstalled. No rattle heard on the ride home over icy washboard roads. Fingers crossed and feeling positive this time!!!

    Even though I am suffering from buyer's remorse and am not happy with my latest Camry, I have been satisified with the dealership's efforts to date and would buy from them again without a second thought. Perhaps the first tech was inexperienced. The dealership is a huge one in Framingham, Massachusetts.

    I don't have the oft reported dash rattle. However, those that do should be aware that rattles from the audio system area may be loose cables and harnesses bumping against vent tubing, blower housing, etc. An easy fix. However, as always, identifying the source of rattles always seems to be the hardest part.
  • wainwain Member Posts: 479
    the plastic gets real cold and then creaks.

    Or they are real odd and hard to find.
    I had a VW on time that had a click between the lower metal part of the dash and the side door frame. Impossible to stop til I got a pair of vice grips and bent the bottom edge out - that stopped it.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    If your they indeed have gotten ride of the rattle can you post some of the technical mumbo jumbo on your paperwork so I may be able to describe the fix to my dealer. Was this rattle seamingly eminating from the door pillar area?
  • camrytimes2camrytimes2 Member Posts: 31
    My 03 Camry arrived with both a passenger side B pillar rattle, and a front passenger door rattle. I fixed the B pillar rattle myself and took the car to the dealership twice for the door rattle.

    As for the B pillar rattle: There is a very simple 1 piece metal seatbelt guide that is screwed to the body between the seatbelt retractor and the seatbelt height adjuster. Mine was loose and rattled over bumps. If you look at your B pillar fascia, the guide is located approximately behind the seam at which the upper and lower pieces of fascia meet (about the height of your seat back not including headrest.) One telltale sign was that the rattle was gone when I pulled the seatbelt taught, and lessoned when I had a passenger seatbelted in. After opening up my passenger side B pillar, I can tell you that there isn't much else to rattle at that height if you rule out the flimsy seatbelt height adjuster.

    The passenger side door rattle has not returned after 2 days of post-repair driving! I'll share the entire report in hopes that it will help others who have reported a similar rattle:

    "Cause: Resecured inner weather liner of pass front door"

    "Road tested vehicle for noise complaint. Heard the vibration where the customer put the note removed the door panel. First removed all screws, then removed plastic corner trim. Removed the inside door cluster. Looked to see if anything is out of place, found the plastic cover that covers the area of the window area was not correctly secured to the body of the door. Took some black spoolge and placed it in various places. Put the door panel back on the door. Installed screws. Put back the corner plastic panel. Road tested vehicle two times. First time could not hear any vibration noises. The second time I grabbed another tech so I could listen more closely. Second time could not hear the noise vibration any more. Returned vehicle back to customer."
  • wainwain Member Posts: 479
    wonder if waldomart sells the spoogle
  • bergm57bergm57 Member Posts: 9
    Sorry about being so long in getting back to this after arbitration. As the title shows it was a complete waste of time. I was the only one who had any type of evidence. I brought a video of a ride in the car that you could hear the rattles clearly from. The arbitrator and the Toyota people rode with me in the car but it was during 5:00 PM rush hour and rain. The car made plenty of rattles but the arbitrator (who must have been 90!) could not hear them and the Toyota reps talked the whole time. Basically, I just wasted a lot of time. I also wasted about $20,000 on a Toyota piece of crap. The first and last Toyota I will ever own.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    that many of these rattles are not from bad design, then, but from poor workmanship in the assembly of the car...at least that is what I conclude from many of the posts in the last 20 or so...made in America, and proud of it! LOL

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    The fact that they are assembled in America and that is why they rattle is complete crap...what about all the Camry's made here thru 2002/2003 that are rattle free? A point was made by someone here that perhaps the American assembled cars are assembled with with a lesser quality platstic than those used in Japan. Perhaps. My opinion is that so the Japanese ones rattle just as much; it's just that so few get here the is a lower incidence of complaints. Others have argued to upgrade to a rattle free Lexus. Well I already upgraded to a supposed rattle free Camry from a Ford and I would not trust for a minute that the Lexus is rattle free; plus I'd never be willing to spend and extra 10K to find out...so I guess unless some TSB comes along Toyota and Lexus may have lost a future customer. Sad because other than that the car is ok but again I could have saved $3500 and got a Taurus and dumped it after 3 years....Fool Me once shame on you, fool me twice ....etc.

    BERGM,

    What did the reps say when you were pointing out the rattles? Having the video, have you considered further action.
  • duhlynnduhlynn Member Posts: 1
    I was curious to see if anyone had any rattling sounds from their camry. I have a 2002 SE model with almost 17000 miles on it. For some reason the front right strut make this awful noise when I hit bumps(I think they had this problem in 1997 models). I'm taking it in this week. When I talked to the tech he said they were on backorder for 2002 struts.
  • wanna2002wanna2002 Member Posts: 23
    I have an 02 XLE, bought November 2001. Almost immediately noticed the dash rattle, although it was almost more of a "chirp" - a high-pitched, annoying chirp. Cold weather seemed to make it worse, and defintiely every little bump I went over made it even more obvious. Brought it in to the dealer and they did some superficial checking under the dash, and then said they needed to see it again for a whole day - wherein they removed the entire dash and claimed there was a large spot with no insulation behind the dash, so it was plastic rubbing together, deep behind the dash. Simply adding and replacing some insulation fixed it. That was a year ago that it was fixed - no problems at all since! Well, not with THAT rattle ... I have now noticed that when I close the driver door with the window slightly down, the window sounds like it is soooo loose in the door - it sounds like it is just going to fall back down into the door! Anyway, that will be mentioned at my next appt!
    I urge people to let the Toyota dealers work on these rattles, they are quite familiar with them, even when they pretend not to be - don't break a sweat exploring the innards of your dash yourself! Make them do it! :)
  • camrysev6ownercamrysev6owner Member Posts: 66
    I have a Camry SE V6 and it has most of the rattles mentioned here. I am just afraid that if I tell Toyota about it, they would make things worse. For example, they may scratch the interior finishing while taking apart the dash to check behind it. However, if the some insulation in the back of the dash is missing as mentioned, I would like them to fix that. (I was really pissed when I read about the missing insulation). I was planning to live with the rattles until I read that it was something missing that was causing the noise. I would be really upset to find that insulation is really missing in my car. I mean, I invested so much money to get this new car that I expected Toyota to give me everything it should have in it. (ie. insulation behind the dash) What do you guys and gals think? Should I tell Toyota or not?
  • wainwain Member Posts: 479
    is there a "list" of the rattles in 02/03 models anywhere?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    ones seem to come up time and time again...

    camrysev6owner - take it to a dealer who has done a good job in the past...you shouldn't live with that stuff for as much as cars cost these days. Several people have posted in here saying that their rattles were entirely fixed by their dealers. But take it to one that you trust.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • dc235dc235 Member Posts: 1
    I upgraded from a 93 Camry (Japanese built) to a 02 Camry (Kentucky built), and I am very disappointed at the build-quality of my new car.

    I bought my Camry in Aug01, so I would assume it's one of the first ones off the lot. The B-pillars started rattling at about 5000 miles, but it doesn't sound as serious as some of the rattles you have mentioned. Peeling roof trims, cracking shifter console was something that I have never seen on new cars with such low mileage tho.

    However, I have experienced much problems with the dash. The dash assmebly was so poor on my car. The trim piece around the radio didn't even fit snug to the dash. There was a big gap between the dash pieces, and obviously squeak and rattle developed. I took it to the dealer, they fixed it up a bit. The dash pieces fit better now, but a new rattle developed INSIDE the dash.

    I am not sure whether I should ask them to fix it anymore as the dealer just makes the problem worse.
  • intelimaninteliman Member Posts: 2
    I had a metallic sounding rattle coming from the left side of the dash board near the front window. It sounded like it was coming from the area that has the speaker on top of the dash board. It would only make the sound if I hit a bump in the road a certain way and only if the temperature was below 49 degrees. I pulled the plastic cover off the A pillar and then was able to remove the speaker cover. As I ran my hand down the dashboard at the window over the speaker my finger brushed against the VIN plate and made the noise I was hearing. It turns out that the thin piece of metal that the VIN tag is made out of was flexing side to side and "popping" creating this annoying rattle. When the temperature went up over 50 degrees the metal expanded enough that it would not pop.

    Solution I took a flat blade screw driver and pried the plate up near the rivets that attach the tag to a metal bracket. NO MORE POPPING!!!
  • wainwain Member Posts: 479
    You folks should sell these fixes to the factory for $50 each.
    Somebody needs to start a master fix cure list
  • alohaetalohaet Member Posts: 4
    I have been talking to a few people about this rattle problem and what I have been told is this. It seems that Toyota is aware of this and have pinpointed it to cars that come out of their Kentucky plant. I don't know is this is true or not. You buyers who have this problem what did the sticker say was the final assembly point for your car? Just throwing this out there for discussion.

    Ed
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    The Toyota plant in Canada is at least on par with the Japanese plants for quality which is the reason for Lexus coming here.
  • rubicon52rubicon52 Member Posts: 191
    have to do with rattles in a Camry made in Kentucky?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    accusations are being slung at "American" Toyota plants, and the Canadians wanted to point out they are also Americans that produce Toyotas (although not camrys) and their work has been recognized for its quality. They will be building the RX330 beginning in a few months.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

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