Scion tC Rattles, Squeaks and Other Noises

phindias · November 2005

Does anyone hear any rattle from the hatch on a 06 model? I have had my TC for two days now, and have had this rattling sound from the hatch. pretty annoying. does anyone know how to fix it?

Many thanks,

mark19 · November 2005

try some foam tape (self-stick) on the hatch part of the bumper stops.. on the left side and right side.. see if that helps you.. let us know.. it's a known problem on the tC's.. usually foam tape on the bumper stops removes it..

also check to make sure nothing is bouncing around the spare tire area (remove the tire strap from back there too).. also to use foam/vinyl tape on the bottom edge of your license plate back there, that rattles too..

let us know..

phindias · November 2005

Thanks for your tip. one question tho, what are the bumper stops that you were referring to? are they inside the hatch or outside?

Thanks,

mark19 · November 2005

if you look on the sides of the hatch.. left side, right side, you will see bumper stops on the hatch itself.. put some foam tape (adhesive type) to that area, and it should act as a buffer between the hatch and the other bumper stop it mates up to..

they are outside the hatch, on the left side and right side (black rubber with a big bolt holding it to the hatch)hope that explained it for you..

phindias · November 2005

After applying some foam tape to the bumper stops on the hatch, I can no longer hear the annoying rattling sound from the back. Thanks Mark19

tonka_tuph · December 2005

Hey guys as my very first time buying a brand new car, I chose the scion tc. I am very happy with everything...to a point. Seems like i'm not the only one with the rattling problems. This rattling is coming from the rear also. I'm wondering if it is the hatch problem i'm reading everywhere. It sounds like its coming from the seats though.

I've only had had the car for 3 days, I noticed it as I was driving home from the dealer. I thought it might just be a loose article in the trunk that they forgot to secure. I got home and found everything tight and secure. The salesman said that he had some noise after reclining his rear seats, but as soon as he put them up it went away. I treid readjusting my rear seats back and forth between the reclind and inclined positions. I'm not sure if its coming from the seats for from the rear.

The sound is almost like a thump sometimes, then it can also sound like a clicking poping sound, like metal hitting metal.

Has anyone got any ideas. I'm brining it in to get looked at on Wednesday, but seems like bringing it in can become a disaster in itself after reading some posts. I'm so disappointed and pissed off.

Any comments would be appreciated.

axiomowner · December 2005

I recommend always having Scion try to fix it. However, check out this link for some pretty good causes/solutions.

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=89149

tonka_tuph · December 2005

I have tried that idea. The rattling was on the passenger side.I had applied it to both sides and then the rattling started to come from the drive side. So i took it off the driver side, and then it was fine. I removed it all togher and it stopped temporarily. I'm beggining to think its a bad body design. The frame seems to warp when you go over bumps because i noticed a huge shift about in the placement of the foam tape. It moved from one side to the other, so i'm thinking that the hatch is not stable. Well i'll test this theory tommorow. Thanks for the post.

bhcar · December 2005

I fixed my hatch rattle by putting felt pads on the two rubber pieces on the left and right sides of the hatch.
That was two weeks ago and the I haven't heard a peep since.
The felt pads are the ones that you put on furniture bottoms to keep from scratching the floors.

tonka_tuph · December 2005

OK! This is great! I'm glad I brought my car into the dealer instead of trying to do it myself. I was goign to resolve to just putting tape on the rubber pieces you guys are talking about. But i brought it in and thank God one of the sales managers owns a TC or this could have been a never ending battle. So to make a long story short, i brought it in, the tech says he's seen the problem before. It was a really easy fix. took maybe 10min. Here's how he did it, the two rubber things on the hatch, no the ones on the bottom the ones on the side, he just adjusted those and made them and not its tight and snug! Perfect, no rattleing, just usaual noise from going over bumps. Problem Solved. I own an 06 Flint Micha TC

stickguy · December 2005

just to be clear, he adjusted the ones that are attached to the body of the car, not the ones on the hatch, right?

I will look to see if that is an easy DIY. Put, just out of curiousity, I threw on a couple of felt chair pads last night.

Well, my hatch had been sqeaking so bad lately I was ready to trade it in on anything. After the bads, pretty much not a squeak today.

I still plan to take it in, but at least now I can live with it until after the holidays.

Even the roof seems to be creaking a bit less. It was either having a good day, or maybe the problems were relataed (somehow the hatch flexing was tweaking the roof)?

All I know is it ain't easy to cut 2 huge holes in the top of the car and keep the structural integrity intact.

tonka_tuph · December 2005

Hey, no its not he ones on the body, its the ones on the hatch itself. The two on the sides of the hatch and not the round ones one the bottom. I beleive that the car tends to warp when you go over uneven surfaces, yes indeed not struturally sound, but its a great car over all!
Hope this helps post update.

stickguy · December 2005

If not, I will make sure to discuss with the servie writer when I finally take it in.

I agree that the body flexs slightly, which contirbutes to the hatch squeak, and also the roof pop. If the hatch isn't tight, it lets the rest of the body twist slightly.

Just MHO of course. Just think of it like a convertible with the top down.

Adjusting the stoppers on the hatch, if it makes the hatch sit tight in the opening, should eliminate the squeak (which I think might be the latch rubbing), and theoretically keep the entire body structure stiffer.

thomas16 · January 2006

Your experience sounds like the same exact story as mine. My dealer says it was listed as a "Technical Problem" I'm not sure of the terminology but it is a Bushing in the right rear strut. I've been waiting on the part for mine since December 27th. This is sounding like a common problem. It's a rattle that is hard to detect unless you have someone sitting in the back seat while you go over bumps - my dealer didn't think it was the muffler even though you can move it up and down easy like it's loose.

thomas16 · January 2006

Found out its a strut in the hatch not the back tire. Still makes a funny noise over bumps but its much better. There's some interesting fixes on other Scion forums as well. Simple fixes like putting furniture pads in spots that takes care of the rattle. I'm going back to read further and maybe try it.

stickguy · January 2006

I had the struts replaced, and it didn't make any difference (certainly nothing that lasted). But, the furniture pads on the rubber bump stops (on the hatch) actually eliminated just about all of that noise. I couldn't even believe how much of a difference 2 little felt pads made.

I think someone here had the dealer adjust those strikers, which makes sense, since all the pads really are doing is making a tighter fit to eliminate flexing. That, and eliminating any rubber on rubber squeaking.

never did figure out a way to put felt pads in the roof to eliminate all the creaking/cracking noises up there!

thomas16 · January 2006

I'm going to take your advice on this one and try the furniture pads.- I still hear a noise but it's much better than before. I thought the dealership was talking about struts in a right rear tire - I'm not technical at all about the mechanics of cars. There's a small rattling in the dash around the speedometer, etc. it starts happening about 10 or 15 minutes into the drive on rough roads and it gets pronounced putting on the brakes - then it will go way...for awhile. I thought it was my key ring rattling.

gman77 · February 2006

I'm a new owner of a 05 tc.Has any one heard "clicks"-type sound coming from under engine when in reverse and releaseing your foot off main brake? E-Brake is off.

slate1 · February 2006

I'm seriously looking at an 06 TC or the new Civic Si

I'm very sensitive to squeaks and rattles - are the problems I see listed more likely in the 05's than the 06's?

I went through the PITA of owning a Saturn once with non-fixable squeaks and rattles and don't want to go through that again.

mark19 · February 2006

the clicking.. try putting it in neutral, e-brake on. Push the brake pedal releasing it, see if you hear the clicking there. There has been some people with brake light switches (attached to the top of the brake pedal) that click. wouldn't be the ABS since you're releasing the brake pedal. So try what I recommended.. chances are you have a noisy brake pedal light switch, I had one too.. got it replaced, all good now

mark19 · February 2006

I have an 05. And most of the rattles were fixed with foam tape. I also can say that I think the rattles are inherent in first year production. From what I've heard the 06's only have the hatch rattle. That is fixed by re-adjusting the strike plate for the lock, and causes a tighter fit of the hatch. Also foam tape on the stoppers can take up the slack as well. That's all I've heard from 06 owners. All of the rattles on the 05 tC i have were fixed. Hope that helps you.

slate1 · March 2006

Thanks Mark - I ended up signing papers on an 06 Mazda3 GT this weekend. I really liked the TC but decided that I really needed 4 doors (2-kids...).

curious54 · March 2006

I HAVE A 2006 SCION TC WITH 300 MILES ON IT. I INSTALLED TEIN H-TECH SPRINGS ON THEM. EVERYTIME I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT WHILE MY VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THERE IS A HIGH PITCHED SOUND COMING OUT. I DONT KNOW IF ITS MY SPRINGS OR IF ITS THE POWER STEERING. THE SOUND IS GREATER WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT. ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT IS?

curious54 · July 2006

Have a 2006 Tc 5-speed manual. Yesterday I was in traffic and it was stop and go. I put it in 1st gear and went about 20 feet and let go of the gas and suddenly heard a rattle. Tried it in 2nd gear and it rattled but no that loud. The thing is that when it starts to rattle and i push the clutch the rattle goes away. Anyone know what might this be.

thomas16 · October 2006

I have a 06 with 13K. I'm an older driver that switched from a tall SUV so I think the low profile tires on rough roads creates alot of rattles. Fixed the hatch rattle with a pair of $2 sticky furniture pads on the rubber stops located on the hatch lid. Thanks to the person on this site for that advice. I get a miscellaneous rattle or squeak and then it goes away and the car is quiet as a mouse. Last rattling was metal to metal in the rear right side - turn out to be the seatbelt mechanism. Jiggling the seatbelt solved that. I really love this strange little car.

fishnguyky1 · October 2006

I love my TC, but the rattle in the hatchback is driving me crazy. I have taken it back to the dealer, they replaced the struts on it, but the rattles remain. Please let me know how I can fix this annoying problem.

fishnguyky1 · October 2006

I love the pep and agility of my Scion TC. I have 20k miles on it. No problems except for the rattle in the hatchback. Some have suggested using furniture pads to stop the rattle. I will have to try it, but my frustration comes from the fact that a company as big as Toyota can't fix something as simple as this, and we owners have to resort to "furniture pads" to fix it ourselves. Someome please tell me I am overreacting.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2006

Is this a tinny kind of rattle or a rumpety-rump, heavier rattle?

A loose hatch would give you a fairly heavy sound, whereas something loose inside the hatch itself would not.

acasper1979 · March 2007

Currently I am thinking about buying a 2007 Scion or a Honda Civic Coupe. The only thing that is keeping me from buying the Scion is that I keep hearing about rattles in the 06 models. Does anyone know if they have fixed this problem by the '07 model. I don't want to buy a new car that rattles.

one21nvy954 · March 2007

I actually purchased an '07 Scion Tc in Dec. and I've never noticed any rattling noise whatsoever or any noises!...Its a great car!
:shades:

vazqueza · March 2007

I have an 06 tC and have been getting a rattle when I have the moon-roof open and drive over bumps. I called the dealer and have to leave the car there overnight. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how they resolved it.

A

dragonsbum · March 2007

i have an 07 tc, 6500 miles. i notice an annoying rattling/vibrating noise that comes from the plastic panel just under the door handles when i drive on the highway over bumps, as well as on songs with isolated/loud bass. anybody else have this problem?

dmac12000 · August 2007

my sister has an o6 release series and i have an 05. YEP the hatch rattles. My dealership removed the whole top of my car rewelded it and it still rattles. SELL IT as soon as you can or find a good lemon law attorney this car is only problems

scoobasteve · September 2007

I had an 05 TC. The first 8000 miles were fine.......then the rattle started. Soon after that came a high pitched whine from my moonroof when driving on the highway. After 4 trips back to the dealership, they finally fixed the moonroof but were never able to fix the rattle. Around 30000 miles the whine came back. I traded it in for a Mazdaspeed 3. Adios TC!

bhudson · October 2007

ALERT! SCION TC REAR HATCH SQUEAK HAS HAD A FACTORY TECHNICAL ADVISORY FIX!!! Purchased my TC in 05. Spent the better part of 1 year fixing a squeak in the hatch. The squeak started around 3000 miles on the odometer. They ended up applying tape around each and every rubber jam that involves the rear hatch. After 5 visits, they finally applied enough cloth tape on the stops to fix the hatch squeak (this was a horribly irksome/loud squeak). Today (10-19-07) I went to the dealership and spoke with a factory rep. I told her that although the tape fix has effectively stopped the squeak, I'm a little 'unsettled' about simply having layers of cloth tape between me and the next squeak - that will no doubt appear down the road in the future. Well, guess what? She said a technical advisory from the factory had been put out and the rubber stops have all been enlarged to sufficiently hold the rear hatch in place without squeaks. ...I go in next week to have the operation administered to my GREAT little TC! FYI: This squeak was predominantly found on the first year TC,s; 2005-2006. Good Luck!

bhudson · October 2007

ALERT! SCION TC REAR HATCH SQUEAK HAS HAD A FACTORY TECHNICAL ADVISORY FIX!!! Purchased my TC in 05. Spent the better part of 1 year fixing a squeak in the hatch. The squeak started around 3000 miles on the odometer. They ended up applying tape around each and every rubber jam that involves the rear hatch. After 5 visits, they finally applied enough cloth tape on the stops to fix the hatch squeak (this was a horribly irksome/loud squeak). Today (10-19-07) I went to the dealership and spoke with a factory rep. I told her that although the tape fix has effectively stopped the squeak, I'm a little 'unsettled' about simply having layers of cloth tape between me and the next squeak - that will no doubt appear down the road in the future. Well, guess what? She said a technical advisory from the factory had been put out and the rubber stops have all been enlarged to sufficiently hold the rear hatch in place without squeaks. ...I go in next week to have the operation administered to my GREAT little TC! FYI: This squeak was predominantly found on the first year TC,s; 2005-2006. Good Luck!

bhudson · October 2007

Hi; Yes the rattle has been fixed and they currently have a Toyota Technical Advisory on fixing the TC's affected by the rattling of the rear hatch door 05-06 TCs. They are instaling thicker rubber stops that anchor the hatch firmly into position. ...Make sure you purchase the strut enforcement bar! It REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE in the handling of the TC. Good Luck - it's a great car...

bhudson · October 2007

Rattle in Scion TC hatch. Toyota currently has a Technical Advisory on fixing TC's affected by the rattles commonly existing in the rear hatch door from 05-06 Scion TC's. Dealers are instructed to install thicker rubber stops that anchor the hatch more firmly into position.

mikell · November 2007

hey buddy my 06 tc , the rear knocks and rattles constantly, the car is a year old and it sounds like [non-permissible content removed], so i know exactly what ur talkin about, i took it to the dealership yesterday and they said they re-insulated the rear panels inside around the rear window and under the plastic panel near the lock latch, the noise decreased about 80% but im still not satisfied with it overall, i still hear a knocking noise on the rear left as if it were the rear left 6 inch speaker loose and rattling but its not, i looked every where man and i just cant figure it out, can u please send me any helpfull info on this expecially if toyota is aware of this and advises us to have dealer fix it without having to pay like a recall cause im allready at 30,000 miles, or any tips on this, and ohh, ive been hearing a-lot about tc shock absorbers going bad, drying up oil? or just plain cheap shocks i dont know, thanks

dfosse · January 2008

I own a 2005 Scion TC. In cold temps I have a loud knocking or clicking sound under the dashboard on the drivers side. Very irritating. How can I find out how to remove dash to check the problem..

Help......

nthe · March 2008

i had a similar rattle in my 08 tC that i bought last week. i took the cargo cover off and now it is gone.

Peapuffer · February 2009

Took me three years to get this fixed, here is the service bulletin i FORCED them to look into.

http://www.matrixowners.com/tsb/TS-NV009-06.pdf

Peapuffer · February 2009

I just had this fixed, it took me three years to figure this out, I had to literally force them to look at this issue but I was so convinced. thats exactly what it was.

Go to scionbuzz.com and put in thumping noise Scion TC, and there is an entire conversation about this proceedure including the mechanics name he used and his phone number. I literally gave it to my mechanic. it worked.

Its four pins that hold the windshield in and when it gets cold, one must come loose or something, not really sure but he fixed it with this exact service bulletin. Good luck. Im so happy to pass this information on to someone else, I went out of my way to hunt you down to relay this to you. GOOD LUCK!!!

http://www.matrixowners.com/tsb/TS-NV009-06.pdf

xepilepticx · March 2010

Hi everybody i just signed up for this thing cause i have a problem with my tc...I have the car since 06 and never had a problem with anything...the car is great...i recently droped it 2 inches and it was good for like a week after that i started getting ratteling in my front wheels especialy at low speeds like 5-20mph on bumps or uneven roads...i have checked n tighned every nut and bold in the suspension and its still doing it...I took the strut bar off to see if maybe thats what causeing the problem but it only got worse....i dont know what else to do i checked every possible thing there is to check...im no mechanic but i do all the custom stuff to all my cars and i never had a problem with my car ratteling after getting lowerd....if any body has or had the same problem can you tell me how you fixed it....

xepilepticx · March 2010

hey i just lowerd my tc and i have the same problem it rattels when i go from left to right and also when i go over bumps at low speeds...do u have any suggdestions have u fixed the problem????

mcristancho · January 2012

please... where i can find those rubber stops... i went to scion to ask for them .. and they didnt know about this issue.. It is totally annoy the sound.. and I cant continue putting tape in the huge holes...

i will appreciate information about where i can buy them...i have a scion tc 2005

gbrooklyn303 · February 2013

i have about 35 k miles on a 2008 tc live in nyc stop and go traffic i suddenly hear a fricton (grinding ) sound while driving at certain temperatures... is it time for new brakes??? :confuse:

Please share ,
Thanks

George

mcristancho · February 2013

Hi, I have the same problem, and specially when its first time in the morning if I go in reverse my driveway. I have researched and its the kind of pads you have, its nothing wrong with them, its just the material with these cold weathers make them do that noise. IF you go and check you brakes as I did they are fine. ITs just a weather condition which sucks I know.
hope it works for you.
I love my scion tc but it has couple weird problems. squecking noises coming from everwhere ...

yony · May 2013

Hi, I'm new to tC. What's the best deal for tC 2013 now? thanks.

Scion tC Rattles, Squeaks and Other Noises

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