2016 ES350- Rattles anyone
01-20-16, 01:27 AM
#31
Instructor
I don't know if this will help you, but I have experienced 2 rattles in my 2013 ES... The first one came from the dash, just left of center over the speedometer.. more of a squeak than a rattle, and only in cooler months.. turns out there are a couple of screws inside the dash.. The tips of those screws have felt or some sort of insulation material between the tips of the screw and a molded piece of plastic.. apparently, over time, the tips of those screws worked their way thru the felt and started rubbing up against that molded piece of plastic... tech said he put a alot of felt in there to prevent that from happening again.... second rattle was near the end of last year... very very slight, but it was coming from the console area... tech said the only thing he found was a loose plastic clip... replaced it with a new one... so far everythings been pretty quiet since then.
Poppa
Poppa
01-20-16, 03:28 AM
#32
Lexus Test Driver
My previous Acura RL had an annoying center console squeak. It was more pronounced during warm weather. Dealer applied felt tape where the center console meets the center console support but it didn't go away.
After days of pressing, pushing, whining and begging on the forums, I finally learned that there were two areas that would rub, the first (and most common was what the dealer addressed), the second equally annoying, but less common was the plastic trim around the shift gate.
I ripped it out and learned that the felt tape used in the first area was too thick to put between there. I couldn't find any thinner felt tape anywhere. I ended up using duct tape, carefully measured and cut so it wouldn't show, taped around the edges where the plastic shift gate met the center console. It worked and my sanity was saved, but talk about an ordeal.
The first squeak was actually a "known issue" and I learned after the fact that there was a service bulletin issued by Acura. Wish I knew about these bulletins earlier, but from that point on, any issues I had, I would immediately go to the link that someone posted that had every single item issued by the manufacturer. Very helpful.
Good luck! Hope that rattle gets squashed!
After days of pressing, pushing, whining and begging on the forums, I finally learned that there were two areas that would rub, the first (and most common was what the dealer addressed), the second equally annoying, but less common was the plastic trim around the shift gate.
I ripped it out and learned that the felt tape used in the first area was too thick to put between there. I couldn't find any thinner felt tape anywhere. I ended up using duct tape, carefully measured and cut so it wouldn't show, taped around the edges where the plastic shift gate met the center console. It worked and my sanity was saved, but talk about an ordeal.
The first squeak was actually a "known issue" and I learned after the fact that there was a service bulletin issued by Acura. Wish I knew about these bulletins earlier, but from that point on, any issues I had, I would immediately go to the link that someone posted that had every single item issued by the manufacturer. Very helpful.
Good luck! Hope that rattle gets squashed!
01-20-16, 04:03 AM
#33
Driver
Thread Starter
I've had the seat vibration noise in several cars, an '06 Avalon and a '13 ES 350 being the latest. When someone is sitting in the seat there is no vibration due to the weight holding it in place. Other than a Rube Goldberg attempt to eliminate it with towels and other things, I don't think that there's a solution. It does occur more on rough roads.
We've had several Acura TLs too and they had rattles. But it seems that Acura has finally figured this out with the latest TLX. Our 2015 TLX is as noise-free as any car I've ever driven. To be honest, it's actually quieter on the highway than my 2016 ES350. On the other hand, we have to go back to Acura Thursday to have them fix a transmission leak that they caught when we brought it in for an inspection.
Rattles or questionable reliability? How about neither.
01-20-16, 05:48 AM
#34
My 2013 ES300h had one rattle in the console, I brought it to the dealer's attention and they fixed it, that was 2 years ago, the car is still rattle free! My 2015 ES350 has no rattles.
01-20-16, 10:13 AM
#35
My '13 ES300H has been rattle-free :knocks on wood: I had to reposition the passenger side front seatbelt/seat a few times but that's about it.
01-21-16, 01:14 PM
#37
Lead Lap
I can answer your question regarding the seatbelt Ken. I had a noise on the passenger side that drove me nuts.
I found that it was the seat belt twisted around so that the metal buckle was touching the side plastic. The buckle should be facing inwards and the strap taut, then no noise. I merely turned it around and the noise went away.
I found that it was the seat belt twisted around so that the metal buckle was touching the side plastic. The buckle should be facing inwards and the strap taut, then no noise. I merely turned it around and the noise went away.
01-22-16, 07:33 AM
#38
Driver
Thread Starter
Thanks bc. Unfortunately the correct positioning of the seatbelt is not the issue in my case. The belt was positioned as you described. I was convinced it was the seat, but at this point I'm no longer 100%.
Damn these things are hard to track down!
Damn these things are hard to track down!
01-28-16, 01:30 PM
#40
Driver
Thread Starter
01-29-16, 06:30 AM
#41
Driver
Thread Starter
07-27-16, 05:47 PM
#42
Driver School Candidate
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I have got my car checked by the dealer three times over a rattle that is coming from the passenger side. The first time, they did nothing as they could not reproduce the problem during the test drive. The second time, they stuffed some foam inside the B-pillar. That did not resolve the problem. The third time, the mechanic sat in the rear passenger seat and hit one of the door panel with his palm. It created a vibration noise that lingered much longer than the other door panels. He then tightened that panel. The rattle did not completely disappear but at least it now only comes on when driving over a really rough surface. This suggest that there were multiple causes of the rattling noise.
I have done a few other DIY solutions suggested in this and other forums. It did not conclusively remove the rattles all the time. I guess I will just learn to ignore it or bump up my stereo volume. Puzzling, my other family members do not hear the rattles. I have installed sound insulation mat on all my four wheel wells to suppress some road noise, that inevitably created a heightened awareness of all other sources of noise.
Prior to owning my current 2014 ES, I was driving a 2011 RX. Not a squeak from my RX other than the occasional shaking empty front passenger seat.
I have done a few other DIY solutions suggested in this and other forums. It did not conclusively remove the rattles all the time. I guess I will just learn to ignore it or bump up my stereo volume. Puzzling, my other family members do not hear the rattles. I have installed sound insulation mat on all my four wheel wells to suppress some road noise, that inevitably created a heightened awareness of all other sources of noise.
Prior to owning my current 2014 ES, I was driving a 2011 RX. Not a squeak from my RX other than the occasional shaking empty front passenger seat.
I found the tip here: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/310-7th-generation-2012/426660-door-rattle-fixed.html
Rather than using a foam pad as described by the author of that tip, I used a self-adhesive and heavy duty felt pads which I think will deform less hence maintaining a consistent tight closed door. The felt pads has to be reasonably thick to impart pressure on the rubber bumpers when the door is closed. Mine is about 4~5 mm thick. A simple check to determine if this tip will work for you…if the ticking/rattle always goes away every time when you gently push the door outward or pull the door inwards, then it is likely this tip will work.
11-17-16, 06:59 PM
#43
Lexus Test Driver
Sorry for reviving such a old thread. But op have you found a solution tp your rattles cause my 8 month old us built 16 es has developed some rattles as well. If you have found any solutions please let me know. Thank You!
11-18-16, 07:49 AM
#44
Honda is really pushing the Civics. I don't know what the rattling situation is there. I road as a passenger in a recent model, and it was a pretty tight suspension/ride.
I agree that the Lexus dealer may not take the rattle issues too seriously, and the last thing you want is a well-intentioned mechanic taking stuff
apart to find a rattle, only to introduce another rattle cause things weren't put back together 'tight enough'.
I also wonder if some of the noise complaints stem from the fact that the Lexus ES is so smooth regarding the ride: it's so quiet inside compared to
other brands you're more likely to notice the 'little noises' that would just be missed on a Chevy or Ford.
I think of an Impala I recently rode in. I didn't have the heart to tell the owner the car seemed 'tinny' compared to my Lexus, and there were so many
'noises'. Driving my ES has really spoiled me. No wonder a lot of people don't abandon the brand.
I agree that the Lexus dealer may not take the rattle issues too seriously, and the last thing you want is a well-intentioned mechanic taking stuff
apart to find a rattle, only to introduce another rattle cause things weren't put back together 'tight enough'.
I also wonder if some of the noise complaints stem from the fact that the Lexus ES is so smooth regarding the ride: it's so quiet inside compared to
other brands you're more likely to notice the 'little noises' that would just be missed on a Chevy or Ford.
I think of an Impala I recently rode in. I didn't have the heart to tell the owner the car seemed 'tinny' compared to my Lexus, and there were so many
'noises'. Driving my ES has really spoiled me. No wonder a lot of people don't abandon the brand.
11-18-16, 09:44 AM
#45
Pole Position
We had a Honda Accord in the 90s. It was a good car, but after about year 5 got pretty noisy. The rattles were the only issue with an otherwise excellent car. You may be right about getting spoiled with the quiet ES and consequently we have different expectations. I also think as we spend more on cars, the higher our expectations. Sadly, I think those expectations may be misplaced. I had a nine year old Ford Ranger pickup with fewer rattles than a year old Toyota Avalon that cost easily twice as much. A car is a very complex machine so it's not surprising that it develops some rattles - I just wish I could tune those noises out...