Universe93

Loving my Black on black ES350 so far with 4000 miles, bought July!

Anyone having a very annoying rattle/creaking near the seat belt pillar on the driver's side? This occurs continously even on smooth highway roads. I will ask them to check it out at the 5k service.

Also, my steering wheel slightly "clicks" when turning the steering wheel 1 full turn to the right. It doesn't do it on the left side, and doesn't seem right. No turn signals or anything is on. Just seems flimsy with all these noises!

GES

there shouldn't be any rattle/creaking noise near seat belt pillar nor there should the steering wheel click when turning. I don't have these in my car.

tbhhi88

I got the same issue with my 2013 ES300h. Went to dealer on Hilton Head Island. They said they tighten things up but it did not fix it. Not sure what to do next. Plan to go back to the dealer again.

vimal01997

I also have a slight steering click when turning to the right.. Any ideas? Only around 9K miles

Formula271

I have the rattle in the driver side b-pillar garnish, too. it drives me crazy. adjusting the seatbelt height adjuster or putting tension on the belt in a non-standard seating position will temporarily stop the rattle, but it's very temporary. there is nothing to tighten that would stop this rattle.

I have a 2014 ES300h purcheased in Feb 14.

ElliotB

You vehicle came with a comprehensive warranty. Use it.

Arty101

The sound may be coming from any number of places, even though it sounds like it may be the seat belt pillar. Try spraying some silicon on the window frame rubber (the tight seating of the window to the frame may affect the overall stiffness to the door panel causing noise) and to the inside overhead handle above the door since tends to also make noise.

lesz

That was my thinking, too. I've had lots of experience with locating squeaks and rattles. One of the things that I've learned is that sounds in the small cabin of a vehicle can echo considerably, and, even when one feels certain that a squeak or rattle is coming from a particular spot, the actual source can be half way across the cabin.

A few years ago, I had an annoying rattle on my previously owned ES. I felt certain that it was coming from the B pillar and where the seat belt is attached. As it turns out it was coming from the back of one of the rails on which the driver's seat is mounted. There are plastic caps that cover the backs of those rails. If a rear seat passenger sticks his/her feet under the back of the front seat, those caps can easily be dislodged or broken, and, if they are, it will create a source of a constant chatter. Since that incident, I've come across a number of people who were certain that the source of squeaks in their vehicles was the B pillar or the windows or some other spot higher up in the cabin, and the actual source turned out to be those caps on the seat rails. Since I've now seen the same thing on a number of vehicles, the seat rail caps are now one of the first places that I check when there is a squeak/rattle whose source cannot be immediately identified. Other good spots to check are the insides of the glove box and center console for loose objects. Again, even if you are certain that you know where the sound is coming from, the actual source can be in a far different location, and that is what can make dealing with squeaks and rattles so frustrating for both vehicle owners and for dealers.

dxerg3770

That is a good point. Acoustics of the car makes it extremely hard and frustrating to pinpoint where exact rattle is coming from. I'm coming from 08 accord that has to be the most rattliest? car i've ever driven. I suggest everyone to try to fix the rattle yourself by being patient and careful. Going into dealer for rattle most of the time creates even more rattle unless there is a specific TSB for it.

lesz

That is advice is consistent with my experience. Unless absolutely necessary in order to repair or replace some mechanical or electrical component, I don't want a dealer to remove a door panel, take the dash apart, take the console apart, etc. When removing and reinstalling panels, the chances of finding and fixing a rattle or squeak are likely smaller than are the chances of creating new ones. A good rule of thumb for me has always been that the car is not likely ever to be put back together as well as it was in the factory. As you (and I) said, the biggest challenge with fixing squeaks and rattles is accurately identifying their source. Once that is done, however, silencing the rattle or squeak can usually be done with having to take anything apart and, then, reassembling it.

dxerg3770

Has anyone found fix for the driver side pillar rattle?
My car only has 150 miles on it and it started doing it yesterday.
It does sound like its coming from driver side B pillar but I think its actually coming from the rear shelf or seat. I'd appreciate any update.

lesz

Another spot that it could be coming from is the entry/exit assist handle above the window. I've come across several ES owners who were sure that the chatter that they were hearing was coming from the B pillar or from the window, and it turned out that it was actually coming from those assist handles.

bc6152

Another step in locating a rattle is to have wife/friend/girlfriend sit in rear of car and listen at various levels. Something the driver can't do while driving. Person is also able to place pressure on areas where suspect rattle seems to be. Worked for me numerous times.

dxerg3770

Thanks, will try those and post an update

Formula271

I would bet my car that it's coming from the d-side b-pillar / seat belt height adjuster area. I mentioned this to the service manager when i had my 300h in for the 10,000 mile service this past week. They offered to look at it, but I was short on time. And, knowing myself how exactly to duplicate the noise, for the dealer to properly root cause and confirm any countermeasure would not be a quick process. I suspect replacing either the height adjuster, slide garnish, b-pillar upr garnish or some combination of these will stop the noise.

I can stop the noise by placing the belt height adjuster in the lowest position or sliding the seat slightly forward of where I would normally drive, or some combination of these. Both of these actions place the belt in constant contact with my shoulder. I am 6'3", so typically I would keep the belt height adjuster in the highest position and the seat slide position towards rear-most. In my most desirable driving position, there is some gap between the top of my shoulder and the belt path. When this gap between belt and shoulder exists, the rattle is consistent.

There are now a few on the board with what sounds like this same issue. There will be a fix identified. Not wanting to be the guinea pig, I will wait for fix to be found

Out of curiosity, for those experiencing this noise, what was your build month? My 300h was built 2/2014. Also, if you don't mind, how tall are you and what position is your seat belt height adjuster?

I'll start...
2/2014
6'3"
upper-most