Gtidan

Rattles? What rattles? My car is tight as a vault

tfz_hebe89

iTrader: (1)

so, after reading all the posts here, did anyone bring the issue to a dealer and have it SOLVED and not just INSPECTED??

Mine rattled too, and I was so frustrated for the first few times, but after a while, I get on with it. Just let it rattle whatever it wants!! Tired already..

I think I;m gonna bring this issue when I go for 5k miles service, and force them to solve it until they can SOLVE it??

How's that guys? Coz I read somewhere that some dealers can solve it. If their dealers can, why not mine? Right?

IS-FAST350

My '08 IS350 has these persistent, non-stop rattles that come from the passenger dashboard area and towards the top of the windshield (seems like a wierd place for a car to rattle.) The dash also squeaks at pretty much every contact with another part, i.e. doors, radio pillar. And the rear doors rattle on and off. The car only has 17,000 miles on it. When its been in for service they can never find anything to fix. I do find this unacceptable in a $43,000 car with the Lexus name on it. If this were a Kia or Hyundai, I would expect such things. I also own a 3/4-ton Chevy Silverado work truck with 177,000 hard miles on it. That vehicle has been beaten and abused in every way imaginable. Its fairly basic, not much to look at, sucks gas, and is a pain in the *** to park, BUT.....its just as reliable as any Lexus/Toyota I've ever driven. When I'm driving down the road, there is not one squeak or rattle from any part of the truck. The IS also has a LOT of road noise coming from tires. The truck is virtually silent in comparison. The IS is a blast to drive as far as performance and handling, and overall its a great car. I'm just sorely disappointed with the rattles, road noise, and total disregard by Lexus service when they are supposed to be the best there is. Sadly, I've actually found my old beat up truck more of a pleasure to drive lately.

Reciprocal

My IS F has only 780 miles but over bad freeway expansion joints something near the defroster vents or front speaker sounds loose. The plastic can also get a little buzzy over noisy pavement like freeway grooves.

Since the above poster mentioned his 3/4 ton Silverado which I also had, I would agree it was a solid ride, much better than the 1/2 ton, but not immune to creaking dash or door panels.

Over the years, I've spent some time in the LS400/LS430/LS460. One of the early LS400's was actually the best ever. I found it more solid than the LS430 which could rattle (very slightly) over bad freeway expansion joints or noisy pavement, not wholly unlike my IS F but they had more miles.

A more recent LS430 was not as good, it could rattle slightly going over choppy ground.

Basically, to get the supreme quiet ride quality, you have to get one of the LS's. I think the others are best in class but not as good as the flagship. As a brand, Lexus is as good or better than all. The BMW's I recently tested were very solid, but I could sense just a hint of "future" rattle.

The most solid and rattle free rides I have come from my (2) Toyota Tacomas, an '05 and '08, the '05 is still as solid as the '08. They both seem screwed together really well, but you have to consider that the long travel, high compliance off-road suspension and Bilsteins in combination with high sidewall profile tires running lower air pressures (28 psi) have a better time gobbling up choppy surfaces and noisy pavement than sport suspensions and stiff low profile performance tires. That said, the Lexus are still quieter overall. There's more to NVH than just creaks and rattles, there's also engine and driveline noises. On that count, the Tacoma is unmistakable truck like.

I think it's too bad though, all my life it seems I've wanted (and pursued) the vehicles with the most solid, tightly screwed together ride. THE BEST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

One direction Lexus is taking that I don't like, is the totally numbed steering in the late model LS. The early models were much more communicative. Lexus is so over the top with gadgets. The LS400 was more basic, and I appreciated it for doing fewer things extremely well.

kdii02

My 09' 250AWD has about 5100 miles on it. Although its rare that I don't have the tunes cranked up while driving so I could potentially hear a rattle or squeak, My car seems exceptionally tight. The only thing I've heard is a slight rattle from the rear deck when I hit a crazy bump in the road. My experience from driving on the "Rubberband" tires we all have is that they aren't going to soak up much from the defects in any given road, and that the harder/and louder ride quality is what we live with for the performance.. My 05' 4Runner didnt make much noise either, even after 4 1/2 years but it also had much larger tires on it.. Overall I am impressed with the ride and generally quiet ride in the IS compared to other cars and SUV's I have owned.

I would say if you have an IS that is really rattling in an unacceptable way, then take a Saturday afternoon and go over the car and tighten up every interior screw and bolt you can find, maybe try a little silicone spray between tight plastic parts, and look for any loose dash parts or broken or worn clips that hold the panels in and replace them. Don't always rely on the dealer to treat our cars like they were their own personal cars. It's only gonna happen to a certain point. We are all fanatics about our IS's that's why we are here right? We need to solve the problem amongst ourselves IMHO. Besides it's more fun that way!!

Zinda

iTrader: (1)

I am going crazy I can't even figure out where half my rattles are coming from lately. I took it into Englewood on Tuesday and those MORONS didn't fix a damned thing. In fact, I think they didn't even do my oil change. I told them to fix a panel that pops off constantly they replaced the clip but that didn't work. To add injury to the insult the panel was popped out when I got to it.

kdii02

Wow! Did you make a U-turn and drive it right back to show them? Man, I'd say it's time to find a new dealer!!

hybridanim

iTrader: (9)

my car is currently in the shop because of the rattles =( I can't stand those noises while driving. My previous rsx was all modded and not one rattle, with well over 160k.

YooNiBaLL

would constant rattling in the car's interior be considered a part of the lemon law? i have no knowledge of the lemon law so idk.

HomieG

Lemon laws typcially cover issues for non-repairs that relate to safety, of which there are many for sure. Rattles I don't think are considered safety issues, but who knows in this crazy world...

Dj_AmtraX

iTrader: (2)

I would NEVER bring my car back to the dealership to fix rattles again. They're idiots! I fixed all my rattles myself. Now my car is rattles free.

Dj_AmtraX

iTrader: (2)

This is your new best friend, my friend. Do not use anything else.

http://3m.hillas.com/pc-15479-1247-3...-dry-type.aspx

shawndover

Where would you spray this? Do I have to take my dash apart to do it?

Dj_AmtraX

iTrader: (2)

Depends on the type o rattles. I fixed my sunroof rattle with the spray by applying on the rubber seal around the sunroof. Some rattles can be fixed with spray and some needs actual padding. Lexus has a rattle kit for techs. You have to ask for it at the parts department and they may sell it to you. It has all kinds of padding and stuff. Ask about it at your local Lexus parts dept.

djrobsd

I think a lot of the rattle/squeeks are caused by the crappy roads we have in Southern California, especially San Diego. With the city practically bankrupt (actually they are - they are just in denial and are going to drag the drama out years before they finally pull the trigger).. The roads are not getting proper maintenance, and even preventable things, like sealing cracks, is not getting done, which leads to big pot holes and cracks. Our roads are so bumpy here, that i do think all those bumps will cause premature wear in the car. Unfortunately, for people who work in this neighborhood, we are driving our car over the same messed up road every day, naturally it's going to cause things to come loose.