Excessive wind noise coming from driver's side window/door
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 10
From: ON, Canada
I had some time over the holiday to check out the car and tried this out.
In the first picture, I highlighted the part of the door seal that I think is causing the issue. At the top corner of the door in my car, the rubber seal is slightly thinner than the seal surrounding the rest of the car. Since the other parts of the seal are thicker, I think this thinner part is very slightly lifted from the doorframe when the door is closed, leaving a small airgap and allowing sound to enter the cabin.
My resolution so far was to add two pieces of electrical tape to apply vertical pressure to the seal, which makes it expand horizontally and makes it wider to match more closely to the width of the surrounding seals. After applying this fix, I haven't noticed the wind noise anymore. I don't know if it's placebo, so I wouldn't say this is the definitive fix for me yet until a few weeks more of testing, but I'd love if anyone else having this problem could try this out and report back.
In the first picture, I highlighted the part of the door seal that I think is causing the issue. At the top corner of the door in my car, the rubber seal is slightly thinner than the seal surrounding the rest of the car. Since the other parts of the seal are thicker, I think this thinner part is very slightly lifted from the doorframe when the door is closed, leaving a small airgap and allowing sound to enter the cabin.
My resolution so far was to add two pieces of electrical tape to apply vertical pressure to the seal, which makes it expand horizontally and makes it wider to match more closely to the width of the surrounding seals. After applying this fix, I haven't noticed the wind noise anymore. I don't know if it's placebo, so I wouldn't say this is the definitive fix for me yet until a few weeks more of testing, but I'd love if anyone else having this problem could try this out and report back.
To be exact, it is whistle noise. While I am driving at the speed where the noise is heard, I put the finger near that triangle and the noise is gone.
The strange thing I find is it only happens on the driver's side. But in terms of construction, the driver's door and the front passenger door are the same. The only thing I see is a very slight difference in terms of how the rubber lining around the inner opening.
Back in 2IS or the current RX, the upper door inner frame is covered with plastic frame rather than just a corner with a triangular plastic piece. This kind of excessive noise is originated with the cost-cutting measure by Lexus. I am curious if the same problem occurs in ES, and NX where they also use the same treatment for the upper inner door frame -- i.e., just the corner is covered with a triangular piece....
Last edited by AndyL; Apr 14, 2015 at 06:40 AM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 10
From: ON, Canada
Looks like the wind noise coming out of the driver's side window at above a certain speed happens with NX as well.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...-a-new-nx.html
I bet it is the same issue
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...-a-new-nx.html
I bet it is the same issue
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Fl
Wow I saw this thread but didn't decide to look into it. But after owning my car for 2 months now I too have noticed this noise coming from my window. Im going in to lexus for my first check up in about two weeks and will bring this up with the Tech and see if there are any resolutions. then we can put all our gathered info and see if we can come up with a proper resolution for this stuoid problem we should not be having with a $45000 plus car!!!!
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 10
From: ON, Canada
Wow I saw this thread but didn't decide to look into it. But after owning my car for 2 months now I too have noticed this noise coming from my window. Im going in to lexus for my first check up in about two weeks and will bring this up with the Tech and see if there are any resolutions. then we can put all our gathered info and see if we can come up with a proper resolution for this stuoid problem we should not be having with a $45000 plus car!!!!
I think the culprit lies in the contact between the seal around the door opening and the upper black metal door frame. The interesting thing is it happens on the driver's door and not the passenger door. I observed the speed at which it starts to happen today and it is consistently at 45mph/70 km/h. It is when the air pressure builds up. When I am driving, I stick a finger in the gap between the inside surface of side window and at where the plastic trianglular piece ends and it stops the whistle noise. I would think it is due to the design, the tolerance of the seal must be high enough to prevent this from happening.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Fl
I think the culprit lies in the contact between the seal around the door opening and the upper black metal door frame. The interesting thing is it happens on the driver's door and not the passenger door. I observed the speed at which it starts to happen today and it is consistently at 45mph/70 km/h. It is when the air pressure builds up. When I am driving, I stick a finger in the gap between the inside surface of side window and at where the plastic trianglular piece ends and it stops the whistle noise. I would think it is due to the design, the tolerance of the seal must be high enough to prevent this from happening.
I will let Lexus now this coming week that ANDYL from club lexus says this cheap piece of rubber crap needs to be better quality and to please replace it ASAP.
lol..
I let you guys know what happens after.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 10
From: ON, Canada
Thanks Andy I figured it had to do with some type of seal on the window, from what Ive read so far.
I will let Lexus now this coming week that ANDYL from club lexus says this cheap piece of rubber crap needs to be better quality and to please replace it ASAP.
lol..
I let you guys know what happens after.
I will let Lexus now this coming week that ANDYL from club lexus says this cheap piece of rubber crap needs to be better quality and to please replace it ASAP.
lol..
I let you guys know what happens after.
And for the speed where the whistle is heard -- at 60km/h, the whistle is already there and it is very, very faint and then at 65-70km/h, any driver with normal ears could start to hear it.
To verify if we have the same culprit, try sticking your finger in the area I show in the picture and see if it is the same.
Now, for if the solution is to replace the trims and weatherstripping, I am not sure if I want to let the dealership do it. There is a lot of materials around the area which are prone to marring such as the B-pillar black trim, the chrome trims and the rubber trims, etc. So meanwhile I may try to see if I could "straighten out" the imperfection of the weather strip....
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 325
Likes: 11
From: Florida - Tampa Bay
I test drove a 2015 IS 350 prior to special ordering mine, and I can assure you that they DO NOT "all sound like that".
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Rookie
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Ontario
having hte same wind noise issue on my 2016 IS 350AWD FSport. Took it to the deaelership and they confirmed its a engineering problem as they tested it on other cars and they all had the same noise.
Total bs if you ask me, a Honda Fit doesn't even have that problem and yet my $60k Lexus does.
Total bs if you ask me, a Honda Fit doesn't even have that problem and yet my $60k Lexus does.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 489
Likes: 0
having hte same wind noise issue on my 2016 IS 350AWD FSport. Took it to the deaelership and they confirmed its a engineering problem as they tested it on other cars and they all had the same noise.
Total bs if you ask me, a Honda Fit doesn't even have that problem and yet my $60k Lexus does.
Total bs if you ask me, a Honda Fit doesn't even have that problem and yet my $60k Lexus does.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,282
Likes: 1,890
From: WA