Dear Toyota, the 2010 is a rattler.

My Gen 3 V rattles/squeeks like a mofo when it's cold outside. Anything above 60 or so, and the rattles start going away. Any new car, regardless of trim level should NOT rattle and squeek. Period. Regardless of materials. If it rattles/squeeks, the fit and finish isn't right, the wrong materials have been chosen, the quality control is lacking, or all of the above.

I had an 07 Infiniti that was silent in any temp over any road surface. It was a dream to drive...except for the sub 20 MPGs...It was a G35S, and was extremely difficult not to put your foot in it anytime you climbed behind the wheel.

Anyway, it's not like we're shelling out a couple hundred bucks for the car, many of us have spent upwards of $30k. This is the first car I've ever owned that rattled/squeeked this much. The Japanese make some fantastic cars, and I think it's pretty safe to say that they have a firm grasp on technology. You would think that they could develop a car that doesn't rattle/squeek so much. I'm slowly addressing each rattle/squeek one by one, so I will definitely make it work...but this is the one area in which I feel the Prius has been sub-par.

 

I would second the temperature part causing rattles. Other than that, the only other rattles I get are the poorly maintained roads and intersections. Could this be materials? Sure. Could it be anything else? Sure. I noticed that tires make a big difference too. Softer tire = more vibration absorption = less rattles. At least, that's what I've experienced with my snow tires on the car. I think the flexing of the car could have some to do with it as well. Other that have done handling improvements (center braces, sway bars, etc) seem to have reported less rattling issues if my memory serves correctly (which is questionable).

For the most part, mine is fine unless it's really cold out or the roads aren't in very good shape. I do feel there is always room for improvement, but at what expense?

 

As I commented in another thread .... just because you 'spent upwards of $30k' for a Prius doesn't change the fact that it's a cheap, light, economy car with all the attributes that economy cars have ... one of which is lower-end build quality, and a higher propensity for rattles and noise.

All people can do if they have any kind of noise issue is to have the dealer resolve it, or resolve it themselves. Or live with it. Or complain about it here every two weeks when a new rattle thread crops up.

My $21K 2010 II is quiet and rattle free ... on ANY roads. One complaint I DO have is that the doors sound like tin cans when you close them, which really irks me. I plan on resolving that this week with some sound insulation similar to dynamat on the inside of the doors. If I DO get a rattle .... either the dealer or I will resolve it.

As has been mentioned before, lots of rattles are caused by people having stuff in the car, like in the hard plastic glove boxes, that is rattling. I lined my glove boxes with felt, as another user indicated that he did as well. That will definitely help.

Great points wick1ert !! Especially about tires. We all drive around with 40+ PSI in our tires to try to get better mileage, and then moan and complain about rattles. That can make a HUGE difference ... not only immediately, but the added accumulated effects of driving around with super hard tires due to the higher pressures that we run. The accumulated jarring that comes from over-inflated tires vs normally inflated tires can ADD to the rattles and even CREATE them. Temperature as well can certainly add to rattling, due to the contraction that materials experience when subjected to cold temps. It all adds up. I for one accept that the Prius is an economy car, and nothing more, and don't want to pay thousands more than I did for Toyota to 'sound proof' a car that's fine exactly the way it is.

REV

 

This weekend I heard a buzzing near the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side. It lasted for about 10 minutes or so. The temps were nice -- around 70 degrees, the road I was on was fine, I didn't have the radio on at all, so it wasn't coming from any speakers. It was the first time I noticed any noise. It did go away, so I'm hoping it's not something that will become a problem.

 

One of the first things I did when I started looking for rattles was take everything out of the car that didn't come with it. Then I made sure everything was tight that I could tighten. None of that helped, the rattles come from the cheap plastic interior which was assembled without any noise isolation between pieces.

The rattles in my car are not due to my "stuff" and they are not my fault. Those of you who have a 2010 Prius with no rattles are fortunate and I am happy for you. But please don't imply that the rest of us are imagining things just because you found a loose flash light in the glove box and that "fixed" your problem.


No I don't "hate" Toyota, this is my third new Toyota product but the first two did not rattle. I think one of the major problems is that Toyota refuses to accept responsibility and leaves it up to individual dealer service departments to fix the problems. Most of them are not motivated or capable dealing with these issues. Most dealers would rather loose a few customers than waste hours trying to find rattles that they will most likely not find anyway.

 

I'll respond to you points by number.

1 ... I never implied that ... I have no doubt that there are cars that rattle, and probably rattle badly. Never doubted that for a second.

2 ... What exactly would you have Toyota do ?? Ship your car back on a boat to the factory in Japan or wherever to be re-built ? The dealerships are the agents of the Toyota factory ... they fix issues that come up with Toyotas. That's how most if not ALL car companies work. I have no idea what else you could expect them to do.

3 ... I totally disagree with this statement. My dealer is excellent, VERY motivated, and has gone far beyond the call of duty in resolving any problems that I have had with other Toyotas ... never had an issue with the Prius yet, but I have total confidence that they would work until a problem is solved in correcting a problem that can be demonstrated to them. I have no doubt that some dealers are better than others, but I have never had an issue with my dealer in well over 7 years of dealing with them, and I don't even take my cars there for service, since I do it mostly myself.

I'm not sure what more a dealership could do to please you. It seems you don't want to work with them and have no confidence in them to resolve your problems. I'm sorry that's been your experience and is your perception, but it's just not mine. My dealer is nothing short of excellent, from the sales experience (4 times in 7 years) to service and problem resolution.

Ya gotta give em a chance ... it may take 2 visits or 6 visits ... that's the nature of an issue like this. Keep up the pressure and don't let them wear you down. Be polite, and schedule appointments when they can give you a loaner car. Make it KNOWN that you EXPECT a loaner car. I know it's a pain and it shouldn't have happened, but now that it HAS happened, you just gotta deal with it.

You bring up a GREAT point also ! Every 6 months or so I always grab a phillips screwdriver and go completely over the car ... from top to bottom ... if I find a screw, I tighten it, that can do wonders. Problem is ... these days almost everthing in a new car just 'snaps' together or is pressed together. Hard surfaces, press fits, cold weather, marginal build quality, and 40+ PSI in tires can play hell on a car and it's quiteness, so in this we are in total agreement !

REV

 

I partially agree with you. The Prius is not a luxury sedan by any means...so the plushness and "feel" of a luxury car will be largely absent with the Prius. That's ok, if I wanted a luxury car, I would've purchased a luxury car.

That being said, simply because a car is an "economy car" with "lower build quality" doesn't mean that it's fine to release it to the public with all kinds of squeeks and rattles and not expect folks to complain. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this car...something I never thought I would hear myself say about a Prius! I just think Toyota could've stepped up to the plate a bit more and addressed the squeeks/rattles more aggressively. I had a heavily used 72 VW bug that I picked up for $200 back in the day (ok...WAY back in the day) that didn't have half the rattles and squeeks that my $30k Prius has. I know that part of that is due to fact that the VW was significantly louder (heck, it had holes in the floorboard where it had rusted through...you could actually see pavement as you drove along)....so I'm sure that drowned out alot of any squeeks/rattles it may have had. Oh, did I mention the headlights were held in by bondo? LOL Ah...being a teenager was such fun!

I do not know, part of me feels that I shouldn't be TOO demanding with a car such as the Prius when it comes to fit/finish, etc. However, there's also a part of me that feels as though -as a consumer who works very hard for his money- I should get a quality automobile from top to bottom (which, for the most part, the Prius IS)...regardless of price point.

There are far many other things about the Prius that make the rattles and squeeks much easier to deal with...namely MPGs and cost to operate. With the money saved on gas, I can easily afford a roll of double stick tape and a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

 

Pulling parts off and putting a dab of RTV on wear spots then reassembling has worked for me on other vehicles with rattles. It's easy to remove if that part ever has to come off later on.

Mike

 

Hah !!

Great attitude Dweezil, and pretty much my attitude as well !

I tell people all the time that I just LOVE my new Prius, which some find hard to believe, as I have usually driven more 'manly' trucks or SUVs. I tell them it's like driving a video game, but the truth is, the damn little car feels like a much bigger car than it is. It has so much room and so much utility with the hatchback and folding seats that you can use it like an SUV. At $21K, it has keyless entry, pushbutton start, steering wheel controls, auto climate control, power everything, and better handling than I would have ever imagined. It's like a little go cart that gets 50+ MPG, and I believe THAT is going to be HUGE in the coming years.

Driving it and looking at it when you're outside of it just don't quite co-relate to me. Inside, it feels like a Taurus or Camry sized car, but outside, it looks like an econobox. It's amazing how small it is when viewed from outside at a distance of a few car lengths, but INSIDE, it's roomy and nice ... at least in my opinion.

It seems that it's easily as big as my 08 RAV4 was inside, and I'm a big guy. We take 3 people, 2 30 pound dogs and a bunch of stuff back and forth to OC MD (220 miles each way) almost every weekend, and fold one seat down so the dogs can lay there and move around. Having this car over the RAV4 proably saves me $50-70 a weekend in fuel alone. That's $200-280 per month (MORE if gas goes to $5) !!! That money can sure buy a lot of beers at SEACRETS in Ocean City ... the hot spot to go for happy hour and Sunday afternoon football or NASCAR.

I just couldn't keep filling up the RAV4's tank to the tune of $50-60, and only be able to go 340 miles. It was just THROWING money away. Now I fill up the Prius with about $35, and can go 600 miles. I've always liked having at least ONE 4WD vehicle in the family, but it just isn't worth it anymore for the 5 times that I used it in the snow, and that was usually just to use it in the snow anyway ....

REV

 

It's rated as a mid sized sedan. The Gen 3 Prius is more fun driving than a Camry hybrid in my opinion

Mike

 

I know it's rated 'mid-size', but when you look at it from OUTSIDE, it's tiny (at least it seems tiny) ... It even looks small compared to my wife's 05 Corolla S.

REV

 

1. I realize you didn't imply that, I apologize, the comment was not suppose to be aimed at anyone in particular. I think it is a point that needs to be made from time to time. There are several people on this forum, not you, who tend to blame the customer for problems with the car that are not the customers fault.

2. I don't know what Toyota should do. They built the cars and they need to come up with a solution. They might start by admitting there is a problem.

3. Your dealer may well be very good at fixing rattles, I am sure some are. If I lived in your part of the country I would ask you who they were and give them a try. But I said "most dealers" could not fix rattles and that includes the two within 50 miles of where I live. By reading through the numerous rattle threads I am of the opinion that only about 10% of the people with rattles have success with dealer fixes.

I don't trust the dealerships around here because of two bad experiences I had with my Gen2 Prius. Nothing to do with rattles, one was suspension related the other involved a steering system recall. I finally got the car fixed by doing a lot of the work myself with advice from a Prius Chat poster who was an outstanding Prius Technician. I am confident that whoever ended up with my Gen2 Prius got a dependable safe car.

My solution with this car has been to find and fix as many rattles as I can, not why I bought a new car. I have had some success after may hours of looking and removing a lot of interior plastic and isolating it with felt pads etc. I am down to just a few, some of which only rattle when it is very cold and I will ignore them. There is another on the right side toward the front, maybe under the dash, that one I would love to find and I'll keep looking for it. The rattle threads have been a big help because often my car has problems that others have found.

 

Hi Tom !

It's a pleasure to discuss this with you. I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with your dealer(s). I've heard that some people in the ... ahem ... shall we say ... 'more densely populated' states ... are disasters and that they treat their customers like dirt, and I feel for them.

I would never imply that an owner's issues don't exist ... how would I know ? I also have no doubt that the rattle and squeak issues COULD and probably WILL show up in my car eventually ... maybe tommorrow ... who knows ?? If they do, I'll take the car in, and I'll KEEP taking it in until it's fixed. My service manager is spectacular, and we've become friends since my RAV4 had to go back so many times for a rattle in the windshield area. It turned out that Toyota had left some alignment clips on the windshield that should have been removed during assembly. We still laugh about that whenever I see him when I go in for oil filters or something.

I do hope you get your issues resolved, and maybe even find a dealer that you like, and can be confident in. It sucks to know that the Toyota ownership experience that I've had doesn't extend to everyone here. If anyone is in Eastern PA, be confident in going to Milham Toyota in Easton, right on Route 33. They're good people. For both sales and service.

I know I sound like a Toyota salesman, but I'm really not. My wife's 05 Corolla S has 147,000 miles on it, and the only repair it's needed other than maintenance, has been one headlight bulb. I'm not kidding. It didn't even need front brakes until 110,000 miles, and I slapped a pair on for about $40 and it's been fine ever since ... good for another 110,000 miles hopefully. I think Toyotas are about the most reliable car that can be purchased, and I've owned a LOT of cars.

REV

 

We call it the Toyota way of making a vehicle have huge inside space with a compact outside area. Every Toyota we have driven has had so many pockets and other areas to stash stuff that it amazes us everytime :thumb:

Mike

 

Off topic, but Rev do you have your own place in OC? We're huge OC fans too. I have literally spent at least a week in Ocean City every summer I've been alive...

Anyways, this is my issue with Toyota. If you look at other cars in the price class, even towards the cheaper end of the price spectrum of the Prius, they can build an inexpensive car that doesn't rattle. Our Prius rattles so badly on a SMOOTH HIGHWAY that I can barely stand to drive it. We spend our time down the road pushing on things and holding them down trying to quiet rattles...its terrible...and its been that way since it was like a year old.

It used to be a Toyota was one brand of car you could count on NEVER to rattle...its just not the case anymore. Interiors used to always be high quality with nice plastics and switchgear that lasted forever it seemed...not you sit in a $47,000 Highlander Hybrid...and the plastics are awful and the headliner feels like a cardboard McDonalds cup tray. When you look at the competition...they don't have this issue.

 

Yes, we do ... it's actually directly across the bay (from SEACRETS on 50th St) in a town of 9000 homes called Ocean Pines. If you've ever been to the Walmart on RT 50 or Ocean Downs horse track, you're very close to me. Ocean Downs is now a slots casino, in case you didn't know that.

We have a place on the water in the Pines, so all the waterfront bars are where we hang out in the summer because you can get there by boat and not have to deal with the summer traffic. We typically hang out at FishTales, MR Ducks, Harborside, Mickey Finns and SEACRETS. Been going to OC for about 16 years or so now ... started just vacationing there many years ago.

I'd take your car back ... see if they can do anything ... I think they do ANYTHING in the first 12,000 miles, and longer if it's documented and not solved.

Maybe we'll hook up down there sometime for a beer or 5 and talk Prii.

REV

 

I drove a 2011 RAV4 last fall for ~4000 miles and it had 1500 miles on it when I picked it up. It had a rattle somewhere in the center up front dash area that I never figured out on the trip out:

It was still fun driving it all that way even with a rattle

Hopefully by the time the MY12 Prius's roll around, I buy one that isn't a rattle trap I do have my tube of RTV ready just in case

Mike

 

I loved my RAV4 except for the mileage, and I had the 4 cylinder. Some say that the RAV4 is the best handling of all of Toyota's models. It was a tight little bugger with hardly any body roll around corners. It was a fun ride. Only owned it about 9 months. Brutal on gas in the winter, though. My 06 Outback was far better in terms of mileage.

REV

 

I found the RAV4 handles well also. A little sensitive to tire pressure on Interstates that are grooved like I-90/94 in Wisconsin, but otherwise fine. The ugly mileage was the whole reason we rented that MY10 Prius for our Florida trip a few weeks ago. Running roughly 75 to 88 mph loaded to the ceiling inside with antiques, she gave us no worse than 43 mpg :eyebrows: Can't wait to own one now...grrrr

Mike

 

Cool! I know Ocean Pines well, a friend of my fathers retired and bought a house in Ocean Pines a couple of years ago.

How do you feel about the slots at Ocean Downs?

Mines 7 years old and has 75k on it now

I would like that!

I've always liked the Rav 4, but even the Rav when you compare it to the competition, especially the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Chevy Equinox...both of them feel like they're in another class. The CR-V is a little outdated too, but from an interior quality standpoint a definite upgrade to the Rav.