Dash rattle troubleshoot

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by redsprius, Jun 2, 2025.

  1. redsprius

    redsprius New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2025
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    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Hello,

    I’ve had a small rattle that sounds to be coming from the driver side dash that started a few weeks ago. It wasn’t very loud and the radio drowned it out. It seemed to happed when accelerating with ICE on. Off gas and over smooth roads it was fine.

    However, sometimes when I would drive over grainy, rough roads it would “switch” to the passenger side dash for a while but then go back to driver side a few minutes later. It was much louder on the passenger side though.

    Well today, same thing happened. Small rattle in the driver side dash, drove over a loud, grainy, rough stretch that was about a mile in length (I285 ATL iykyk) and it switched back to the passenger side. This time, however, it has stayed on the passenger side, same loudness and it’s doing it whether I’m accelerating with ICE or not. Smooth roads it’s mostly quiet though. Driver side is completely quite.

    Anyone have any ideas on maybe where specifically to look or what to try out to get it to stop? This may be coincidental, but yesterday I removed an inspection sticker located at the bottom of the of the driver side dash just above the speaker cover and I stuffed a micro fiber towel in the corner and over the cover to make sure window cleaner didn’t drip down into speaker.

    It’s a 2018 Prius Four.

    Thanks in advanced.
     
  2. Iron Man Prius

    Iron Man Prius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2025
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    Location:
    Fullerton
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    It's from the ducting below the dash, I'm trying to figure out if it's still covered under the TSB with higher mileage years later
     
  3. 200Volts

    200Volts Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2004
    439
    46
    1
    Location:
    Northern CA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    "below the dash" is that at the top, just below the top of the dash?
    Or is it lower, near the bottom or middle of the dash?
    Thx!
     
  4. Iron Man Prius

    Iron Man Prius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2025
    75
    18
    0
    Location:
    Fullerton
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    My bad, so yeah it's on the TOP part of the dash, but on the underside of the plastic where that little GPS chip is located and it's that black cover that's rattling.