I would never buy any Toyota

That would involve orifices and cameras.

 

Dash rattle has nothing to do with reliability. Is your car all of the sudden undriveable due to rattles? Does your hybrid warning lights come on due to rattles? I think not. I had a 92 Honda Accord EX fully loaded at the time of purchase that was made in Japan. While 80% of Accord sold that year were made in the US, I got a Japan made Accord. It's the biggest piece of shit ever built. The brake booster failed at 5K then again at 35K. Warranty fixed them both. The transmission slips going from 2nd to 3rd under heavy acceleration right when we drove off the lot. Dealer unable to find the problem. Power window cable guide made of cheap plastic broke. POS Honda warranty does not cover the plastic but they cover the electric motor. The freaking plastic is riveted to the motor. The whole assembly had to be replaced at 40K then again at 70K. $400 each. Wind noise from hell even going as slow as 30mph. I could dive my Tacoma at 90MPH and still don't hear any wind noise. Interior fogs up like crazy during mildly cool season. The only remedy is to turn on the defroster with AC on. All of my Toyotas don't have fogging issue. If for some odd reason it fogs up, all I had to do is vent air from the outside and the fog clears up. No wasted gas just to defog the windows. Engine noise from hell. It's louder than the Prius going up hill. The transmission jerks every time it shifts. It's like Honda trying to make the Accord like a race car. I take rattles any day over a supposedly reliable car but needed over 7k in repairs before it hit 150K.

 

My 2010 Prius is rattle free (knock on wood)

 

You sure made a point. I'm listening to you.

 

Fortunately, my wife's voice drowns out any undesirable noises while we're driving.

 

Mine does a pretty good job at that as well or she aggravates me to the point that I don't pay any attention to them.

 

This is when a loud radio is the best option. That, or opening windows

 

being partly deaf solves all three problems.

 

It's called being "selectively" deaf.

 

I can barely use Google voice at high speeds for the noise... But it's not a luxury car... My Avalon reaches into that realm though.

 

Both Honda and Toyota have had vehicles with issues over the years, but they still make the most reliable ones overall compared to the rest made for the masses.

 

I can get almost anywhere with bare hands as things are meant to snap together but the price is often not secure fits.

I've had a couple rattles, have always found them and fixed so far.

 

I would not recommend anyone disassembling or removing your dash. Too many potential problems worse than the reason for removal. Very few have the expertise or the patience for a proper reassembly. Missing nuts and bolts, failure to reconnect all electrical connectors, improper fit, more rattles than you started with. First, I'd try to fix it myself without removal, if not successful, I'd live with as is.

 

True, even having the dealer do that cost a fair amount of time.. It's not fun

 

Tho I totally agree with your frustrations, I have not been in a car from any make or model that doesn't make some kind of noise. The Prius is quieter so your going to hear things. Just enjoy 50+ mpg's and not filling up at the gas stations as much. That always helps me.

 

Do you speak from experience ?

My re-assembly success rate has improved greatly ever since I learned to take photos as I go, or by following a well photographed tutorial.

 

I had the dash rattle and discovered a rear seat unlatched. It had to be slammed hard to latch. Then no rattle up front. Everyone that listened to the rattle were certain it was coming from the dash. Somehow it was broadcasting forward.

 

My opinion is the same as your's. Some things are better left alone. You can just see the problems that would be created by removing the dash. If I could not fix the rattle myself I would just live with it.

 

Removing the dash is possible if you have a large clean area to stage the components as they come out. But you are left with an entire new layer of components, AC ducting and structural pieces that could still be culprit. At least with the main dash plate off, a deep rattle might be discovered. The big problem is that the airbag for the passenger is actually attached to the backside of the main dash plate. It must be disconnected from a harness too before the plate can be extracted. Again, this is not for the average "shade tree mechanic" to attempt.

In my opinion, it's not a "fit and finish" issue - it's the materials Toyota uses. Their plastics are very brittle and tend to dry out especially during colder months. When they rub against each other you get the ticks, creaks and other abrading noises these plastics cause. There are so many plastic surface areas that touch each other that it would nearly be impossible to solve this problem. For the dealer, it's a 3 day repair - if they can even find all the rattles.

 

Really an excellent point.. That's why said get some young ears.

High freqs bounce and can sound like one direction, you move 6", then it sounds like another.

Get a couple passengers that have free hands to press on stuff..
Often it's a loose pen or something in the glove box etc.. A cup or pennies in the cup holder,

Rule out all the simple stuff first, you may be surprised and save lots of headaches!