NGG

Dave;
Thanks for the merge and the guidance. Your explanation is sure more courteous than the other member's comments...I guess some just like to pontificate...takes all types.

Congrats on your wedding...Hawaii, great place for a honeymoon.

toneman

No rattles in my car--yet...but more than a few creaks here and there...must be from some of the plastic in the interior--especially the center console stack area.

glock22x

After a week of driving my ES350, rattles started to come. It's very weird how it comes only in certain types of bumps. I can go over sewer lids and have no rattles, while going over minor bumps on the bridge give me rattles I'm bringing it to the dealer next week, but I'm afraid that I can replicate the rattles.

The rattles are coming from the rear right corner of the car, or somewhere near there.

Kaius88

I think the front passenger seat shakes when you go over a bump, and it sounds like its coming from the back. Try putting your hand on the passanger seat to dampen the shaking next time you hit a bump. See if thats the problem. If it is, it's no problem at all since the seat is supposed to be flexible.

glock22x

Ah, thanks Kaius88! I'll give it a try tomorrow. This rattle is really ticking me off...the car's so nice to ride in till the rattles start.

ES350Bob

glock,

I did not take rattles seriously until NGG's post.

Here is what I discovered was the source of rattle in my former car in the back that sounded like a combo of glass and metal and here is a test you can do to see if it is the same on your car.

Stand beside your car even with rear wheel driver side. Ball up your fist and lightly, with bottom part of hand, rap on glass about 6 to 8 inches above where glass meets trunk and in middle of width of back glass. Notice I said lightly rap. You may hear the glass metal combo when doing it. Then isolate from there. Mine was at top of back glass, in middle of width of back glass where it joins the roof slope. In there something was loose, either a bolt or a weld, where the metal lip the glass rests on and is glued to meets the metal of roof.

glock22x

Thank you for the tip ES350Bob, I will give it a try later tomorrow. If the repair requires the disassembly of the car, should I even let them do it? Like, it's a brand new car...disassembling it can't be good. It's annoying, but not always there, which just drives me nuts on what to do. My parents don't really care, but I just can't stand paying so much for a car that rattles.

ES350Bob

Glock,

I can give you a set of contrasts, don't know if it will help or not. As I mentioned I didn't get bothered with the rattles, I was more interested in the annoying knocking tapping of my engine, wind noise, later transmission.

On the engine alone I would not have wanted to be forced to stay in that former car, as time progressed that is, initially either or both the engine or wind noise, then the transmission would have me wanting out of that car.

Then instead of looking for something produced under the slogan..Passionate Pursuit of Perfection...or the other slogan something like acquire compromise elsewhere.....I compromised and said if I could just get a better engine I'd tolerate all else unless and until there were remedies provided. this includes door alignment throwing windows off.

Then I read NGG post about rattles, described my own to him and he said that's IT, that's the sound and I nearly fell over but decided to compromise again on that too and not get alarmed, still limiting all to be tolerable compared to my major annoyance, that engine in that car.

Now that I have had time to think about it all, I wonder how I ended up accepting the myriad of defects on that car if I could have just gotten a better engine, it was and is absurd to realize I was really willing to hold out on all else, passionately pursuing a means of tolerating mediocrity, if I could just get a better engine.

So, to you I'd say there will likely be at least one issue on a vehicle that is THE one issue beyond which you will not compromise, if it is your car being taken apart for rattles that may be missing welds or missing bolts, then that is the point at which you will not accept that vehicle, for me it was that engine.

For both of us, or anyone for that matter, it really should be zero tolerance of any defect, any chronic annoyance for the cost of the vehicle as they are far from cheap to purchase. A door alignment is a no rush to it deal and a minor thing, missing welds or bolts causing rattles, engine or transmission etc. are whole other matters. And for some, rattles on their own that cannot be silenced after multiple attempts, will prompt them to get out of a car.

Ask that the source of your rattle, or any other concern for that matter, be identified to you and you allowed to inspect same BEFORE repairs are begun. Then you will have control over what you see and what will need to be done and can make a sound decision on what you want. Once you have decided what you want, tell them exactly what that is.

Most importantly try not stress out over any of it as it is not worth it as in the end everything will work out because you will have options when you least expect to.

glock22x

haha well you know what guys? My problem is still there because...the Lexus tech that was riding in my car to verify my rattle said he couldn't hear any I guess I'll be fair to him because it was raining hard and the rattling sound *could've* been covered by the rain. But I swear the rattle was there. He said to bring the car down again when it's not raining, which is hard because I can't predict the damn weather a week ahead (usual wait time for Lexus Service).

Also, they refused to fix my misaligned chrome on the door till the next big service @ 1500km...is it just me or is my dealer taking away my "Lexus experience?"

ES350Bob

Sounds to me as though he didn't want to bring the car in just for the doors to be aligned since he couldn't hear the rattle for the rain.

Maybe he will do that for you once he hears the rattle and address both at the same time for you in one appointment.

wanderer99

WTF? Did you go to a Ford dealer by mistake?

Lexus in Canada seems to insist that you duplicate the problem, before they'll get an authorisation to cover the repair under warranty. I'm OK with that and it ensures a ride-along with a vehicle tech and verification of the problem. There's nothing worse than a "can't duplicate" when you've dropped your vehicle off all day, hope its been fixed, and nothing was done. So the duplication ensures that both you and Lexus agree there is a problem.

It seems like the US dealers - from the descriptions here - have more authority to repair things. Some dealers going straight for a trans replacement without the TSIB is a good example. That trans would have to be authorised as a replacement from Lexus, so obviously Lexus USA is authorising that. In Canada, it seems we are by-the-book at this point. Hmmm..

ES350Bob

I believe dealers get fed up seeing their customers strung along and act on their own, Riley posted on this issue, Lexus denied any problem with his car, he pushed, through a helpful dealer who ignored the Lexus corporate normalcy claims and his car had major work done as a result, others have indicated the same.

MD350

I would like to report a postive experience I had with my Lexus dealership. I had two rattles. I arrived at the service department, and the advisier insisted that a tech ride with me before I left the vehicle. The tech jumped in my car, after laying plastic on the seat and paper on the floor (was respectful in keeping my car clean). The tech heard my two rattles. I left the car for 24 hours, where the tech lined both areas with felt, and now both rattles are fixed. I was very impressed, and the work was very clean. No scratches on dash, nothing lose, etc. I am happy.

taymatt

I've had my ES 350 since the end of June. Interior noises have been a constant problem including right rear window area, right front door, knocking sound from windshield and dashboard area(on cold days) and creaking sounds from front center console and navigation screen area.

All noises have been quieted (approximately 12 separate visits to the dealer)except the creaking from the console and nav screen area. Dealer has placed insulation around the frames but it still creaks to the touch and when hitting bumps. I've sat in new ES 350's in the showroom and they still creak to the touch.

I read a professional review on Autosite and it mentioned creaking from dashboard.

Is anyone else experiencing this? Can it be fixed? I'm scheduled to bring the car in again.

wanderer99

12 visits? You've beaten my current record at 9 attempts. When did you first purchase the vehicle? You must be feeling very frustrated around now.