cliyeh

I Got my es300H last month. Seems like I hear a clanking noise around the passenger side area when I'm driving at various speeds. It various but on certain road I don't hear it, but lately it seems like wherever I drive I'm hearing it now.

At first I thought it was the hinge/hooks in the trunk like some users experience. I'd taped them up so there's no chance it could be those. Other had said the passenger side seat belt. I'd checked and it wasn't that either.

Any clue what could be causing this sound?

Dave Mac

Have you secured your passenger side seat belt already? The metal part will often make a pretty good noise when positioned just right.

And your wheel lock key is not out of position?

Dave Mac

cliyeh

yes checked the selt belt. Will look at wheel lock. Didn't think about that.

cliyeh

So I removed the wheel and remounted all four wheels. Still making noise. Any other ideas what can be causing this clanking noise?

LexRuger

Not to be rude but why the heck would you go through all that trouble? You have a warranty, take advantage of it and take it in.

Arty101

Could be the passenger chair. Some have experienced noise from it shaking on certain roads. Take a look at it the next time it starts clunking. Just a thought.

Art

brittm

I had the same problem with mine and took it in and its coming from the passenger seat not seatbelt and they said thats just how the car is made and nothing can be done to fix it. I live with it everyday and its so annoying. I have also had several other rattles/noises coming from this car.

LexRuger

This car shouldn't rattle. I'd talk to a manager or try a different dealer.

brittm

I swear I have had so many rattles with this car. I just posted a new thread about my experience with this car. And no one could explain the rattles that I was hearing. I bought my car at Lexus of Carlsbad. I noticed you were from CA. They couldnt help me with the noises they just blew it off as this is how the car is made and basically sent me on my way.

Arty101

No Lexus dealer should treat their customers like that. They get rated every time you visit by appointment. That said, sometimes rattles are inevitable since there's some many components and parts tied together. However, this is a Lexus and should be perfect, or almost perfect.

Go to another dealer if there's one nearby. They will service any other Lexus dealer's vehicle, warranty or otherwise.

brittm

Thanks. Me and my husband are trying to find another dealership around Jacksonville FL since we moved here in Jan from CA. The dealership here is no better if not worse so we are trying to find another dealer.

fibromd

I just picked up my ES300h and am having trouble with a rattle on the driver's side. At first I thought the window was loose, but I moved the adjustable seatbelt bracket down to the bottom and it stopped for a while. I think the plastic sleeve around the adjuster is rattling. I would hold it and drive over some bumps and see if it goes away. I'm not happy about this, will be going to dealer to get them to address.

Brillo258

fibromd -- I've noticed a rattle recently on the driver side. I've located it to be in the left hinge of the driver's side grab handle in the roof above the door. When I push on the cover of the left hinge, it creaks a little and then goes away for awhile.

I haven't searched the forum yet, but have been wondering if anyone else has a loud and definite creak from the left side of the driver seat. I've determined that it's coming from the plastic molding along the left side of the seat bottom (housing the seat controls) and the seat cushion. When I first get into the car I get loud creaks as my weight shifts in the seat for the first 5-10 minutes of driving. Then it seems to subside as it gets worked in or the interior temperature changes. It seems like the left side cushion of the driver's seat gets really pushed into the molding every time I get in or out of the car, causing something to loosen between the two.

cliyeh

I understand your frustration as I went through that myself. I ended up taking my car in for the 5K service. Then the technician/mechanic came to the waiting area and asked me to show. We took a drive on the freeway and I pointed the sound to him. He had heard it as well. He said my noise was coming from the windshield. I left the car there overnight and the next day when I picked it up the noise was gone. Not sure what they done. However now I'm hearing it back again. Not as loud as before, bur there's still some clanking noise. I'll be taking the car in for the10K service soon, so I'll have them look at it again. My word of advice, is if you can duplicate that noise then tell one of them to sit in with you and do what I did. If not they think you're just making things up and ignore you.

lesz

At the ends of the rails on which the seats are mounted, there are plastic trim caps. If one of those caps is not properly seated or if one of the ears that secures a cap is broken off, there can be a fairly constant and annoying chatter. I can't say that this is what you are hearing, but, on an earlier generation ES, I had a chatter similar to what you are describing. It took me a while to figure out where it was coming from, and, from the sound, I never would have guessed that it was coming from one of the back rails of the front passenger seat, but that is where it was coming from. This may not be where yours is coming from, but it is one more spot worth checking.