The center storage compartment lid where your elbow rests needs to be removed, something has either broken off inside it or my kids got something in it. A piece of something is rolling around inside it, driving me nuts. Almost sounds like a screw rolling around.

I can't seem to find any instructions on how to remove it or even if it comes apart. Where the leather meets the plastic is what I'd like to separate it to get inside of it.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=midd...hrome&ie=UTF-8

check here, lots of info

 

That's helpful, thanks, but it's the "lid" on the center console that's giving me issues, I'm not sure if it even can come apart. But I have something like a screw rolling around inside the lid and can't seem to open it. I was hoping maybe it was like a clamshell and could be opened but I'm thinking it may just be one piece. To order a whole new one is an insane price.

 

Maybe find one through the recyclers?

 

Yea, I'm looking at that now. So frustrating to get a whole new armrest lid over a screw rolling around inside, but that may be the direction I have to go.

 

Well, I was able to get the bolt out. But it wasn't pretty. No idea how such a large bolt became unthreaded inside a console lid.

I had to remove the console lid and drill a hole underneath. A large bolt then rolled out of the hole after a lot of banging around. I attached some pics in case someone else runs into this (even though it's sort of a hackish way to fix) I could cover the small hole with a sheet of vinyl. It's underneath the lid, so out of sight anyway. It seems like this subforum has very little DIY on it, so maybe this will help. You just pop off the back plastic cover plate in the back seat then unscrew 4 screws that attach to a metal bracket. Then the whole console lid assembly comes out. This thing was driving me crazy, I couldn't believe how loud it was and every stop, acceleration, and turn this thing would seem to roll around. Maybe there's a clean way to disassemble the lid itself, but I never could find any sort of way to take it apart.

 

You might want to put (medium blue) Loctite on those screws to keep them where they belong

 

so you never found what hole that little guy belongs to? it def belongs somewhere, very strange.

 

This EXACT same thing literally just happened to me!!! I wish I checked the forms before dealing with it myself. Yes a very large bolt came out. The noise was driving me absolutely insane. I got it out by prying the top leather part away from the plastic, its held in by some extremely strong clips, but I broke the latch that keeps the center armrest down in the process and now it wont stay down. I had to put some velcro to keep it down. SMH

Now there is something loose in the passenger side head rest. Driving me crazy again. I never thought a Lexus would have these sort of issues.

 

To be fair, OP got the bolt out by drilling a hole in the bottom of the lid which he did because he couldn't get the lid apart. Looking at the 4 bolts holding the hinge to the compartment itself, the stray bolt probably came from where the lid hinge is fastened inside the lid itself or where the catch is fastened to the lid.

Perhaps the next time this happens to someone they could post a photo of the lid top pad and the lid to show where the clips attaching the pad are located. I wonder if this problem is related to a particular component supplier or year/VIN batch.....

 

I never did figure out how the leather padded part separated from the plastic underneath. I gave some solid pulling, but it just felt like I was going to break something that was not meant to be pulled apart that way.
I never could find a diagram or pic that showed it could be pulled apart.

I also agree that Lexus quality here is disappointing, my car still feels new and doesn't have very many miles on it. How a decent sized screw/bolt like that becomes unthreaded inside an armrest is a major oversight in quality control.

 

same with the console lid.
rattling inside like crazy
only 30000 miles
my sunroof had a rattle too, took 2 trips to dealer to fix
now back again
very disappointed in lexus

 

I have the exact same issue and came here to try and find a way to get to it. I am going crazy with the noise it makes.

 

I finally fixed it. I did like BradTank's post on January 2011. I removed rear cover in backseat area. Just pries off. Use a plastic pry. Then I removed the same 4 screws BradTank took off and the whole lid can be removed. The sides of the console can be pulled out a little so the hinge bracket can get by. So after examining it I figured out the plastic sides can be pried away from the leather. There are 2 tabs toward the rear and 1 towards the front. Same on both sides. I could not get the front to pry open so don't go there. The trick to get it open is the back edge of that plastic cover. The plastic underside goes from the front, back to the hinge but not all the way to the back. You can see the seam on both sides. The back edge of this plastic section between the hinge can be pried up as well. There are four tabs. Once I got that open the plastic underside can be pried open from rear to front. The same screw came tumbling out. It is one of four screws that attaches the hinge to the cover. I screwed it back in and put duck tape over the screws. I figured it took 5 years for that screw to work its way out. Mine is a 2015 ES. If someone wants a video, I could do it again in less than 30 minutes. One other note. I put a small block of wood (3/4" plywood) to keep the plastic pried open while I reattached the screw. You can only pry it open about an inch. Any future and I think it would break near the front.
Gary

 

I implemented this solution (my own idea before reading the comments here) and in about 2 hours when I went to open the lid again the plastic around each screw shattered into about 20 pieces. I think the drying agent in it may have eaten away at the plastic. So I would advise against it