VMIRumph

I am experiencing interior cabin noise from the rear of the vehicle when I drive in excess of 70 mph. The sound is a buzzing noise like an insect. Below 70 mph there is no noise. There is nothing else wrong with the vehicle. There are no warning lights. All maintenance has been performed at a Lexus dealer. Vehicle has been in no accidents. Mileage is 65,000 or so. Video of sound is attached to this post. Vehicle has been at Jim Hudson Lexus in Columbia, SC for the 2nd time to address issue. Service department is unsure of cause. Presently, they are consulting with Lexus USA to determine issue. Total shop time for this visit is about 6 days and counting. We will see what happens!

SW17LS

Wow, thats horrible.

Does the sound change pitch or volume at all with speed or throttle input?

Could be a fuel pump...wheel bearing...these are things you would think they would commonly check though...

VMIRumph

Sound pitch does not change with throttling. Once you hit about 70mph, the high pitched whining begins. It stays constant until you slow down to 70 or less.

SW17LS

jmcraney

Well, I think the first thing you need to answer is: Is this a sound that is inside your car, or is this a sound that is outside your car? The way you answer this is have someone drive your car past you and see if you hear the sound. I am quite sure, from your recording, that this is not a sound that is outside the car.

If you determine that the sound is inside the car, a person with good binaural hearing, other than the driver, should be able to pinpoint the source quickly. The listener, by turning their head and moving around the cabin, should be able to figure this out in less than a minute.

VMIRumph

The pitch does not change as you go faster than 70.

john341

Does this happen on all road surface? To me it sounds like something metal on metal reverberating to create that sound.
Also Check your roof and windows and see if there is any seal bulged up, especially the rain channel on both sides of the roof. Also open or tilt your moon-roof to see if the noise goes away.

BLexus08

I am glad to hear that someone else is experiencing the same problem because I thought it was just my car. I have a 2013, and I,ve noticed at certain times around the simular speeds 75-80, that I get this weird noise from the rear of the car, exactly like the noise in the video. It seems like its coming from the rear right. Even if I crease my speed past 75-80 mph, it gets louder with it. Again, it doesn't happen all the time which is odd.

AZLS460

NVRLFT

What tires do you have on the vehicle. Mine started making this noise after replacing the tires. It does not happen consistently in my case and to be honest it probably was just a coincidence that I noticed it after replacing the tires but I have not ruled that out also. There is a piece of trim on the rear window by the trunk I suspect to be causing it but I haven't put any tape over it to verify either.

VMIRumph

The tires were Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. After the noise problem started the dealer stated that problem was the tires. So,I mounted a new set of Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 same size as OEM specs.

SW17LS

And no change?

VMIRumph

SOLUTION: Dealership informed me today that problem is the "shark fin" satellite radio antenna mounted on the roof. They state that when they applied forceful air to the shark fin, that the noise could be heard on the inside of the car while parked. The suspect that shark fin is allowing air underneath it, therefore creating a "whistling sound" inside the vehicle. They suspect that fin has a gap underneath it, and the gasket between the roof exterior and interior may be the culprit. They gave me two options:

Option 1 - add double sided tape and a felt like material inside of the headliner to restrict airflow.
Option 2 - Replace the XM antenna aka "shark fin." The dealer stated that my 2013 LS 600hL (67k miles) was the first vehicle that they had encountered with the problem. The video verified it. Also, they stated that Lexus had no reports of any such problem. However, today July 20, another 2013 LS 460 L (53k miles) came in with the same problem. So, this is two vehicles in a month. The replacement of the antenna is about $550, and is not covered under warranty. I have extended warranty as well.

Sounds like a production defect. If there are more vehicles like this, even a recall. The dealer stated that there are no operational or safety issues. But , if the noise starts at 70-75mph, then that below that speed is the maximum effective speed. Thats very problematic for a luxury vehicle with more than 140mph on the speedometer. Lexus engineers, that the local dealership contacted, had no clue about the problem. Nonetheless, the noise is very bothersome to say the least!!

SW17LS

mbarron37