Driver's door rattle
 

Grrrrr... hate dealerships. SO much. :mad0260:

So took my FR-S in for her first service. Needed an oil change, had some condensation in the taillight, and from day 2 of ownership I've had a rattle in the driver's side door that's just gotten worse and worse. It only shows up when the music's on, but I don't exactly blast my tunes, nor do I listen to a lot of deep bass tracks (80's country, anime songs, and Otsuka Ai... I mean, c'mon!) Sounds like the whole door is about to fall apart, though I've found pinching the two pieces of plastic on the outside bit of the door's "cup-holder", it goes away. Clearly a clip or something that's come loose. Should be a simple enough rattle to isolate and fix, no?

Apparently not if you're Findley Toyota.

Service tech is trying to spin me some bull about how it's the top of the speaker hitting the bottom of the switch mount. Said they checked it out on another FR-S, and totally heard it on that one too. Said it seems to be normal, that the only way to fix it is "if Toyota redesigns the whole switch assembly", and I should, quote, "Just turn the bass down in the car."

:slap:

If this were a nationwide problem with cars, and I got that response from Toyota corporate office... this would be the last Toyota I ever owned, period, exclamation mark. I'd go out of my way to steer people clear of the Toyota/ Scion/ Lexus brands, and probably Subaru too for good measure. Luckily (I guess) I seriously doubt this is a widespread problem on the FR-S/ BRZ, as for all the complaints I've heard on this forum, "Door wants to fall off" hasn't popped up at all yet. The crickets in my car are quieter than this.

But I'm a believer in being thorough, so I have to ask: has anyone else had a rattle in their driver's door like the one I've described? If so, how did you go about fixing it? Was it one particular culprit I should look for? (And before anyone says it: yes, of course, I'll be going to a different dealer from now on. Not that I'm holding my breath that any of the others around here will be any better, but slim chance is better than none). :(

I don't have it in my driver's door but I have it on the passenger's side and it is pretty bad. Even listening to non-bass heavy music at half volume you can hear it. I am still waiting for my oil change and then I will bring it to their attention.

That is something that should be fixed. Especially because it is not consistent on both sides of the car. If it was a design issue it would probably affect both doors. Given that it is just the driver's side (or passenger's in my case) it should be covered by warranty.

Bingo.

Ask those idiots that if it is the design of the door, why isn't the other door doing it?

I haven't noticed any rattle in my door, and I listen to music 99% of the time I am driving.

yes i have driver door rattle also..... I believe that if they dont fix the rattle that i will be asking for a new driver door due to warranty or taking it to my audio store and having them look at it and see if they can do anything with it themselves. Possibly redesigning where the back tweeter is and the sub speaker thats held in the door and doing a flip flop. Also thinking this way cause thats how the tC was set up and i loved how my tC sounded

it may even be the actual speaker they have installed??? but i have been trying to see where the rattle comes from to try to eliminate the noise myself by adding some electrical tape between the plastic wherever it rattles

My doors don't rattle with the music on. So, I think it's not a design flaw.

Yeah, I didn't figure it was a design flaw. Call me prejudiced, but given my experiences with dealership service centers in the past, when faced with a choice: believe it's an design flaw on the part of one of the world's largest car manufacturers, or believe that the wrench monkeys are being extra lazy and incompetent... well, I gotta go with option B.

Taking it to a audio shop is a good idea. I figure I'll try out the other big Toyota place here first (warranty work means it's free, after all); but if I get the same blank, vacant stares, and expressions of "Duhhhh...." from them, I'll check out a stereo installer.

Thanks guys.

I know that there is a plastic housing that blocks the speaker from anything.... It might also be that rattling. Thought about how to take it out and just wrap the sides around with electrical tape so no erosion happens and to reduce vibration that might be cause of rattling. Ill be taking my car to Unique Audio tomorrow to see what they have to say and ill pass on the word to you Catman..... But yes will def try to get door under warranty and also have them look at the actual subwoofer thats in the driver/passenger door.

Yelp, I have it in mine also. Currently I have a piece of paper stuck between where the 2 plastic panels meet.

This is why TRD made a door stablizer kit:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8395

but of course at that price its hella unreasonable imo.

Funny you should mention that: I actually have the TRD door stabilizer installed. LOL...

Sadly, the rattle started before I put the door stabilizers, and they had zero effect on it. On the other hand, they did improve stability at the outermost limits of the car in hard cornering. (Frankly, though, I'd give up 5 hp to get this damn rattle to stop. It's gotten bad enough I'm driving with my left leg propped against the door to try and stop it. :cry:)

Maybe you need something like this done?

LINK

I will mention that to the dealership when i take mine in for service

this and a myriad of other issues are the exact reason why people didn't want it to be "built by Subaru".

My passenger door does the same thing and i got the exact same response from my dealership. THE EXACT SAME RESPONSE! even the checking another FR-S and calling it normal. soooooooooooooo i turned my bass all the way off to the speakers......and installed a subwoofer. PROBLEM SOLVED!

Mine rattles someplace on the back area. Passenger side. I think Back passenger window area right side.

Also, my gear shifter seems to rattle as well. I dont know whats wrong with it but its being clunky!

Oooh... this is a good idea!

Actually several good ideas here so far. Thanks again, guys! :happy0180:

Get a 10" sub and just put a bit of dynomat on the rear deck and trunk lid and you'll be fine

[old thread I know, still an issue tho]

Add me to the list... Passenger side rattle with non-bass heavy music at half volume or less since I bought it three weeks ago. Now, the driver door is starting to do the same just not nearly as much as the other door. This is a real deal breaker for me, too bad I already signed when I found it. They had the bass at -5 when I test drove it, now I know why.

Design flaw or not, new cars should NOT rattle for any reason!!!

In another thread, I think we narrowed this down to the window switches. Both my doors do it, but just putting a single finger on the window switch panel will stop it. I haven't had the time to pull the door to investigate a fix.

The window switches are the problem. Don't know of a fix besides dynomat.

Maybe I'm crazy, but when I lock the doors it stops, or at least it gets quieter. It does sound like it's coming near the window switches though.

I'm 90% sure it's in the window switches. I bought some peel and stick felt from a Michaels Craft store. I removed the door panel and the window switches from the panel itself. I cut strips of felt and put it on the part of the switch that mates to the door panel. I tried to remove as much plastic on plastic as I could. I also dynomat'd the hell out of the door and door panel. The rattle came back a lil bit, but I think I just need to reposition some of the felt.

On a side note I dynomat'd the roof and from the back seats through the trunk. I know it adds weight but it made a HUGE difference in sound. I just need to take out the front seats and finish the rest.

I don't think its the switch panel vibrating against the door panels. I think its the actual switches vibrating. Its hard to tell though.

Thanks for all the replies!

I've recently noticed the door rattle with the stereo off! It's not as loud, but it's still there. (paved roads btw). Dealer said to bring it in sometime and they would "take a look" at it. I feel the run-a-round coming on.

But then something funny happened. I just missed a call from the Finance Director and the message says that I signed the contract on the wrong line and they need me to come in and sign again! (co-buyer line ftw!) I might just have to put my foot down and refuse to sign until they do something proper about this rattle.

ps. They already paid off my trade-in and received the title for it....I think they are in a bind right now! lol

I found that if I put my fingers on the window switches the rattle stops.

I'll talk to dealer when I take my car in for oil change.

Installing dynomat not only rids of tons of little noises but also GREATLY reduces road noise like huge difference.

I wonder if this is only a problem with the Scion headunit. I was able to use the built in equalizer to tune the lows and my rattle went away. Former DJ, I listen to all kinds of music and I only had a problem in the beginning before I tweaked the settings. Anyone on the fence about a new head unit to solve the problem should dive in. *2 cents*

This rattle is getting worse...!!!

Not only it rattles with volume up, it rattles when I go over bumpy road.

Meh, I still have like 4000 miles until the first free oil change. I might just open up the damn door panel and stuff it with dynamat.

I have a rattle.. but I'm pretty sure mine is related to the window and the seal. It sounds like styrofoam cups squeezing against plastic and it seems to be coming from the rear/top of the window.

Mine is the plastic and speaker cover. Can I just pull that piece off the door? I tried and it felt like I might break it.

Same here. My door rattles and the second i lock the door it all goes away. Try it out

Yeah, I've been doing the same to avoid it, but it bothers me since it's not like the Hondas I've driven in that lock the doors automatically, I have to make a conscious decision to lock them. I might just have them check it out when I go for my oil change. My fear is that by stopping the rattle from the lock they may unleash a different rattle that I often hear others unhappy with.

O i hate that I have to do it also. Just a "for now" fix

It's a design flaw no doubt. 2 of my co-workers frs does this (1yr old frs).

Mine does this. (2month old frs)

One guy that I know, his Brz does this (1yr old brz)

I been to the dealer ship, they kept my car for 1 full day and night supposedly "opened my passenger side door and tape down the window switch and put in 'fillers' to the door"
My passenger side door DID got opened since I saw marks of tools abusing my door handle.... but rattle did NOT go away....

The rattle makes some of my music UNLISTENABLE, it sounds like a blown driver on headphones....it is PAINFUL to listen to music like that.....

on modern POP musics, and bass heavy music is alright, but on Jazz musics.... upright bass just KILL it, it rattle sooo much, I feel like my door is going to fall apart....

Just like most of you guys here, I only listen my music at moderate level, around 15-20 on local streets, 20+ on freeways, and it rattle at all level, unless I put my bass level at -3 or less, and turn down vol. down to 10 or less......

on the other hand, I can't afford dynomat...... well...I could... but I don't feel like spending money on something I did not screw up on...

:lol: the door stabilizers aren't for rattles.

The technician was absolutely right when he said that the base of your master switch
panel is vibrating against the frame for the door panel. its an easy fix, remove the switch, apply some anti-vibration padding around the mounting surface of the switch and re-install.

also to the speaker question, no you cannot remove the speaker grille fascia because it is complete with the door panel.

The rattles in my car (Toyota 86 in Australia) are:

• rear brake light inside the car (fixed it by putting audio foam and double sided tape around the edges.
• both speakers in the front (same issue your having)
• both tweeter covers on dash
• also I have found the window button panel on drivers side does it too!

(With all this being said I have a 2000w sub & 9 speaker sound system and a full header back exhaust, so I can't complain about rattle because I probably caused them..)

I just turn my music up louder and its as if its gone away!!


20% window tint, Full DB drive sound system, Trunk & footwell neons, Injen SES, Number plate, reverse, dome LED upgrade, Debadged 'TOYOTA', Injen CAI, Borla UEL headers