The air vent only rattles on hot days when the A/C is running. Of course, these are the only days I run the A/C. The dealer replaced the vent assembly a few weeks after I bought the car but that did not fix the problem.
There is also a rattle in the B-pillar, right next to my ear when I drive. It happens most often at around 40mph and comes from inside the pillar somewhere. The dealer can not fix the problem.
There was a rattle/squeak in the plate below the shifter but the dealer was able to fix it with some carefully placed felt.
I am disappointed in the fit and finish of this car but I love it so much for everything else that I wouldn't dare sell it.
I too have the center air vent rattle when the weather is hot and you have the A/C on medium to high fan speed setting. It is moderately annoying. I found recently that if I position the center air vent flow directors so that the airflow is going to the far left on the left center vent and to the far right on the right center vent, the rattling stops. Not an ideal fix, but for me it is better than the rattling.
I've had this problem since new in the summer of 2006. First attempt by the dealer to "tighten" it up, worked for a while. When the noise came back, they refused to do anything about it, claiming that they all did it and I was stuck. I went to Toyota corporate, but no help there either. Since the dealer told Toyota that "they all do it", Toyota concluded that the design cannot be fixed.
ON a subsequent visit for the next oil change, I had a different service adviser who agreed to order a new vent.
The new one works okay most of the time. Still some minor noise, but acceptable.
Still have too many loose fitting parts that squeak and vibrate. The car is a great value and I get 35-40 mpg, but this is my first and last new Toyota.
Hjmanasa writes:I've had this problem since new in the summer of 2006. First attempt by the dealer to "tighten" it up, worked for a while. When the noise came back, they refused to do anything about it, claiming that they all did it and I was stuck. I went to Toyota corporate, but no help there either. Since the dealer told Toyota that "they all do it", Toyota concluded that the design cannot be fixed.
Why would Toyo corporate want to fix anything on these cars?? They are sitting where GM, Ford and Mopar were 10 years ago and will drop like a big rock when they do fall. They have people standing in line paying sticker or above for every vehicle they can get off the line even if they need to push them off without power lol. I have not had any problems with mine but have seen a lot of it on various websites. The public will only stand still for this so long and will lower the boom. Toyo can build a better car as I have owned 10 Lexus cars and have a new body style 09 on order and never a squeak or rattle, tell Toyo you expect better in their regular line also.
Re: Rattling air vent
Why would Toyo corporate want to fix anything on these cars?? They are sitting where GM, Ford and Mopar were 10 years ago and will drop like a big rock when they do fall. They have people standing in line paying sticker or above for every vehicle they can get off the line even if they need to push them off without power lol. I have not had any problems with mine but have seen a lot of it on various websites. The public will only stand still for this so long and will lower the boom. Toyo can build a better car as I have owned 10 Lexus cars and have a new body style 09 on order and never a squeak or rattle, tell Toyo you expect better in their regular line also. 
