TSB!!! We desperately need a TSB!!! My crickets are back again after fiddling with it last week (based on latest posts).

Also, for anyone out there who still cares... Here's yet another "theory" on where the noise comes from (at least in my case). I disassembled both the clear plastic and the PNRDB "strip" from the panel, then inspected the remaining "bare cover": my particular sqweak is due to the silver "underside" sub-panel around the gear shift hole which is "glued" to the main panel / cover. I can definitely reproduce that noise over & over again by slightly bending the last remaining two plates back & forth, and NO amount of felt or weatherstripping material can fix THAT #$% issue. I'm stuck with having to ask for a replacement, which will be oh-so much easier (and quicker) to obtain once a TSB is out there.

Whoa! I owe everyone an apology.

I just reread my post that another member quoted. I was multi tasking at that time.

Toyota Canada has NOT released a TSB on the squeaky / rattling center console issue.

Sorry for misleading you. They def. should though. This must def. be the most widespread complaint about the car.

sorry again.

just a quick update. The dealer put the new center console into my car yesterday. It was the modified one out of the Kentucky plant. the tech was unable to determine what the modification was though. I seems quite so far. But I'm not coming to any conclusions yet. Time will tell.

My new center console rattles as well. I just got off the phone with Toyota Canada. They will call me back. There only hybrid techs at my dealer mon to fri. 8 - 4. kind of makes it harder for me. I'll be calling my dealer again for another appt to bring the car back in. I believe this will be the 14th time I've brought this car back in for squeaks, rattles, brake shimming, insulating foam being inserted and reinserted in the dash, etc... I should start charging them for my time.

I took my TCH to the dealer 3 weeks ago with printouts of these threads and Martinmzfan's wonderful pictures and recommendations for use of felt, as I was having the squeaks, especially when it was cold outside. A Google search on this problem is how I found this bulletin board in the first place.

The dealer indicated that Toyota had put out a "notice" about this cricket/squeak problem as well (he didn't say TSB though, only that they had put out a "notice").

Anyway, they followed the instructions in Martinmzfan's pictures and description and the noise went away completely - until today. The squeak was back this morning as it was 19degrees outside, although it was not as noisy as before when it was that cold in the morning.

I'll be trying the new d-i-y techniques that have subsequently been recommended to hopefully eliminate the crickets once and for all.

But, special thanks to Martinmzfan for all the help!!

Have not yet dealt with the crickets yet - so I'm not sure if this'll work - but here's an idea.

Instead of using just foam or felt, buy a small package of foam earplugs and cut a piece from them bigger than you want them to be. The earplug foam is made to compress and then expand to fit the area. Glue or attach them however you do (I think I'd use rubber cement), and then, just before putting the assembly back together, compress the foam so that it'll fit ok.

You'll have to put the assembly back quickly, like 30 seconds, so that the foam will uncompress within the assembled piece.

As I said, I haven't tried this, but I bet it would work. If someone tries this, I want to hear about it.

Seems like a good idea, and certainly MUCH better than what I thought was coming when I first read "buy...earplugs".

B. Goodman

Well, after a week of owning my TCH, I noticed the front dash rattle. Before I bought the car I called the dealer and talked to the service manager. I asked specifically about the dash rattle and he told me that the newer Toyotas had the problem resolved. Grrr... I printed out the pictures that were posted and will take it to the dealer this week. --Benny

First - thank you all for such a great and thorough forum post/threads.

I just purchased my TCH just under a month ago and at 600 miles started to hear the elusive squeeks I kept reading about. Honestly at first, I was expecting some major loud racket, so I overlooked the small squeek/rattle from the center console until someone pointed it out. Now, it kills me everytime i hear it, and sometimes I feel like lowering the deductible on my insurance and driving off a cliff.

BUT, my questions is - is the problem covered under the manu. warranty? Do dealerships have a fix for this?

I realize a lawyer would probably be driving a BMW, but are there any on this forum that can provide insight better than speculation?

_________
"It's not easy being green..." - Kermit the Frog