After months of dealing with the infamous center console squeak and trying to fix it myself, it would appear that my dealership (Santa Monica Toyota) actually solved the problem!

I've driven approx. 50 miles since picking it after the repairs were done yesterday and havent heard it make one noise. I promised the service rep that if they fixed the squeak, I'd name the process after him. So, here's the Squeak Removal Solution, aka "The Jamie":

(I did not actually see the console taken apart, but this is the general description of the issue)

Apparently the problem comes from two specific pieces of plastic rubbing on top of one another, not the entire console shifting. The faulty piece is below the gear shift and apparently related to the plastic sheet that makes the gear list on the console translucent. I believe that the fix was a matter of insulating between the two pieces (possibly filing one of the pieces down).

As I said, I didn't do the work myself and I didn't see the problem in person, so I can't get too explicit with where the padding needs to go, but I think if you were take it to a dealer and describe the issue, they could probably solve it easily.

Hope this helps.

My dealer initially lubricated he console. It immediately squeeked, and made the car smell. I brought it back 2 days later. They ordered the entire console. Guess what, new rattle, no squeek. I decided to tackle it, quicly found two loose screws on the cup with the DC adapter. I tightened them, the rattle was gone, squeek was back. Rather anoyed after leaving the car there almost a week for the console, I searched the net. I faxed you article to the dealer, went back at my convenience and had them do the repair. It worked perfectly. They are going to pass it on to the tech rep when he visits next week. Hopefully sombody will get it in the TSB so we do not have to go through our own disection /. diagnostics.


Thank you,

LouBeck, Linwood NJ