Yeah, I've searched and found 9,xxx posts about rattles on the 3rd Gen 4R. I just needed to rant as though I love the reliability, capability, size and look of the truck (and though I will keep it as long as it continues to move forward), I'm just becoming soooo disappointed with the zillions of rattles emanating from all over the thing. To name a few:

- sunroof rattle (yes, am going to fix via washer)
- multiple rattles rear hatch (window and door frame)
- both rear doors rattle
- both front doors rattle (near winow controls AND speakers)
- center console area (sub-surface down by the auto shifter) rattles / chatters occasionally when it's very cold out (in CA that means less than 40 degrees) and truck is warming up
- cargo cover rattle
- folding rear seats rattle
- center stack rattle (something to do w/ ashtray area)

Keep in mind: this truck is pristine. It's my wife's daily driver and has 70k miles on it. I don't travel washboard roads with any regularity. I don't beat it up offroad. I don't blast music or bass. I haven't upgraded anything (it's still totally stock except for tires). The thing is a beauty queen. Yet seemingly every fastener, screw and whatever else Toyota designed to keep things pretty quiet for 25k miles has worn out - or backed out.

Although I just sold it, my 12-year-old MBZ 190 with 200k miles on it only had ONE rattle (seatbelt adjuster - fixed in 3 minutes with a small piece of felt).

Whine, *****, moan - I know. But it's to the point where the stereo (and a crap OEM stereo at that) - or perfectly smooth roads (which only Germany has) - seems to be the only solution. I don't always want to drive with the stereo on. I certainly don't want to move to Germany.

I've never ever been one to let little annoyances get to me and I usually flame anal whiners (and DAMN there are a lot of 18 year-old sissies who cry about returning their birthday present because of a dash rattle). BUT - I'm obviously eating crow today as months of driving a truck that is apparently falling to pieces around me IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!

I have a few rattles that are coming from the back around where the seats are. It could just be that they are not latched. I will have to check. Last fall I had a rattle coming from under my runner and thought that the cat. converter was starting to go, so I took it to the exhaust shop in town and it turned out to be a rock wedged between the heat shield and the cat. The guy broke out the cutting torch and cut the shield off. No more rattle! As for your doors rattling, the hinges could use some white lithium grease. May as well hit the door locks with the grease too while your at it. Good luck.

I have a few rattles that are coming from the back around where the seats are. It could just be that they are not latched. I will have to check. Last fall I had a rattle coming from under my runner and thought that the cat. converter was starting to go, so I took it to the exhaust shop in town and it turned out to be a rock wedged between the heat shield and the cat. The guy broke out the cutting torch and cut the shield off. No more rattle! As for your doors rattling, the hinges could use some white lithium grease. May as well hit the door locks with the grease too while your at it. Good luck.

MY truck rattles too!!!! whats up with that! it should ride like a car.........Oh wait thats right it's a truck not a car

J/K I have a idea take that thing off road and give it what for and see what it was built for trails not roads.

Riiiight -- because of course it was built to rattle over trails and offroad, which it inherently a good thing? And all trucks rattle because they're what, supposed to?

Funny - someone should tell Toyota their LandCruisers and Sequoias are actually cars then, because my dad's and brother's don't rattle at all...

Please continue - I enjoy nonsensical flames. And those of you who aren't content to dismiss all kinds of rattles (if you too suffer them) simply because by definition trucks are supposed to rattle please feel free to jump in and rant.

yes: boring day at work..

When I finish my current projects and manage to find a weekend to exorcise rattles from the truck (I know I know - I should leave them because it's SUPPOSED to rattle, what with being a truck and all ), I'll post of a DIY.

The only rattle my 2005 4Runner has is the rear seat's backrest. It came noisy from the factory. On the 1,000 Km inspection, the dealership supposedly tightened something and the noise has significantly decreased.

Fold down the back of the right rear seat and put several wraps of tape around the front of the metal loop on the side of the body.

Seat quiet and still crazy happy with my new 4r.

Ciao, B

I haven't notice even a single rattle anywhere on my 4Runner. But I have noticed quite a few in a friends '03 4Runner....

I guess all of you guys with brand new vehicles will start to notice the rattles soon. It will certainly happen.

All of the Toyotas I have driven (and Nissans for that matter) have had more and more rattles the older they get. I have a 96 Tacoma that is in pretty decent shape for the mileage, but everything rattles in that truck. The glove box, the rear window, the door panels, something inside the dash, any many other things to mention. It is not the tires, it is not the suspension--it's just the Toyota--old. It's like a guy with an 80 year old body but the heart of an 18 year old.

My 90 4Runner is in a little bit better shape but it has it's rattles too. It happens to every vehicle and every body.

Rattles can be tracked down and prevented.

If my 4Runner does develop a rattle, it certainly won't rattle for long.

Think about it--- if it is not rattling now, then everything must be screwed together/fitted right. Rattles are nothing that can't be fixed.