I have this annoying rattle on my 2007 4runner that I think is coming from the roof rack. I have tried moving the side to side bars with no avail to stop the rattle. I also tried taping down the back caps on the rack to see if that would stop as well as tightening all the bolts. I'm at a loss and about ready to take the whole thing off. I do not use the rack because I have a Tundra and a trailer if I ever need to move anything. Does anyone have any experience with this rattle and suggestions on how to stop it or do you know where I can order the replacement parts for if I choose to removed the rack?
Roof Rack Rattle
- Thread starter dri021
- Start date
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I had a rattle that was driving me nuts. At first I thought it was the license plate cover, then I thought it was the spoiler (installer took it off, filled it with "Great Stuff", fixed the LED strip rattle and re-installed it - but the vehicle still rattled), then thought it might be the mud flaps / driver side wheel-well liner. Come to find out it was the rear roof rack cross member. Thought about tightening the screws that hold the rail to the slide mounts, but then just loosened one slide mount, slid it forward to put tension on the bar, tightened it back up, and the rattle is gone. I will get out my Torx bit set and tighten the screws later, but this was a quick fix.
Now if I can just fix the buzzing from the passenger side sun visor mirror, it will be as quiet inside as my old Mercedes 380 SE used to be!
I fixed it
I guess I should have posted that I fixed this shortly after posting this. I popped off the back covers of the roof rack and just slid out the cross members (since I don't use them anyway) out the back and no more rattle. If I do need them, it only takes about 5-10 min to put them back in. Tightening the screws was only a temporary fix for me.
Now I have a rattle in my headliner but the sunglasses holder. I just give it a light punch and it fixes the rattle temporarily but I will need to fix it eventually. I think it is a loose screw.
I guess I should have posted that I fixed this shortly after posting this. I popped off the back covers of the roof rack and just slid out the cross members (since I don't use them anyway) out the back and no more rattle. If I do need them, it only takes about 5-10 min to put them back in. Tightening the screws was only a temporary fix for me.
Now I have a rattle in my headliner but the sunglasses holder. I just give it a light punch and it fixes the rattle temporarily but I will need to fix it eventually. I think it is a loose screw.
ben550
New member
haha I had the same issue!
I chased that noise all over from the mud flaps to the running boards, to the interior panels in the trunk, to the license plate, to the foam insert inside the rear bumper, and finally to the roof rack!
finally it was the crossbars like you found.
The noise is finally gone.
I got tired of them still rattling every once in a while, so I did what dri021 did and popped the end caps off of the rails, slid the rails out, and stored them in my shop. Now it is pretty much rattle free, except now if I could figure out how to deal with a rattle that has started in the sunroof... LOL Wish I was like some of my friends and minor rattles didn't bother me.
Radial GT
New member
I have owned 2 of these trucks, and both of them rattled up there. I fixed both by tightening the torx screws on the bottom of the cross bars. There is not much room to do it, but it can be done. I used a 1/4" torx bit with a small crescent wrench to snug them up.
No fix for the sunroof though... That is a bigger job.
No fix for the sunroof though... That is a bigger job.
