Rattle from the dashboard JBL Flex speaker

Hi folks.

I'm new here, longtime Toyota guy one month into ownership of a '24 SR5. Not sure if anyone else has experienced an annoying rattle from the dash JBL Flex speaker. I wanted to share my solution in case anyone else has this. It's pretty minor, but rattles are maddening.

I'd been hearing a rattle from the dash since I got the car. Couldn't quite figure out what it was until my son popped out the speaker just for fun while we were on the road and the rattle finally stopped. While the bottom of the speaker is soft rubber, the whole unit, at least in my case, doesn't seem to engage tightly with the spring clips when it's pushed into place. It seemed the clips were tapping the metal bars just slightly, causing the rattle. I just added a few strips of foam weatherstripping I had in my workshop to the bottom of the unit. This lifts the speaker a bit when it's in place, and tightens the engagement between the clips and the metal bars. No more rattling.

I've also got a Lexus NX. Pretty sure the Lexus service guys use foam like this all the time to stop rattles. Maybe this is a standard thing. I know it’s a minor but rattles suck, especially in a new vehicle. Maybe this helps someone.

Zig

 

If it were me I’d go to the dealer, ask them for another speaker, drop it in, go for a test drive to see if it’s your speaker or the receiver. If it’s the speaker that’s an easy fix.

 

I thought these things looked very gimicky when Toyota first announced them as an option. I don't like being right about these things.

 

Fully agree. Not one of Toyota's brighter moves. It wasn't even there when the car was initially delivered and I had to chase down the dealer to get it. I'll probably never remove it from the dash again. Hopefully it'll still be working in 10 years.

 

No rattle with mine... I’ve found it to be very useful, good quality with solid state battery technology. Not “gimmicky” at all. My Sonos Bluetooth speaker hasn’t been used since.

 

Y I use mine too. It didn’t in any way influence my decision to buy the truck..but I like that it’s there to use.

 

Way, way back when Toyota first teased those wacky speakers some here predicted the day would come when owners would complain about it rattling…And here we are.

That said, the ones I’ve played around with actually feel pretty solid. I just don’t like bumping the inside of the windshield when I remove it.

 

Wacky is definitely the word for it. I agree the speaker itself is quite solid, just like the JBL bluetooth speakers you can buy on Amazon or at Bestbuy for $50-75. Honestly, I'll never ever take it out, though I get why some folks might enjoy it. I'm just glad I got the rattle to stop.

And I agree about the windshield issue. The fingerprints would annoy me as much as the rattle!

 

Maybe the after market world can take care of that cavity for the people who don’t want the speaker.

 

I am hoping another speaker company makes something to fit in there. I don't care about the bluetooth but I do think the stereo sounds a bit weak without the dash speaker in place. I don't have high hopes that this silly unit is going to last the life of the truck - and we tend to drive vehicles a long time in our family (my son is driving the '97 Camry my mom bought, well, in '97).

 

I think it would be cool if there was an aftermarket option to replace it with a fixed speaker. What do the lower trim levels that don't get the speaker look like?

 

Im on the other spectrum....
System sounds substantially better with the speaker popped-out & not in use...
Way to much volume from the center channel makes thing an overwelling cluster fk.....
Also takes away from the alright sounding other dash speakers...

Inregards to the op, I wouldnt accept your workaround as fix, we paid alot of cash for these trucks...
Yes techs use foam strips to fix rattles on interior panels, but not on a portable speaker that your going to see everyday when its being use as a portable unit...

I also agree that wish that speaker was never there.....
The grill mesh for the non jbl systems, looks like shit....
Someone needs to design a cavity cover that has matching mesh to the left & right dash speakers, that would be nice!!!

 

Meso Customs would be a good candidate for this!