Just bought a new Tacoma, need some advice...

Hey guys, I'm new here but have found the forum very helpful so far. I need some advice though as to what I should do about my situation.

I bought a 17 Tacoma here a few weeks ago. After initially being thrilled with the truck, I started to notice a rattle in the dash after about two days of driving. It's a really annoying (and obvious) rattle on the passenger side where the dashboard meets the A pillar. I fixed it temporarily by wedging a note card in between the pillar and dash. So I took it to the dealership to address the issue. Not only did they not fix it, but they left a scratch on my dashboard. Not a huge one, but this is a brand new vehicle...Fast forward another week, I just got home here from it's second trip to the dealer to fix the dash rattle. Not only did they again not fix it, but its gotten worse. Whatever material they used has amplified the sound.

On top of all of this the plastic wheel flare on the passenger side started to show a gap. I was told they would replace the part, but it looks like they just tried to re-glue it with long adhesive strips. So now it doesn't look uniform with the other side.

This is my first new vehicle and to say I'm upset is an understatement. I'm not sure what I can do. Should I call Toyota? Should I ask the dealer if I can exchange the truck (as silly and far fetched as that sounds)?

Thanks in advance for your help. I know most of you guys love your 3rd gen Tacomas. I just can't feel the love yet with these fit and finish issues.

 

If you have another dealer close to you I would go that route. I wouldnt keep going back to that dealership. When I had my Audi I would drive three hours to Dallas to not have to deal with Audi okc. Some dealerships are just terrible.

 

Your ‘rattles and squeaks’ warranty is 1 year from the date of new purchase. Not sure how it works if you bought used. Your dealer should be able to diagnose and correct the issue but if they can’t, take it to another one or elevate it with Toyota corporate.

 

Welcome to TW!

I'd contact the service manager directly and schedule a time for him to review your concerns...if you've already been down that road with no luck, then contact the dealerships General Manager and share your concerns. If they're a reputable dealer they'll definitely want to resolve the issues without resorting to making a call to Toyota. Just my $0.02 worth.

Good luck

Edit: For this problem I'd let the selling dealer handle it before getting another place involved especially if they've damaged the dash. See how they resolve this and make a decision at that point about returning for later service.

 

Welcome!

 

Congrats on your truck!

I too just picked up a 2017 Tacoma a couple weeks ago and so far i'm happy with it. I haven't noticed anything rattling, but what you describe seems to have been experienced by others here in different threads. The first link below, it looks like the rattle issue was resolved.

Good luck and let us know what happens.


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...on-noise-resolved.462969/page-7#post-16654475

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/passenger-dash-rattle.454554/

 

I did read on here that someone had the same issue.
I believe the rattle is located on the passanger side dash near the speaker for the radio ( on dash near the windshield). At this location there should be a small round " button", that is your squeak. Just push it back in and I believe you will hear a click/ snap.
I would look for a new dealer. Ask around if you know anyone that lives near you that has a Tacoma. Hell, if you see someone in a parking lot with a Tacoma stop and ask them where they go for service.
Good luck and welcome to the world of endless mods !

 

Thanks for the replies so far! To answer one point above it is a brand new truck. I'm going to call the customer relations manager on Monday and see what he can do. I've been talking to him a lot and his answers seem to be different from what the service guys say. I will probably end up taking it to another dealer if they can't resolve the issue(s) this next time.

TBH I love the look and ride of the truck, but this stuff is driving me nuts.

 

Any pics of the new ride?

 

I hear you man, rattles and squeaks drive me batshit crazy. Took me a while to find this bastard:

https://youtu.be/-oSvEF1yS0s

 

Sorry to hear about your new truck woes. Have you tried to do anything other than wedging in the note card. I realize this is a new vehicle but if the dealer isn't fixing it there are a few things you can do yourself to try and isolate the problem. I would start by pulling the A-Pillar cover off. It's easy to do. Drive around with that cover off and see if that makes a difference. The following was "borrowed" from a YouTube comment authored by Mark Balwin 11 months ago;
"...Exact same problem here with a 2016. I can tell you how NOT to fix it first. Don't try prying up the passenger side speaker grille and looking for the noise. There is a U-shaped part on the right side of the grille that extends vertically up into the trim on the A pillar and you have a good change of breaking that tab off. And you may also break off a couple (or three) of the other tabs in the process if you don't have a set of trim removal tools. Fortunately, a new grille is about $30. Then, if you try to put the grille back without first removing the trim on the A pillar, you risk gouging the paper on the speaker, a new OEM speaker is around $75. How do I know this, hmmm? So keep in mind that you do NOT need to remove the speaker grille, only the trim on the A pillar. So, first disconnect the negative terminal from the battery because you will need to remove the trim on the A pillar and it contains an airbag. It only takes 30 seconds, so don't skip that step. Next, pry off the two plastic cover plates on the A pillar trim, they should come off very easily and they'll remain attached with a tether. Remove two 10mm bolts and remove the A pillar trim. Now you can see the (two) plastic fins on the bottom of the A pillar trim that fit into slots of the dash trim. I wrapped those plastic fins with a couple layers of duct tape to give it a good solid fit in the slots in the dash trim, then reinstalled the A pillar trim. Take your time and the trim should reinstall very easily. I am 95% sure this is where the noise originates. I drove it afterwards and the noise is gone. If the noise returns I'll post an update."
There is no follow up posting so I'm guessing this worked.

 

I've kinda lucked out with my current dealer. I mean, they're a stealership just like all the rest, with inflated rip-off prices and they always try to sell me crap I don't need, but they've quickly addressed the few problems that I've had without complaint, semi-competently, and under warranty -- without complaining about the modifications I've made to the truck. I'm kind lucky being that I live in Los Angeles and there are 100 dealerships within walking distance...