Tacoma Interior click is driving me NUTS

OK, this is gonna sound VERY old school .. But may still hold true...
My dad told me once back in the 60's ... That whenever you buy a new rig .. Make SURE it was one that was built on a Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday.
Reason being as ... You don't want one built on a Monday as the assembly line workers were hung-over and just coming off the weekend ... Or Friday, cause they're about ready to go off on the weekend and don't give a shit.
It sounds like an old wife's tale BS, but it may have some truth to it. (??) Who knows? LOL!

 

Agree. (This may not fix the OP's prob, but..) never ever a bad thing taking care of the weather-stripping from Day One.
I may not wax & polishing the paint near enough, but I've always taken care of weather-stripping like a brand new newborn puppy.
It pays dividends ten-fold in the long run ..

 

picked up a 2020 RS3!

 

Not sure if this helps. In 2015 when I bought my 2nd gen I had this same issue. Dealer had the truck for 2 weeks. They ended up taking most of the interior apart. Can't remember where exactly but during assembly some spot welds were missed. Truck then left the dealer to a body shop. Almost a month later I was sound free. I'll try and look up the service statement to see which spot welds were missed.

 

AWESOME! That's my favorite modern Audi!

 

Meh, it's a truck.

 

Wow this is something I never would have anticipated. I'm sorry that happened to you but glad you are now creak-free. If you did end up being able to share that info I would be very grateful since I have tried almost every single suggestion in this thread and thus far no luck.

 

I know what you mean and I try to keep that in mind, but the creak is definitely not something I could live with.

 

Thanks for checking in. Unfortunately, creak is still there. And the colder it gets my headliner rattles like crazy, and I have a new squeak behind my speedo. Basically I'm not fretting because I know the cause and solution of the headliner rattle (well documented here on tacoworld), and the speedo squeak I'll figure out later (its like a pimple compared to the lesion that's dash creak).

With regard to the dash creak, I have tried everything suggested by all the helpful people in the preceding 4 pages, with the exception of the following:

- stethoscope check
- spot-weld checks
- checking torque on body mount fasteners (both sides)
- hvac motor attachment point to firewall check for looseness
- remove blower motor

I'm bringing it to the dealer soon, and additionally I will have a local tech in town look at it as well.

Lastly, given the amount of time that people like yourself and others have put into this thread, I will certainly update as I try new suggestions, and most certainly will keep everyone in the loop with the solution, if any, so that others can benefit.

Thanks !

 

I actually checked that area as well. The creak doesnt come from there though. I would say honestly that the trim pieces surrounding the seat belts on the b-pillars, from floor to roof are very delicate and one must be careful when assembling/disassembling

 

Hello everyone. Just wanted to keep you updated. I've tried everything that has been suggested in this thread but to no avail. I wanted to keep you guys in the loop since I want to be able to contribute my experience to the forum.

Specific updates:
- cold weather (below -5c or about 25f) seems to reduce the number of creaks, but the creaks sound exactly the same
- dealerships in the area either can't or won't assess it right now
- I am trying to find a local independent toyota specialist
- I have yet to try one suggestion: having someone drive and for me to use the mechanic's stethoscope to narrow the location of the creak

Will let you guys know what happens either way. I appreciate the time you all put in to helping me.

and

Happy New Year to all

 

Oh man. Good luck! I really hope your perseverance pays off for you.

 

I had my creak come back when it got really cold outside. This time it's not a rattle, but a creak that kinda sounds like a rattle. I finally figured out that it was the actual plastic moving that caused the creak. Literally bending or moving the plastic a tiny bit would cause the creaking. I'm gonna have to stuff a bunch of foam and weatherseal stuff up under the dash on the passenger side.

 

I thank you for your confidence, will report back!

 

I'm going to repeat the experiment exactly on my truck - which part were you bending and moving? I haven't made any progress on my own either, I feel your pain

 

It will go away in time.

 

First it was the overhead console where the map lights and sunglass holder went. I removed that and the surrounding plastic in the headliner was squeaking. I placed felt all along the plastic between the liner and that stopped it there.

I had my dad ride in the passenger seat and search around for rattles on the dash, however, we found that when he pressed on the far right corner of the dash where it meets the A pillar behind the tweeter cover, it would "squeak/rattle" and would go away if he held pressure there. I already felt lined where the A piller meets the dash, so I'm assuming something under the dash now needs felt lined or something to put pressure on the plastics.

If I continually press and release pressure from that area, I can cause it to squeak/rattle. Unfortunately, sounds like cheap plastics to me.

 

You may want to check your pillar cover. I’ve seen the felt tape get moved around and need to be reapplied. Maybe from the heat in that area. Easy enough to check. Good luck.

 

Any time interior pieces come apart I worry it will rattle when it goes back together. For instance the clips and retainers that look like christmas trees in VW are junk after they come apart. The felt backed tape is great for these squeaks rattles and creaks.

The only noise I’m getting comes from the bed area and I think it’s the spare tire on my truck. I forgot to mention it when I came In for my first oil change

 

Alright folks just wanted first to say thank you for all your replies. I literally read each one of your replies to try your individual suggestions. I have also tried to respond individually to each message because I really needed your help and you showed up. I can see in your replies the very same frustration and dedication I had, so I wanted to make sure I reported back.

The creak has been found and fixed. Ended up being a faulty spot weld from the factory, around where the right fender/cowl meet, just under the hood latch. It had separated and then would creak when the chassis flexed. I had a dealer do the work, Toyota warrantied it in full. Took about a week.

Each and every one of your cared enough to write to help me. Some of your suggestions were implemented anyways, to avoid future noises. Some of the ideas people posted here were actually very cool. So therefore in service to the fine men and women of TW, please find below my list of possible Tacoma noisemakers, hopefully it will help someone else track down their own frustration.

Thanks again everyone.






List of possible noisemakers:

- http://www.ttguide.net/components-1966.html
*This is the blow up diagram of all parts behind dash.
- heat shield
- spot welds
- body mounts
- A-pillar / speaker cover interface
- make sure your passenger seat is fully locked in place on the rails. Check by
sitting in it and giving er a good push back.
- make sure rear seatbelts are secured in their little clips on the c-pillars
- felt tape the little access door in your glovebox where you access the cabin filter
- check modules attached with loop brackets, behind dash, for looseness
- double check torque on deep dash bolts, see manual
- passenger door bolts were loose at one point, make sure its not them (done, but check periodically)
- passenger left torso bolster rubbing against storage area of centre console
- noise may be from mirror area and resonating down, remove all accessories and drive around, and may be related to creak
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/noise-from-headliner.515574/#post-20042962
- headliner tick re wire bundle attached via poor adhesive
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anyone-remove-a-3rd-gen-dash.604240/#post-20362144
- wire bundles behind dash have white stickers with serial numbers on them, they are made of crackly material and will crackle in the cold
- blower motor sits beneath ac unit. remove blower and see if creak persists. Then check where hvac assembly bolts to firewall.
- hvac duct behind dash reinforcement bar, where ducting meets windshield or upper dash
- blower motor or other part above it, where it bolts to firewall, check fasteners, put foam between rubbing or tapping parts
- passenger seat under guts
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/passenger-seat-rattle.562378/page-4
- wires along frame running front to back - there's a bunch of wires that run the length of the frame - front to back. They have plastic clips that attach the wires to the frame.
- have a mechanic check: body mounts, rad support bushings, swaybar end links
- spray a bit of grease where top of front coils meet rubber mounts, can make noise
- cowl areas
- consider body mount replacements for all 6 cab mount points (2 front, 2 footwell, 2 rear cab) and the two rad mount bushings with aftermarket
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...se-may-not-be-your-leaf-springs.464993/page-1
BUT this is a fix for a squeak not a creak or rattle, so this is a long shot and not necessarily something that should be done
- backer rod 5/8 diameter+ between gap where windshield and upper dash meet
- piping/ducts for two centre air vents
- press down on middle of dash to see if you can replicate noise
- passenger seat back
- foam tape along a-pillar cover could be replaced with better thicker one
- speaker cover tabs felted
- felt tape all white powdery areas on panels before final assembly (that’s where there’s contact)
- tweeter bolts press down check for click. Tighten nuts.
- also yellow harness behind front passenger dash
- airbag switch rattle
- airbag module bolts
- check pink and blue mount near windshield behind passenger airbag
- check wire harnesses under fan motor, wire harness may be hitting against vents behind dash
- check foam between air duct and firewall
- check around auto headlight sensor area/hole, use felt tape to eliminate rattle
- round foam behind windshield and dash (3/4” backer rod) inline with airbag area
- cowl and exterior windshield under hood poke around
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/has-anyone-removed-this-piece.538174/
- door window/lock switches can rattle
- passenger door side mirror area triangular trim and tabs behind
- passenger footwell plastic conduit (many white tabs, also plastic wire covering ‘clicks’, also check white tab that inserts the (end of the two pronged ends of the wire loom) to the body work (where passenger ankle would be)
- passenger foot well under carpet body mount
- right fender, underneath hood - where the hood comes down and meets the right fender, there are two long back plastic clips running the length of the fender form cowl downard. They are only secured by one plastic clip and can easily rattle (not sure when hood is closed if it rattles too, but just an idea)
- check mount and spring mechanism of handbrake lever, under centre dash tunnel, where handbrake lever fulcrum is mounted to truck the spring mechanism can rattle and squeak, use a bit of lube.




Resources:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...sh-speaker-solved.422339/page-8#post-17258553
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...id-rattle-and-vibration-noise-resolved.462969
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tracked-down-a-few-year-old-audible-clunk.705255/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tapping-noise-from-passenger-dash-speaker-solved.422339/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...d-rattle-and-vibration-noise-resolved.462969/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/windshield-creaking-rattling.523625/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anyone-with-noisy-dash-interior-trim.445949/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/passenger-dash-rattle.454554/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/passenger-side-rattling-noise-3rd-gen.495646/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rattling-noise-in-driver-side-dash-help.528920/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trdor-dash-rattle.520313/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-interior-sounds-like-an-xj.573605/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/passenger-side-dash-rattle.704625/page-2#post-25012394