Weird “rolling” noise coming from (near) rear passenger seat

If your truck came with locking lug nuts. They just toss the corresponding key into one of the cubbies

 

all i hear are windshield wipers and the turn signal

 

Thanks for the replies everyone.

To reiterate: I've systematically removed/replaced each of these items and still hear the noise. A tip of the hat to AM6217 and the others who suggested the wheel lock - that was my first guess as well.

I'm stumped - I've pulled everything out of the cupholders, console, glove box, under/behind the rear seats spots and still hear it. I even folded the seats down, removed the headrests, and used the seatbelt retention clips in the back and still hear this bizarre rolling sound.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

While it may not be a solution for everyone, do you have a kid, cousin, nephew, neighbor, etc to stick in the backseat for a drive and climb around to locate the noise? Cabin noises can be confusing at times based on how the noise is echoing around. Left might be right, or the other way around. Getting narrowed in on the exact area will help you out greatly.

 

Definitely sounds like it’s coming from inside the cab. Since you mention you’ve done the obvious and removed everything from all storage areas, I’d suspect there’s something loose rolling around behind the plastic rear seat storage binnacles. As if something has come loose in the space between the plastic binnacles and the metal of the cab. Or perhaps in between the headliner and the roof.

As the post directly above mine mentions, grab a buddy and have him/her sit in back while you replicate the noise. This is the surefire way to pinpoint random noises. I’ve recently done this for squeaking in the hatchback of my Mazda CX-5 and for squeaking in the hatchback of a friend’s VW GTI. Mazda squeak turned out to be the result of bolts that secure the rear spoiler having coming loose, causing the spoiler to shift ever so slightly and squeak as it moved. I initially thought it was the rear latch or the hatch gas struts. The VW GTI squeak turned out to be a loose reflector inside the tail light assembly.

It’s a bit of fun to isolate the source of the errant sound and extremely satisfying to eliminate the issue.

 

I had a noise like that about 3 weeks into owning my 2020, ended up being a clip missing on the top splash guard in passenger side front wheel well.

 

So bizarre, but thanks for sharing!

 

Are all 3 seat belt latches above the seat ? Perhaps the middle one is under the seat and sliding around with you brake or turn.

 

No real suggestions, just came to say I feel your pain. I had a car I bought that had the roll roll-click-roll roll sound from the front seat area. After disassembling the cabin for the second time, I finally found a small marble in the seat track. Every time I slowed down the marble would roll forward then roll back and click to a stop at the end of the track.

 

might be the chain for the spare tire. if you could get a better audio recording without the other noises it would be easier to say. try taking everything out of the storage compartments so you can narrow it down. i'm not sure how anything could have gotten under the storage compartment.

 

I know exactly what your problem is. I had the same problem on a 2016 Tacoma and fixed it in less than 5 minutes from reading this thread. Now is my time to repay you guys. My TRD 4x4 Off-road comes with locking wheels locks. What happens is the under back seat storage bin has a design flaw in that near where the jack is placed, there is a hole where the wheel lock bolt falls threw and underneath the storage bin where it gets stuck. When you drive around it should sound like a large metal marble hitting steel. It will roll around forever, making quite the racket until you fix the issue. You are going to need a large flathead screwdriver. Start off by removing the entire black, back under seat storage bin by wedging a flathead screwdriver under each plastic fastener and forcing it up and out. It is really easy. Once the bin is removed, remove the rogue wheel lock or whatever else fell in that hole and put it all back together. Next time put the wheel lock in a zipper bag (I use a zippered bank bag) and stuff it next to the jack stand. Problem solved and the bank bag will stop it from happening again. I just did this fix on my truck about a hour ago. No more sound!! Hey it only took me 2 years to figure it out! Better late than never.

Watch this to see how to take the storage part out.