Mk4 Yaris is my most hated car ever. I loathe the thing.

[Unklian]

Long term Toyota owner. My wife and I have had loads.

After happily running a very, very bland Mk3 Yaris CVT for 5 years, we decided on a Mk4 Icon.

Impressed by the MPG but Toyota standards have plummeted. It is made of cheap, hard, rattling plastic.

"A" trims rattle...... Improved by little wedges of felt squeezed into the gaps. Still rattle.

Boot trim rattles...... can't find it, somewhere in the left side. Annoying.

Rear seat belts rattle...... Squeezed them under the seat edges. Solved! Looks stupid though.

The hard plastic dashboard top tattles...... Many bits of felt and rubber tubing squeezed into the gap near the windscreen and in the tiny gap near the dashboard "soft" bit....... Improved but still rattles.

Driver's door trim rattles on end of dashboard...... Thick piece of felt glued to the door.

Glove locker...... Hard plastic latches rattle up & down...... Bit of rubber glued to the underside of the dashboard to load the latches up...... Solved!

And the worst...... The wires to the interior light run above the passengers head. "What's that noise in the roof"? asks every passenger.

After poking a thin steel wire through the headlining into the roof with a hook bent into the end, I can secure the wires.

Can't really drive about holding onto that or ask the passenger to.

I'm thinking of cutting a larger hole (about 5mm dia.) and spraying some expanding foam into the roof cavity to stop the rattles / thumps.

I can then block the hole with a trim coloured bung to disguise it......Possibly?

Does anybody have any better ideas? 

I didn't buy GAP insurance, so suggestions of petrol / matches down a dark lane are not an option.

Cheap, hard plastics? Why Toyota?  Cheapness and profits over quality. The company ethos has changed.

[flash22]

Sounds like you have a Friday car, and a case of you have a base spec car

Fix it properly rather than bodge it, pop the A pillars off, remove the visors, pop the door rubbers off, you can then get under the head lining

glovebox - add rubber domes aka door/draw dampers

 

BTW all Japanese cars are "bland"

 

[Unklian]

29 minutes ago, flash22 said:

Fix it properly rather than bodge it, pop the A pillars off, remove the visors, pop the door rubbers off, you can then get under the head lining

I looked into removing the "A" pillars (to do exactly as you suggested), but after levering and prying in various directions, thought I was going to snap something.

I don't suppose anybody here knows the procedure or which direction to remove these without snapping something?

[anchorman]

30 minutes ago, Unklian said:

I looked into removing the "A" pillars (to do exactly as you suggested), but after levering and prying in various directions, thought I was going to snap something.

I don't suppose anybody here knows the procedure or which direction to remove these without snapping something?

You won’t snap it, get hold at the top and the middle and pull it to the middle of the car.  It is tethered to the frame to stop it flying off if the airbag deploys so it will only come about 40mm.  You have to reach in and squeeze the retainers to release it then you can pull up and out.  Now, to get it back you must sub assemble it so clip the retainer back into the trim, then put it back.   

[Mushu84]

Hi Ian,

 

As you a have a couple of rattles coming from various places

-the left speaker plastic vibration on bass 

-some vibrations from the seatbelt

-some from the back 

 

For now they are not that disturbing for me to do something about them, the car seems to be fine 

 

Very curios about the one above the passenger side 

 

We are the same with our old Yaris 2006 that seems to be better put together 

[Unklian]

35 minutes ago, anchorman said:

You won’t snap it, get hold at the top and the middle and pull it to the middle of the car.  It is tethered to the frame to stop it flying off if the airbag deploys so it will only come about 40mm.  You have to reach in and squeeze the retainers to release it then you can pull up and out.  Now, to get it back you must sub assemble it so clip the retainer back into the trim, then put it back.   

Thanks for this...... I know how my weekend is going to be spent!

[MikeSh]

2 minutes ago, Unklian said:

Thanks for this...... I know how my weekend is going to be spent!

I'd avoid using spray foam in the roof. It's likely to have some effects or consequences you won't like and it's very hard to undo it.

[Unklian]

8 minutes ago, MikeSh said:

I'd avoid using spray foam in the roof. It's likely to have some effects or consequences you won't like and it's very hard to undo it.

I'll try with the advice I've been given for the "A" pillar trim removal, prior to taking the headlining out.

Hopefully, I can wrap the interior light wiring with more felt and reduce the rattles by one.

I've downloaded many eBay pictures of used trim / dashboards etc. and while the trims are out, I may be able to infill the dashboard end "gutters" with silencing material.

I shouldn't have to do any of this with a year old car (poverty trim level or not) , but I'm getting desperate.

Every time I sit in the thing I hate it. First car I've ever had that angers me so much.

[anchorman]

They might rattle (don’t forget it was assembled in France, the home of garbage cars) but they are very dependable.  

[Jimota]

Most cars I’ve owned have at some point developed rattles and vibrations which can be really annoying. My present Yaris Cross has so far, remained quiet and vibration free but I really appreciate how anyone could put up with so many issues from different parts of the interior.  If a car has been reliable and fault free other than the noises described, I think I would spend a little more time trying to establish the cause before getting rid of the vehicle.

There are several competent and able members who have the experience and technical knowledge to guide you through a possible solution to the problems identified.  Hang on in there and good luck.

[Mojo1010]

Quite a problem, it should not happen to any spec level on new cars. All the best on correcting it. Get the dealer to correct it, though understand there may be an inconvenience to having a courtesy car etc. 

Had mine for almost 3 months, can't say I have notice any rattles, then again I have stuff in all storage compartments, even if it did, would put in down to those things. Had fiestas, Micra, Audi A1, Yaris MK1 & 3, now the MK4. The newest fiesta run it close for value and performance, but it's not a hybrid. It is the best small car i've had. 

[Unklian]

16 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

Quite a problem, it should not happen to any spec level on new cars. All the best on correcting it. Get the dealer to correct it, though understand there may be an inconvenience to having a courtesy car etc. 

 

Apparently, trim rattles aren't included in Toyota's warranty after the vehicle is 6 months old.

[Mushu84]

29 minutes ago, Unklian said:

Apparently, trim rattles aren't included in Toyota's warranty after the vehicle is 6 months old.

Really? that sucks.

 

For me the car being second hand maybe the expectation is not that high, but to be honest, if you will look for rattles most likely you will find them in any car.

I had a lot of company cars (Toyota, VW, Citroen, Dacia, Peugeot, Fiat, Daewoo, BMW, Mercedes) and all rattled at some point somewhere so I gave up after some time. TBH I found out many rattles come from the **** I used to have in the car pockets and glovebox or boot, now I try and keep the car as empty as possible.

[Jimota]

That reminds me, one of the causes for rattles in my Audi was a small hinge screw which fell out from the frame of a pair of sunglasses that I kept in the door pocket.  Took me ages to locate the little offender.

[Cyker]

2 hours ago, Unklian said:

Apparently, trim rattles aren't included in Toyota's warranty after the vehicle is 6 months old.

Maybe not, but you can threaten to reject the car if they don't sort them out; You have 6 months where any faults in the car mean you can reject it for a full refund if the rattles are as extreme as you say.

That many definitely isn't normal - Mine had a few, the most annoying one being something in the driver's door resonating with certain bass frequencies, but thanks (presumably) to the pothole-ridden hellscape I routinely drive through, it seems to have gotten itself wedged at some point so it doesn't vibrate any more  

That all said, if you have the ability, it might be less hassle to try and sort them yourself, esp. if you've been able to identify the sources. Like most Toyotas the car is surprisingly easy to pull apart; Most things being held in by pop fixings and you usually just need to pull the bits of plastic out in the right order.

They feel like they might break but they are tougher than they seem (Under those soft-touch coatings they are mostly the same sort of hard-wearing plastic Toyota have always used!)

I will say, this is not new to the Yaris line tho' - They've all been more or less like this, although there is a noticeable decline in build quality through the generations; My jappy-made Mk1 D4D was very well made despite the 'cheap materials' (But I'll take cheap and hardwearing over expensive and fragile any day of the week!), but the Mk2 I had after was noticeably worse - Many things didn't fit as well as in the Mk1, to the point the front of the dash by the window was slightly warped, and you could fit a thick steak through some of the panel gaps!  

You don't buy Toyotas, esp ones at the lower end of the range, for build quality and refinement; The germans and french are generally better at that. Where Toyota excel is for reliability, robustness and ease of maintenance. I think they're the only company that still make cars that I wouldn't expect to need to replace a bearing/bushing or have some mysterious electrical fault within the first few years of ownership!

 

[TonyHSD]

Shame really, we have to discuss these matters here. I think mk4 is by far the best looking Yaris, at least outside, just seen one today drive past me , it was a  gr spec in black and love it. Also cross in black look a deal 👌

[Cyker]

It's definitely not a perfect car - They have made more of an effort with the interior materials, with the soft-touch coatings etc., than they have in previous Yarisuesises, but there are still lots of silly things like the utterly useless headliner lights, the lack of lumbar support, high road noise, only having 1 seat-back pocket, the generally poor visibility, I could go on! The one that keeps getting me and my passengers at the moment are the rear doors - They just don't open wide enough and I can just see one of my friends ripping the check-strap out by accident one of these days...!   If they'd made the opening wider and moved the rear seats back just 2 inches it would have been MUCH better for everyone.

It all depends on what's important to the owner - For me, all the compromises and cut corners are in just the right places, as I don't care much about how the plastics feel or the road noise etc., but I do care about the car not randomly breaking down, or costing me loads of money in repairs, and in all those traditional Toyotary things it excels at.

On top of it, the car is fantastic to drive which is a great bonus coming from the rolly-polly Mk1 and 2   - The power delivery is so strong and responsive it feels like you're in a much more powerful car, and the improvements to the driving dynamics make it just a joy to drive. The fact I can hoon about on the weekend and still average 70-80mpg out of a tank is just some sort of voodoo black magic surely  

It's just a great car to drive, and you know it'll get you wherever you want to go with the minimum of expenditure, and a surprising amount of fun if you're not averse to pushing it a bit  .

 

[CPN]

8 hours ago, Unklian said:

And the worst...... The wires to the interior light run above the passengers head. "What's that noise in the roof"? asks every passenger.

I'm very curious? Since the interior light is right at the front of the headlining and you describe it as "above the passenger's head", would it not be more likely to be the cable to the roof (fin) antenna? Bear in mind that there will not be just an antenna coax but also power for the integral signal amplifier too...

I am very surprised that you have so much noise in yours! As Bob said, you must have got a "Friday build" or similar... Ours is now 3 years old and it is as quiet as the day we got it inside. One of the best cars I have ever owned.

Oh and please. as Mike suggested, don't be tempted by that can of spray foam as I'm sure you will end up regretting it!!

[Big_D]

We have a '22 Yaris Excel, and have no rattles at all. In fact, we are quite impressed with the car in general. The only rattle we've ever had in the Yaris was from the front trim, when the sound system was turned all the way up. As soon as we tuned the volume down the the rattle disappeared. I can live with that.

Changing the subject slightly, my first C-HR (bought as a used vehicle from a Toyota Dealer) developed a rattle about three months after I bought the car. The Dealer was fantastic. I got he car back in, went for a drive with the workshop manager, and they fixed everything for me FOC. 

[Unklian]

51 minutes ago, CPN said:

I'm very curious? Since the interior light is right at the front of the headlining and you describe it as "above the passenger's head", would it not be more likely to be the cable to the roof (fin) antenna? Bear in mind that there will not be just an antenna coax but also power for the integral signal amplifier too...

Sorry.  Should have been clearer. Above the passenger's sunvisor. Near the front of the recess it lives in when folded up.

[Unklian]

3 minutes ago, Unklian said:

Sorry.  Should have been clearer. Above the passenger's sunvisor. Near the front of the recess it lives in when folded up.

I believe the wiring loom comes up the "A" pillar then across to the interior lights. That was the only thing I could imagine living there. My hooked wire can definitely get hold of something  that runs across there. Tapping the headliner there makes something resting on top of the headlining move up and down.

[CPN]

1 minute ago, Unklian said:

Sorry.  Should have been clearer. Above the passenger's sunvisor. Near the front of the recess it lives in when folded up.

Right. In which case your assumption is possibly correct. Although I have to add that I didn't come across any problems when I installed my own extension cable for my dash cam under exactly the same place (with no vibrations or rattling resulting...)

[Big_D]

9 hours ago, flash22 said:

Sounds like you have a Friday car

Going back to what @flash22 said, you may have a Friday car.

[Unklian]

31 minutes ago, Big_D said:

Going back to what @flash22 said, you may have a Friday car.

Certainly  not the standard  of my previous Toyotas. I was looking forward to the novelty of Hybrid , radar cruise etc. I can't deny I'm impressed  with the economy, but that is all. I've lost any enthusiasm I had for it. It is currently my only transport,  so I am forced to endure it. 

I thought  Friday cars were a thing of the past. As somebody  mentioned, it isn't  actually Japanese. 

Tools, foam and more felt this weekend  

[CPN]

Well, I guess we're all different but I am shocked that such things as you describe have clouded your overall enjoyment of the car. Such things would be, for me anyway, minor irritations but for you, it undermines your opinion of the whole car and that's sad when it should be an enjoyable relationship.