05 Avalon Limited Tapping/Vibration Noise

My 05 avalon has developed a tapping/vibration noise that seems to be coming from the the roof pillar behind the driver's side passenger seat? Has anyone else had this problem?

do you have a sunroof?

Yes, but it doesn't see to be coimg from the sun roof.

Maybe someone with a Helms manual can look at the diagrams to see what might be up there. Can you hear it if you thump the area with the side of your fist? Another mystery :eek:

I think I have the same problem. I noticed it after about 1000 miles. It seems like something in the front roof panel has loosened up. I really notice it during hard bumps or major frame movements like going up a curb at a 45 degree angle when the body frame flexs. I think the roof panel is flexing and causing the sound. For me the creeking sound seems to come from the upper front portion of the roof panel near the windshield. I have not been able to isolate it yet. I need to have my wife drive the car as I hunt around the cabin for the evil creeking . I do have a sunroof. I have tried the sunroof cover in both the closed and open position and even held it in place so it wouldn't move...the creeking sound continues.

Do you have a Limited, Touring, XLS? I have the limited with the automatic windshield wipers. I believe the wiring is routed directly above drivers visor. I have had issues where I put the visor down and against the windshield and noticed the wipers come on. Loose Wires at the connector? Loose something that is causing the same noise??? Either way, this I am not happy with. I do not expect a Toyota to have the panels loosening up after a few thousand miles. I would expect that on a GM Vehicle. I guess thats what you get when you have Americans build Toyota Cars.

I have a separate tapping sound coming from the passenger seat belt hitting the side panel (when no one is using the passenger seat). The seat belt head seems to natually rest between the seat and the side panel and vibrates. I think there may be another thread in here that discusses this issue. I can't remember if there is a fix for this.

The car is an 05 Limited. I have tried isolating the noise by pressing on the rear window, rear door, rear windshield, the headliner, and the rear pillar cover all without success. The sunroof seems to be sealing properly and does not make any noise. The service manager thinks it may be a loose wiring harness behind the pillar. I take it in this week for service and I will post the results.

I have a separate tapping sound coming from the passenger seat belt hitting the side panel (when no one is using the passenger seat). The seat belt head seems to natually rest between the seat and the side panel and vibrates. I think there may be another thread in here that discusses this issue. I can't remember if there is a fix for this.
This is also one of my complaints. I've played with it and unless you have the seat tilted way back (and no one does) the latch will not retract all the way and just bounces against the pillar. From the drivers seat I can not reach around far enough to secure it so I just grab the latch and buckle it to the seat which then becomes a pain for the next pasenger to get in.

If you find a thread with a fix please let us know.

Edmunds.com also has a good problems/solutions site for the Avalon. The tapping/vibration noise is described, as well as your seat belt problem.

Im having the same tapping noise problem with my 2005 Limited as well, very hard to locate. It seems to come from behind the driver side. When you open the sunroof shade you can here it even louder. Mine started around the 200 miles. I took it back twice for service and they where not able to duplicate the noise.

Thats besides the light knocking (not valve piging) from the engine wile it's cold. After it warms up the noise go's away. Thay say that this engine noise is normal. To me and my neighbors it souds like an old car when I leave wile it's still cold. Makes anyone thinking like, what the heck! Is that a new car?

Get's you fustrated that you spend a heck more money thinking your geting a beter car and still have to put up with problems.

That changes my concept on the new (american made) Toyota.
There making it just like our cars. That sucks!

Alngc, please keep us posted in reguards this tapping noise.

Docdoor, You can tell your service guy that he is incorrect. That knocking is not normal and my 05 limited has never made that noise.

Im having the same tapping noise problem with my 2005 Limited as well, very hard to locate. It seems to come from behind the driver side. When you open the sunroof shade you can here it even louder. Mine started around the 200 miles. I took it back twice for service and they where not able to duplicate the noise.

Thats besides the light knocking (not valve piging) from the engine wile it's cold. After it warms up the noise go's away. Thay say that this engine noise is normal. To me and my neighbors it souds like an old car when I leave wile it's still cold. Makes anyone thinking like, what the heck! Is that a new car?

Get's you fustrated that you spend a heck more money thinking your geting a beter car and still have to put up with problems.

That changes my concept on the new (american made) Toyota.
There making it just like our cars. That sucks!

Alngc, please keep us posted in reguards this tapping noise.
old toyotas had solid lifter, so when they were cold theyd tap tap tap away. im pretty sure these new motors have a hydraulic rocker arm thats supposed to keep clearences tight and keep it quiet. but the lifter buckets are still solid, which means that youll get a tap when its cold. id clearences are too much.

docdoor: Toyota engines are so quiet compared to any others I've had--sewing machine like rather than mechanical, I'd say you and your neighbor either have super hearing (assuming he can't hear it from next door!) or your car is not typical. Get there early and have the dealer start another one that has been sitting overnight so you and he can compare yours.

Mine also has the cold tap / knock noise and it started at about 2K miles. I now have 6K and it is getting worse.

To me it sounds as if it is in the valve train . My best friend is a Toyota master mechanic at the local dealer ( we built and raced cars together) and he is going to take my car home one evening so he can take it to work the next morning. That way he will hear the knock as I hear it.

The only other complaint is the rear window has a huge distortion....to the degree that it looks like people are flashing their headlights at night from a distance. Any one else have that problem?

I will update you on what he says about the tap noise but it will be a couple of weeks before I am off the road enough to give him the car.

By the way, I am in Lexington Ky and one of my other friends that I race with is the fit and trim person for new body styles at the Georgetown plant. The avalon was one of his projects. I will see him this weekend and will ask about the noise in the roof that some of you are experiencing

Mine also has the cold tap / knock noise and it started at about 2K miles. I now have 6K and it is getting worse.

To me it sounds as if it is in the valve train . My best friend is a Toyota master mechanic at the local dealer ( we built and raced cars together) and he is going to take my car home one evening so he can take it to work the next morning. That way he will hear the knock as I hear it.

The only other complaint is the rear window has a huge distortion....to the degree that it looks like people are flashing their headlights at night from a distance. Any one else have that problem?

I will update you on what he says about the tap noise but it will be a couple of weeks before I am off the road enough to give him the car.

By the way, I am in Lexington Ky and one of my other friends that I race with is the fit and trim person for new body styles at the Georgetown plant. The avalon was one of his projects. I will see him this weekend and will ask about the noise in the roof that some of you are experiencing
Looks like you have the right type of friends, and I'd be curious if your friend at the plant would know of any changes that were addressed for the '06 model.

The car is an 05 Limited. I have tried isolating the noise by pressing on the rear window, rear door, rear windshield, the headliner, and the rear pillar cover all without success. The sunroof seems to be sealing properly and does not make any noise. The service manager thinks it may be a loose wiring harness behind the pillar. I take it in this week for service and I will post the results.
I spoke with the friend that worked on the 05 Avalon project.
He says that there is a harness in the headliner. Here is how he described how it is installed.

The back side (top) of the headliner is sprayed with a tacky adhesive. The harness is then placed on the adheasive , then a piece of tape covers harness and the headliner is lifted into place. Nothing additional holds the harness.

I am not saying that is your problem, I just thought you (and others) would like to know how the harness is secured. We were at the race track and didnt have much time to go into detail but he said that a loose harness could possibly cause some noise. Not sure about where and how it runs down the pilars

Hope that helps http://toyotanation.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

The Dealer could not locate the source of the tapping noise and had me return the car again today. My Avalon has now spent a total of 5 days at the Dealer for adjustments. I am very dissappointed with Toyota and the car.

The Dealer could not locate the source of the tapping noise and had me return the car again today. My Avalon has now spent a total of 5 days at the Dealer for adjustments. I am very dissappointed with Toyota and the car.
Perhaps you can print and take the earlier reply of how the headliner is installed and ask them to remove the headliner and inspect if the wiring is loose. I'd think that they would be interested to see if it is simple like the wiring or if one of their factory robots miss fired on some spot welds which then becomes a safety issue.

The dealer located a loose clip on the rear sun shade and this for now appears to have stopped the noise. Time will tell.

The dealer located a loose clip on the rear sun shade and this for now appears to have stopped the noise. Time will tell.
At least he took some action. I was affraid he would blame you for using cheap gas :lol:

The dealer located a loose clip on the rear sun shade and this for now appears to have stopped the noise. Time will tell.

Hello to all,
Updates: As far as tapping noise, im still having it. So im going to take a look for that clip. But for some odd reson, sins the last time I took it in to install headrest and dvd sys. They must have did something to it and did'nt say anything not take bad fame on Toyota side. The light knocking from the engine stoped. :clap:

Like retired00 said: Toyota engines are so quiet... Well now it is.

I'm happy with this car. I'm love'en it.


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