lexus gx550 premium driver door rattle/cabin noise

[whyjay93]

purchased 2024 lexus gx550 premium. all black. caviar. black seats. love it. almost no options except heads up display. however, day 3 of driving i noticed a very small metal ticking noise coming from the driver’s side door b pillar area when driving over rough road. i took the car into longo lexus at 700miles. el monte, ca.

they identified the noise during test drive and did the following work: removed seat belt bracket. attempted manipulating spot weld using soft punch. identified noise coming from lower part of p pillar when pulling on sheet metal. identified lack of clearance inside b pillar. sheet metal making contact intermittently causing metallic ticking noise. used pry tool to create clearance. re-installed trim panel. no abnormal sound heard after clearance adjustment.

i was excited to get the car back after a week. however, upon picking up the car, i noticed that as i’m opening the driver door something felt off meaning it didn’t feel as solid as it used to. i tried opening & shutting it several times. no solid thunk during opening and closing. i compared it to the other 3 doors which all felt and sounded solid and sure enough, I felt slightly more rattle compared to the other doors. also during highway driving there was more noise seeping through the cabin. you could hear almost every car passing by to your left.

i emailed/messaged this concern but the sales advisor swore that the technician did not work on the door since they wouldn’t do it unless it’s approved by lexus warranty first and there’s no indication of door work on the description. he advised that i should bring the car in so we can test the door for abnormal noise. however he advised that the new gx have lighter doors and the driver door may not have the same weight or feel as the other doors since each door has different components. there’s no other gx to reference at this time and my concern is whether they’d say issue cannot be duplicated. would they even be able to fix this issue since it was sent back to me in this condition? am i just sensitive and going crazy thinking that i hear more noise coming through the driver’s side? i personally feel that it’s significant since getting a lexus you expect quality and measure of quietness but i don’t know whether lexus service would spend much time with this or deny that this is a valid issue.

has anyone faced any similar issue? any recommendations on how this should be approached with the dealer? i made another appointment as soon as possible but they advised that the next time would be in 2wks. any advice is appreciated.

 

[mm9351]

I would first check that all the driver's door seals are still intact with no obvious discontinuities, e.g. the bulb seal around the door frame, the seal at the rear door where it interfaces the front door, and any other anomalies. Check the passenger door seals as it mirrors the driver's door. Also check if the upper door frame and lower door assembly for any obvious signs of being deformed and the window operation is normal and closes fully.

As a proof test, take a piece of stiff cardboard (or a long tie wrap) and try to wedge it into the door seals when the door is closed. Take note of how far you can go before you feel a resistance. Compare with all other doors. Now you have objective data regarding compression on each of the door seals, instead of relying on subjective data (e.g. 'thunk' sound of the door closing). Demonstrate this data with the Lexus dealer. With the technician working in this area, it's possible some of the seals were disturbed, although it's unlikely the tech knocked the door out of alignment. Although it is possible that the inner 'B' pillar may have seals over access ports which were designed to block road noise, which may now be getting into the passenger compartment. I would challenge the dealer to check that those hidden seals were not disturbed. It's highly likely that the tech did not reassemble the trim on the b pillar properly. Ask to see the work instructions they used to disassemble the pillar. Also, not feeling comfortable with the "repair" Lexus used to use a "pry tool and a spot punch to reform a weld" on a brand new car .... seems a bit unprofessional and extreme. Challenge Lexus and ask if that is an "approved repair procedure" and ask for the tech bulletin.

Finally, I'm sure there are those at Lexus who would suggest that the noise you are hearing may have been there since day 1, or would dismiss this with "door operation as designed." Based on your observations, it's highly likely that the tech messed up on reassembling the trim on the pillar.

Good luck and please post an update on your resolution!

 

[whyjay93]

@mm9351 Thank you for the recommendations/guidance. A friend who works on cars took a look and advised that there's evidence of the door having been opened. Perhaps not all the way but the plastic piece seemed to have been pryed open. The pieces to keep the seal in place also have a different color for the driver's side doors - front & rear. Also, now there's a rattle noise every time I close the driver door. I'll be taking the car in on 12/5 and really hoping they fix this issue. However, in the event that they're not able to bring the car back to factory state - would they order a new door? B-pillar? What would be the next step if the noise persists? I've heard that if dealer cannot fix a problem within 3 tries for the same issue - it would qualify under the lemon law. Any insight is much appreciated!

 

[john burb]

purchased 2024 lexus gx550 premium. all black. caviar. black seats. love it. almost no options except heads up display. however, day 3 of driving i noticed a very small metal ticking noise coming from the driver’s side door b pillar area when driving over rough road. i took the car into longo lexus at 700miles. el monte, ca.

they identified the noise during test drive and did the following work: removed seat belt bracket. attempted manipulating spot weld using soft punch. identified noise coming from lower part of p pillar when pulling on sheet metal. identified lack of clearance inside b pillar. sheet metal making contact intermittently causing metallic ticking noise. used pry tool to create clearance. re-installed trim panel. no abnormal sound heard after clearance adjustment.

i was excited to get the car back after a week. however, upon picking up the car, i noticed that as i’m opening the driver door something felt off meaning it didn’t feel as solid as it used to. i tried opening & shutting it several times. no solid thunk during opening and closing. i compared it to the other 3 doors which all felt and sounded solid and sure enough, I felt slightly more rattle compared to the other doors. also during highway driving there was more noise seeping through the cabin. you could hear almost every car passing by to your left.

i emailed/messaged this concern but the sales advisor swore that the technician did not work on the door since they wouldn’t do it unless it’s approved by lexus warranty first and there’s no indication of door work on the description. he advised that i should bring the car in so we can test the door for abnormal noise. however he advised that the new gx have lighter doors and the driver door may not have the same weight or feel as the other doors since each door has different components. there’s no other gx to reference at this time and my concern is whether they’d say issue cannot be duplicated. would they even be able to fix this issue since it was sent back to me in this condition? am i just sensitive and going crazy thinking that i hear more noise coming through the driver’s side? i personally feel that it’s significant since getting a lexus you expect quality and measure of quietness but i don’t know whether lexus service would spend much time with this or deny that this is a valid issue.

has anyone faced any similar issue? any recommendations on how this should be approached with the dealer? i made another appointment as soon as possible but they advised that the next time would be in 2wks. any advice is appreciated.

My door(s) feel extremely light as well. Feels a bit cheap, but they are all like that. I have the same rattle that I’ve been chasing for a few months and driving me nuts did their solution fixes for you?

 

[vraa]

Oh wow I have the same ticking/rubbing metal sound I heard it last night when I was driving with all the music turned off!

 

[GX550ooh]

purchased 2024 lexus gx550 premium. all black. caviar. black seats. love it. almost no options except heads up display. however, day 3 of driving i noticed a very small metal ticking noise coming from the driver’s side door b pillar area when driving over rough road. i took the car into longo lexus at 700miles. el monte, ca.

they identified the noise during test drive and did the following work: removed seat belt bracket. attempted manipulating spot weld using soft punch. identified noise coming from lower part of p pillar when pulling on sheet metal. identified lack of clearance inside b pillar. sheet metal making contact intermittently causing metallic ticking noise. used pry tool to create clearance. re-installed trim panel. no abnormal sound heard after clearance adjustment.

i was excited to get the car back after a week. however, upon picking up the car, i noticed that as i’m opening the driver door something felt off meaning it didn’t feel as solid as it used to. i tried opening & shutting it several times. no solid thunk during opening and closing. i compared it to the other 3 doors which all felt and sounded solid and sure enough, I felt slightly more rattle compared to the other doors. also during highway driving there was more noise seeping through the cabin. you could hear almost every car passing by to your left.

i emailed/messaged this concern but the sales advisor swore that the technician did not work on the door since they wouldn’t do it unless it’s approved by lexus warranty first and there’s no indication of door work on the description. he advised that i should bring the car in so we can test the door for abnormal noise. however he advised that the new gx have lighter doors and the driver door may not have the same weight or feel as the other doors since each door has different components. there’s no other gx to reference at this time and my concern is whether they’d say issue cannot be duplicated. would they even be able to fix this issue since it was sent back to me in this condition? am i just sensitive and going crazy thinking that i hear more noise coming through the driver’s side? i personally feel that it’s significant since getting a lexus you expect quality and measure of quietness but i don’t know whether lexus service would spend much time with this or deny that this is a valid issue.

has anyone faced any similar issue? any recommendations on how this should be approached with the dealer? i made another appointment as soon as possible but they advised that the next time would be in 2wks. any advice is appreciated.

I also have a caviar Premium but with saddle interior & just a few upgrades (HUD, wireless charger and integrated dash cam)…I think you may the same issue as I do but mine is in my front passenger door. It just started yesterday and sounded like cookie sheets rattling together. I’ve been talking with a couple of members on another thread on here and their issue was with the door latch mechanism. I just picked my vehicle up on Friday and had to drop her off today for a pre-scheduled appt for a repair in the paint on the driver door so I told them what I believed it was. I’ll update you if it turns out to be the case.

 

[whyjay93]

they just took the car in and identified the rattle to the door and the outside noise entering the cabin. it’ll be a few days so let’s see if they’re able to fix the issues this time.

My door(s) feel extremely light as well. Feels a bit cheap, but they are all like that. I have the same rattle that I’ve been chasing for a few months and driving me nuts did their solution fixes for you?

 

[whyjay93]

I also have a caviar Premium but with saddle interior & just a few upgrades (HUD, wireless charger and integrated dash cam)…I think you may the same issue as I do but mine is in my front passenger door. It just started yesterday and sounded like cookie sheets rattling together. I’ve been talking with a couple of members on another thread on here and their issue was with the door latch mechanism. I just picked my vehicle up on Friday and had to drop her off today for a pre-scheduled appt for a repair in the paint on the driver door so I told them what I believed it was. I’ll update you if it turns out to be the case.

nice options! so they identified the issue in the b pillar. used a pry tool & spot punch to reform the weld in the b pillar and the ticking noise is gone now. I challenged whether this procedure was approved by lexus and the service advisor said that it was instructions from lexus. however, there’s significant noise from outside entering the cabin now and a rattle when the door is being closed. I just brought the car back & the dealer will get started working on addressing those noises. I’ll keep the thread posted with updates!

 

[GX550ooh]

nice options! so they identified the issue in the b pillar. used a pry tool & spot punch to reform the weld in the b pillar and the ticking noise is gone now. I challenged whether this procedure was approved by lexus and the service advisor said that it was instructions from lexus. however, there’s significant noise from outside entering the cabin now and a rattle when the door is being closed. I just brought the car back & the dealer will get started working on addressing those noises. I’ll keep the thread posted with updates!

I’m glad your guys are taking it seriously. I’ve had to have my husband step in. After providing them a video, with the noise very clear, and also telling them what the issue/fix had been according to the other thread, the service guy called me a short while ago and said he’d had two technicians drive her and they couldn’t hear the noise. I told him to get different technicians with better hearing because I’m not picking her up until it’s fixed. I did all the research for them &, after waiting seven months for her, I’m not accepting driving around with “cookie sheets” in my door

 

[whyjay93]

UPDATE 12/8/2024:

Checked in to Longo Lexus 11/14/2024
My complaint: metal to metal noise on driver's side driving over bumps and high speed.
Foreman - Christian confirmed.

Work done: worked on b-pillar advising it's due to lack of clearance.
removed b-pillar trim panels, seat belt & bracket
manipulated spot welds using soft punch, no change to noise
found lack of clearance inside b-pillar sheet metal making contact intermittently causing metallic ticking noise
used pry tool to create clearance between affected area
re-installed trim panel
Checked out 11/20/2024
Metal to metal noise gone after repair but noticed difference with driver door now after repair.
More rattle and hollowness when opening and shutting driver door compared to before repair was done.

Received call back from Service Advisor Willy after I emailed him my concern the next day. He advised that they’re backed up and the next soonest service date available is 12/5/2024.

12/5/2024 checked in with longo lexus again.
Willy the service advisor said the foreman would have to agree that the rattle exists before any repair work is done.
Foreman - Bob - agreed with rattle on driver door. They took the car in.
I had already signed up for loaner in advance but had to wait 2hr to receive a loaner. When I asked how long it would be to get a loaner they advised that they're low on loan cars and if I'm in a rush they don't recommend waiting. I thought the whole point of waiting 2 weeks for an appointment was so the loan car would be ready for me but I guess not. Despite my car being a gx550, I was put in an is350, a much smaller car.

12/6/2024 at 6:24pm I was notified that the car is ready for pickup via text. I was advised that I'd need to come in before 5pm to return the loaner if I don't want to be charged for extra days keeping the loaner.
12/7/2024 I arrived around 2:30pm.

Work done:
verified intermittent rattle from driver door when closing at times. removed driver door outer lower molding and driver outer mirror and insulated.

I asked to check the door again with a foreman before taking the car back & when checking, the rattle seemed to have decreased but a hollow/rattle noise still existed around the door handle and door when opening and shutting the door. Basically, not brought back to factory condition. The foreman - Christian - advised that from his standpoint the driver door doesn't have a significant rattle & passenger & driver doors can’t be compared since they have different mechanics. He advised that there isn't much else they could do to considering all the work they did.

At this point after 2 trips to the Longo Lexus, I've given up and don't plan to take the car back to them. I don't see them being able to bring the door back to factory condition. They may have fixed the metal to metal noise but it was traded for a rattle on the driver door and handle & the issue is felt tactile & heard opening & closing the door. No way to really check this since the service advisor said they don't have other new GX to compare it to since they're already pre-sold before arriving.

1212 miles in (about 60 of those miles racked from the service department road testing it) a car with only 1 month old & I've given up. I guess I'll have to live with the noise. Even though I intended to drive this vehicle for at least a decade being a Lexus known for its reliability, I've a feeling the driver door noise will get on my nerves & I may end up just trading in/selling for another vehicle.

 

[mm9351]

UPDATE 12/8/2024:

Checked in to Longo Lexus 11/14/2024
My complaint: metal to metal noise on driver's side driving over bumps and high speed.
Foreman - Christian confirmed.

Work done: worked on b-pillar advising it's due to lack of clearance.
removed b-pillar trim panels, seat belt & bracket
manipulated spot welds using soft punch, no change to noise
found lack of clearance inside b-pillar sheet metal making contact intermittently causing metallic ticking noise
used pry tool to create clearance between affected area
re-installed trim panel
Checked out 11/20/2024
Metal to metal noise gone after repair but noticed difference with driver door now after repair.
More rattle and hollowness when opening and shutting driver door compared to before repair was done.

Received call back from Service Advisor Willy after I emailed him my concern the next day. He advised that they’re backed up and the next soonest service date available is 12/5/2024.

12/5/2024 checked in with longo lexus again.
Willy the service advisor said the foreman would have to agree that the rattle exists before any repair work is done.
Foreman - Bob - agreed with rattle on driver door. They took the car in.
I had already signed up for loaner in advance but had to wait 2hr to receive a loaner. When I asked how long it would be to get a loaner they advised that they're low on loan cars and if I'm in a rush they don't recommend waiting. I thought the whole point of waiting 2 weeks for an appointment was so the loan car would be ready for me but I guess not. Despite my car being a gx550, I was put in an is350, a much smaller car.

12/6/2024 at 6:24pm I was notified that the car is ready for pickup via text. I was advised that I'd need to come in before 5pm to return the loaner if I don't want to be charged for extra days keeping the loaner.
12/7/2024 I arrived around 2:30pm.

Work done:
verified intermittent rattle from driver door when closing at times. removed driver door outer lower molding and driver outer mirror and insulated.

I asked to check the door again with a foreman before taking the car back & when checking, the rattle seemed to have decreased but a hollow/rattle noise still existed around the door handle and door when opening and shutting the door. Basically, not brought back to factory condition. The foreman - Christian - advised that from his standpoint the driver door doesn't have a significant rattle & passenger & driver doors can’t be compared since they have different mechanics. He advised that there isn't much else they could do to considering all the work they did.

At this point after 2 trips to the Longo Lexus, I've given up and don't plan to take the car back to them. I don't see them being able to bring the door back to factory condition. They may have fixed the metal to metal noise but it was traded for a rattle on the driver door and handle & the issue is felt tactile & heard opening & closing the door. No way to really check this since the service advisor said they don't have other new GX to compare it to since they're already pre-sold before arriving.

1212 miles in (about 60 of those miles racked from the service department road testing it) a car with only 1 month old & I've given up. I guess I'll have to live with the noise. Even though I intended to drive this vehicle for at least a decade being a Lexus known for its reliability, I've a feeling the driver door noise will get on my nerves & I may end up just trading in/selling for another vehicle.

Thank you for your update. Based on the details you provided; I'd like to suggest another possible root cause of the issue. I think Longo Lexus has mis-diagnosed and is going in the wrong direction. You did an excellent job of explaining your case to them, and to me it's completely obvious that the issue is in the b-pillar, NOT the door. For Longo to go inside the door and mess with removing the outer lower molding and insulating the mirror makes absolutely no sense and has nothing to do with the rattle. They incorrectly assumed the "rattle" was inside the door rather than caused by the "shock" transmitted to the b-pillar upon closing the door. So now they messed up the door AND the pillar assembly. Also, the "apparent weight" and solidity of the door is governed by the door hinge mechanism. If I was going to tear down the b-pillar the first thing I would check is the height - adjustable seat belt assembly. Since these parts were designed to articulate, then any small bump in the road would transmit and cause a rattle noise in this area if everything isn't buttoned down properly. Someone with this issue should have tried to raise or lower the shoulder harness to see if this has an effect.

Lexus has been building cars since 1989 with their iconic LS400, and they well know that sheet metal panels will "sing" over rough roads. That is why mostly all sheet metal is embossed with some kind of pattern. I haven't yet examined the inside assembly of the b-pillar, but again I think assembly techs in the factory messed up. "Lack of clearance" implies either there was missing hardware / spacers, or the panels were damaged in handling before assembly. Especially if you have one of the early GX's off the assembly line, and others who also have this issue. Remember this is an all-new design and the assembly process for first few vehicles off the line is still being tweaked. You can check the build date on the interior of the driver's door jamb to determine if it's an early build, and the issue was (most likely) quietly corrected behind the scenes.

 

[whyjay93]

Thank you for your update. Based on the details you provided; I'd like to suggest another possible root cause of the issue. I think Longo Lexus has mis-diagnosed and is going in the wrong direction. You did an excellent job of explaining your case to them, and to me it's completely obvious that the issue is in the b-pillar, NOT the door. For Longo to go inside the door and mess with removing the outer lower molding and insulating the mirror makes absolutely no sense and has nothing to do with the rattle. They incorrectly assumed the "rattle" was inside the door rather than caused by the "shock" transmitted to the b-pillar upon closing the door. So now they messed up the door AND the pillar assembly. Also, the "apparent weight" and solidity of the door is governed by the door hinge mechanism. If I was going to tear down the b-pillar the first thing I would check is the height - adjustable seat belt assembly. Since these parts were designed to articulate, then any small bump in the road would transmit and cause a rattle noise in this area if everything isn't buttoned down properly. Someone with this issue should have tried to raise or lower the shoulder harness to see if this has an effect.

Lexus has been building cars since 1989 with their iconic LS400, and they well know that sheet metal panels will "sing" over rough roads. That is why mostly all sheet metal is embossed with some kind of pattern. I haven't yet examined the inside assembly of the b-pillar, but again I think assembly techs in the factory messed up. "Lack of clearance" implies either there was missing hardware / spacers, or the panels were damaged in handling before assembly. Especially if you have one of the early GX's off the assembly line, and others who also have this issue. Remember this is an all-new design and the assembly process for first few vehicles off the line is still being tweaked. You can check the build date on the interior of the driver's door jamb to determine if it's an early build, and the issue was (most likely) quietly corrected behind the scenes.

@mm9351 - Do you recommend trying to reach out directly to Lexus or trying a different dealer?

 

[mm9351]

@mm9351 - Do you recommend trying to reach out directly to Lexus or trying a different dealer?

Absolutely! If you're still not satisfied with the service you received from the dealer, I would start with contacting Lexus customer service and fill out the comments form and drop-down menus. They will take it from there. Good luck!
support.lexus.com

 

[NWorker]

I also have a very annoying metal tick noise coming from the passenger side right above or near the 2nd row pillar or ceiling. Only certain bumps but its a tick sound like something hitting the metal on a bumb. I'm about to try to see if I can take the middle pillar trim off and have the wife drive while I investigate further. I wonder if it could be a tork noise coming from roof rail or something. I hate noises like that. lol