stitch52 Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 I'm new here, and I'd really appreciate any feedback from SC430 owners who can relate to my "issue". I have a new, 2005 SC430 (approx. 450 miles). When driving at virtually any speed, changes in grade at overpasses, or even minor unevenness in the road surfaces will cause a loud rattle in the inside of the roof strut on the left side (when the top is up) on the left side, behind the driver's ear. The dealer has been great, and they're working on trying to quiet the car down for the fifth time in two weeks. The people in the Lexus Customer Satisfaction group have gone out of their way to be unresponsive to my requests for assistance, which was quite a shock initially, given what I consider to be Lexus' well-deserved stellar customer service reputation at the dealer level. So has anyone experienced any really annoying, intermittent, highly isolated rattles in either side of their roofs, when the top is up (of course)? If you have, and you've been able to correct the problem or can even provide some insight on how to minimize it, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. Lexus (not the dealership) has made the statement that "Lexus roofs rattle", which the dealer says is total nonsense, and from my perspective, is consistent with the total lack of any customer service focus in the Lexus "Customer Satisfaction" group. Their position is that as long as the roof opens and closes, it works as designed, and they couldn't care less about interior noise, however loud and however isolated. In my view, this is a less than an impressive example of a luxury car maker standing behind its products. Other than the roof rattle, which one way or another, I'm confident will be corrected, I think the SC430 is a fabulous car. Thanks in advance for any insight into this problem anyone may be able to provide into the roof rattle problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkirchner Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 I'm new here, and I'd really appreciate any feedback from SC430 owners who can relate to my "issue". I have a new, 2005 SC430 (approx. 450 miles). When driving at virtually any speed, changes in grade at overpasses, or even minor unevenness in the road surfaces will cause a loud rattle in the inside of the roof strut on the left side (when the top is up) on the left side, behind the driver's ear. The dealer has been great, and they're working on trying to quiet the car down for the fifth time in two weeks. The people in the Lexus Customer Satisfaction group have gone out of their way to be unresponsive to my requests for assistance, which was quite a shock initially, given what I consider to be Lexus' well-deserved stellar customer service reputation at the dealer level. So has anyone experienced any really annoying, intermittent, highly isolated rattles in either side of their roofs, when the top is up (of course)? If you have, and you've been able to correct the problem or can even provide some insight on how to minimize it, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. Lexus (not the dealership) has made the statement that "Lexus roofs rattle", which the dealer says is total nonsense, and from my perspective, is consistent with the total lack of any customer service focus in the Lexus "Customer Satisfaction" group. Their position is that as long as the roof opens and closes, it works as designed, and they couldn't care less about interior noise, however loud and however isolated. In my view, this is a less than an impressive example of a luxury car maker standing behind its products. Other than the roof rattle, which one way or another, I'm confident will be corrected, I think the SC430 is a fabulous car. Thanks in advance for any insight into this problem anyone may be able to provide into the roof rattle problem. ← :chairshot: :chairshot: :chairshot: I had the same problem with my departed SC 430 and it was never resolved. The SC does have quite a bit of cowl shake as reported in many tests of the car. My advise: turn up the radio. On the other hand I am now driving a SL55 AMG and do not have any roof rattle problems. The car when the top is down feels much more sturdy than the SC did. I think this is an inherent problem with the SC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitch52 Posted July 14, 2005 Author Share Posted July 14, 2005 I'm new here, and I'd really appreciate any feedback from SC430 owners who can relate to my "issue". I have a new, 2005 SC430 (approx. 450 miles). When driving at virtually any speed, changes in grade at overpasses, or even minor unevenness in the road surfaces will cause a loud rattle in the inside of the roof strut on the left side (when the top is up) on the left side, behind the driver's ear. The dealer has been great, and they're working on trying to quiet the car down for the fifth time in two weeks. The people in the Lexus Customer Satisfaction group have gone out of their way to be unresponsive to my requests for assistance, which was quite a shock initially, given what I consider to be Lexus' well-deserved stellar customer service reputation at the dealer level. So has anyone experienced any really annoying, intermittent, highly isolated rattles in either side of their roofs, when the top is up (of course)? If you have, and you've been able to correct the problem or can even provide some insight on how to minimize it, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. Lexus (not the dealership) has made the statement that "Lexus roofs rattle", which the dealer says is total nonsense, and from my perspective, is consistent with the total lack of any customer service focus in the Lexus "Customer Satisfaction" group. Their position is that as long as the roof opens and closes, it works as designed, and they couldn't care less about interior noise, however loud and however isolated. In my view, this is a less than an impressive example of a luxury car maker standing behind its products. Other than the roof rattle, which one way or another, I'm confident will be corrected, I think the SC430 is a fabulous car. Thanks in advance for any insight into this problem anyone may be able to provide into the roof rattle problem. ← :chairshot: :chairshot: :chairshot: I had the same problem with my departed SC 430 and it was never resolved. The SC does have quite a bit of cowl shake as reported in many tests of the car. My advise: turn up the radio. On the other hand I am now driving a SL55 AMG and do not have any roof rattle problems. The car when the top is down feels much more sturdy than the SC did. I think this is an inherent problem with the SC. ← Say it ain't so, Lou! Did your roof rattle in one specific place in one of the braces, and was any attempt made to repair it? I've been in two other SC430's, and although I agree with you that they both had a fair amount of cowl shake, neither had a highly isolated persistent rattle. Both had relatively minor squeaks coming from a variety of places, but nothing that would drive you nuts like I have. Thanks for your feedback and any additional information appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkirchner Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 I'm new here, and I'd really appreciate any feedback from SC430 owners who can relate to my "issue". I have a new, 2005 SC430 (approx. 450 miles). When driving at virtually any speed, changes in grade at overpasses, or even minor unevenness in the road surfaces will cause a loud rattle in the inside of the roof strut on the left side (when the top is up) on the left side, behind the driver's ear. The dealer has been great, and they're working on trying to quiet the car down for the fifth time in two weeks. The people in the Lexus Customer Satisfaction group have gone out of their way to be unresponsive to my requests for assistance, which was quite a shock initially, given what I consider to be Lexus' well-deserved stellar customer service reputation at the dealer level. So has anyone experienced any really annoying, intermittent, highly isolated rattles in either side of their roofs, when the top is up (of course)? If you have, and you've been able to correct the problem or can even provide some insight on how to minimize it, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. Lexus (not the dealership) has made the statement that "Lexus roofs rattle", which the dealer says is total nonsense, and from my perspective, is consistent with the total lack of any customer service focus in the Lexus "Customer Satisfaction" group. Their position is that as long as the roof opens and closes, it works as designed, and they couldn't care less about interior noise, however loud and however isolated. In my view, this is a less than an impressive example of a luxury car maker standing behind its products. Other than the roof rattle, which one way or another, I'm confident will be corrected, I think the SC430 is a fabulous car. Thanks in advance for any insight into this problem anyone may be able to provide into the roof rattle problem. ← :chairshot::chairshot::chairshot: I had the same problem with my departed SC 430 and it was never resolved. The SC does have quite a bit of cowl shake as reported in many tests of the car. My advise: turn up the radio. On the other hand I am now driving a SL55 AMG and do not have any roof rattle problems. The car when the top is down feels much more sturdy than the SC did. I think this is an inherent problem with the SC. ← Say it ain't so, Lou! Did your roof rattle in one specific place in one of the braces, and was any attempt made to repair it? I've been in two other SC430's, and although I agree with you that they both had a fair amount of cowl shake, neither had a highly isolated persistent rattle. Both had relatively minor squeaks coming from a variety of places, but nothing that would drive you nuts like I have. Thanks for your feedback and any additional information appreciated. ← Mine rattled at both A pillars (the pillars where the winshield is). It also had a rattle at the Passenger side hinge on the roof panel. The one that drove me the most bonkers was the passenger seat. The only cure for this was to firmly hit the back of the seat back with my fist. This was all on a car that had 1,750 miles on it when I traded it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitch52 Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 UPDATE: After the Lexus "technician" took a glance at my car on Wednesday and pronounced it as having no problems, I had a really big problem, because his conclusion that my car was fine meant that the dealer would not be reimbursed for any more work. However, I persisted, and with strong support from the dealer, yesterday, the Lexus District Manager came out and surveyed the situation. Here's where it gets interesting. Even before the "second look" from Lexus yesterday, Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly, VA had the car in and had two technicians all over it trying to eliminate the interior noise. Then, at about 1 pm, I met briefly with the Lexus DM, Scott Berkebile. To his credit, and I really mean that, Scott quickly realized that Lexus had made a BIG mistake the previous day, and gave the dealer the ok to do whatever was necessary to eliminate the rattle. This morning, after about heaven knows how many more hours of labor, I got a call from the Pohanka Lexus service manager, Doug Moultrie, another great guy, that my car was ready. He had his guys dismantle the left rear inside of the roof panel and back seat apart until they found the problem. So I have a beautiful, VERY quiet car, and I feel a sense of loyalty to Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly, VA that will stay with me. I have a lot of thank you letters to write, and it will be a pleasure. After having stumbled initially, Lexus Field Service did recover well, and I credit them for that. However, their Customer Satisfaction Group was absolutely the worst, and I'll be writing some letters about those people, as well. They were adversarial, unresponsive, didn't listen at all, and everyone I spoke with sounded like the same talking parrot, telling me that my car was functioning "as designed" and that they could do nothing for me. I'm very grateful to have purchased the car from such a competent dealer, a dealer whose GM, Gary Whipkey, didn't hesitate to jump right into the middle of this and assure me that the problem would be fixed, one way or another. I never heard anything like that from Lexus Customer Satisfaction, and that's a real problem for them if they expect to maintain their reputation as a world-class luxury car maker. So I highly recommend Pohanka Lexus of Chantilly, VA to anyone in the Washington, DC metro area (or in any area) who is considering buying a Lexus. Those guys are the best, and I mean Service, Sales, Finance, and the top management. They all stuck with me when they could have easily washed their hands of my problem. The only other comment I'd like to make is addressed to anyone who has an SC430 with a rattle that's driving you nuts: "If you're happy with the other aspects of the car, be persistent and don't give up. Rattles can be silenced". And thanks to those who responded to my request for information. I'm new here, and I'd really appreciate any feedback from SC430 owners who can relate to my "issue". I have a new, 2005 SC430 (approx. 450 miles). When driving at virtually any speed, changes in grade at overpasses, or even minor unevenness in the road surfaces will cause a loud rattle in the inside of the roof strut on the left side (when the top is up) on the left side, behind the driver's ear. The dealer has been great, and they're working on trying to quiet the car down for the fifth time in two weeks. The people in the Lexus Customer Satisfaction group have gone out of their way to be unresponsive to my requests for assistance, which was quite a shock initially, given what I consider to be Lexus' well-deserved stellar customer service reputation at the dealer level. So has anyone experienced any really annoying, intermittent, highly isolated rattles in either side of their roofs, when the top is up (of course)? If you have, and you've been able to correct the problem or can even provide some insight on how to minimize it, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. Lexus (not the dealership) has made the statement that "Lexus roofs rattle", which the dealer says is total nonsense, and from my perspective, is consistent with the total lack of any customer service focus in the Lexus "Customer Satisfaction" group. Their position is that as long as the roof opens and closes, it works as designed, and they couldn't care less about interior noise, however loud and however isolated. In my view, this is a less than an impressive example of a luxury car maker standing behind its products. Other than the roof rattle, which one way or another, I'm confident will be corrected, I think the SC430 is a fabulous car. Thanks in advance for any insight into this problem anyone may be able to provide into the roof rattle problem. ← :chairshot::chairshot::chairshot: I had the same problem with my departed SC 430 and it was never resolved. The SC does have quite a bit of cowl shake as reported in many tests of the car. My advise: turn up the radio. On the other hand I am now driving a SL55 AMG and do not have any roof rattle problems. The car when the top is down feels much more sturdy than the SC did. I think this is an inherent problem with the SC. ← Say it ain't so, Lou! Did your roof rattle in one specific place in one of the braces, and was any attempt made to repair it? I've been in two other SC430's, and although I agree with you that they both had a fair amount of cowl shake, neither had a highly isolated persistent rattle. Both had relatively minor squeaks coming from a variety of places, but nothing that would drive you nuts like I have. Thanks for your feedback and any additional information appreciated. ← Mine rattled at both A pillars (the pillars where the winshield is). It also had a rattle at the Passenger side hinge on the roof panel. The one that drove me the most bonkers was the passenger seat. The only cure for this was to firmly hit the back of the seat back with my fist. This was all on a car that had 1,750 miles on it when I traded it. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleJack Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Sorry to hear about the lack of help you got from the Lexus customer service group - join the club ... that was a quick dead end for me a few years ago ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexCucu Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Hey stitch52 What was actually the problem they fixed?, my dealer cannot find anything wrong either but there is something definitely rattling behind the rear seat around the top area... seriously considering going back to benz AC 02 sc430 01 bmw x4 4.4 00 clk 320 amg :cries: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indio Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Hey stitch52 What was actually the problem they fixed?, my dealer cannot find anything wrong either but there is something definitely rattling behind the rear seat around the top area... seriously considering going back to benz AC :cries: Yes, stitch52, there are a few of us with rattles in the roof or passenger seat of our SC430s! If you get the chance - see if you can find out what they did to fix them. I've had mine back to the dealer twice and although they are sympathetic, they have been unable to find and kill the noise. Thanks for the help (from all of us!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG51 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Stitch 52 Do you know what the mechanic did to silence your top. If so let us know so we can give that info to our mechanic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iomsc430 Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Try this: Raise the roof halfway to a vertical position. Look for a rubber bumper near the upper end. Turn the bumper counterclockwise about 1/2 - 3/4 turn. Close the roof. Rattle should be gone.. There was a topic about this a couple of years ago. That's how I fixed my rattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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