2012 Toyota Camry roof clunking
In my new 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE (here is the first report I’ve seen from a 2013 Camry owner), there is a terrible clunking, clicking or popping noise coming from the roof around the sunroof, particularly when going over bumps or turns, particularly when the car torques. (This is in addition to many loud dash rattles.) The dealer says that Toyota knows about it now and is working on a fix, but no estimate was given for when. I took it to the dealer September 2012 and the service bulletin finally was released in October 2013. Please comment if you are experiencing the same thing and what you are doing about it. (Oh, and I just hit 9,000 views of this post on January 2014.)
Here is a recording I made one hot day. I’d like to make a video of the noise, so if you can capture a video of the sound at its worst, send it to me in an email using the address on my home page or comment.
Here are some reports from other owners of the same thing:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/310-7th-generation-2012/418639-2012-camry-xle-roof-noise.html
http://www.schiffner.com/my-2012-toyota-camry-is-a-lemon-and-toyota-doesnt-help/
ADVICE FOR UNTOUCHED CARS:
My current advice would be to have the service rep type into your record that you have a terrible clunking noise in your roof at the next scheduled service appointment (as long as you are under warranty for a while). Start a log for yourself to record everything that happens with dates, mileages, names and comments from the dealer.
[UPDATE 3/9/13] Here’s an interesting comment written by the technician working with a Toyota field tech, “found welding slag in between the seam of the moon roof opening and in between the pinch welds. during body roll and over bumps the slag would creek and make noise. removed headliner and moon roof assembly to access and clean out the space between the spot welds on the pinch weld opening of the moon roof. inserted shim stock and in between the space after cleaning out the slag and also installed felt in between the roof and folded over section of the opening. was helped by FTS to properly install the shim stock, reassembled and verified repair”. In my talking with a tech, they don’t provided enough shims for all of the welds, so they can only do some and in some cases they spray foam in the roof, like mine.
[UPDATE 2/1/14] From Toyota Nation forums. Toyota finally released a service bulletin: TSB-0151-13. When you go to the dealer, tell them about this TSB and ask whether they have experience doing the repair. I would only have someone do this repair that has successfully performed at least one or two. It is a long and difficult repair that can go horribly wrong. I would talk to the service manager as well to tell them about what you know from this site and that you would like him/her to supervise the job and make sure it is done right. Assume that your car will be ruined and plan accordingly by protecting yourself and being ready for arbitration. Many have gone that route and have been successful, but you must prepare.
ADVICE FOR “REPAIRED” CARS:
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! Write notes based on every visit, every conversation, every person’s name, every comment, everything. You may need it in arbitration and/or trial. Other than that, I’m not really sure what else to suggest. If it’s not fixed after the first time, there are too many stories on this blog of it getting worse after bringing it back over and back, not to mention the headliner and trim damage. Based on my reading of this article, it looks to me like Toyota could lump this problem into a minor noise problem rather than a substantial defect, which may make it hard to win a Lemon Law case. If we could prove that this is a safety hazard (in the event of an accident), we may have a better chance at winning a trial or getting publicity. I just don’t see any way we could prove that. I think it could be proven that it hurts the value of the car, but that would probably be an uphill battle, too. For some reason, we must go through arbitration before taking Toyota to trial and those that have gone to arbitration that have commented here have gone silent, so a non-disclosure agreement must be forced upon them for any kind of settlement.
FOR 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 CAMRY OWNERS:
Since I’ve gotten some comments about 2007-2011 roof noise, I did a little bit of research. Here is my advice for you: Toyota does know about this problem and they have a kit and instructions on how to fix it (despite what the dealer might tell you). Tell the service rep to look up this service bulletin on Toyota’s TIS website: T-SB-0088-12. It describes the problem well and gives full instructions on how to take the roof apart and fix the problem. I’ve heard that it is a very difficult job and some dealers might not want to do it. This should be covered under warranty if you are under the 36 months/36,000 miles. If the service rep is unhelpful, talk to the service manager. If they don’t help, call up Toyota corporate to complain. Just make sure to get it in the records before the warranty is up.
THE END
I found this whole situation hopeless with the roof problem that seems to be unfixable, the dash rattle that the dealer couldn’t fix, my check engine light came on and my fancy JBL touchscreen intermittently would go dark. My car is A LEMON pure and simple. I traded it in the fall of 2013 for a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The Fusion feels like a 10 year leap ahead in technology and interior design, albeit smaller inside. I feel much relief getting rid of this piece of crap. Shame on Toyota for handling this so poorly and slowly and not fixing the problem on the assembly line early.
That’s too funny James! It amazes me how many of the Toyota Techinical Field Specialists come out and seem to say ‘they’ have the ‘real’ fix; and how different those fixes are. If the lubricant solution works long term let Toyota know and suggest they may want to spread the word. I’m in No. Calif. too and had the Specialist come to my dealership in Sacramento and he used a totally different approach. I’ve been out of the country so won’t know until the Fall if it actually worked long term; but will keep the lubricant idea in mind. By the way, what town is your dealership in & do you have the name of the Specialist that worked on your car?
Wow, I am glad I found this website. My Toyota Dealer in N. California (the SF Bay Area) has taken 3 attempts to fix this issue. Today I hope to have the car back, but before I drive off I am going to take it around the block and see if the popping noise is coming back. The first time I took it to the dealer, there was no mention of there being a known issue with Toyota and the noise. Unfortunately I am at 24 months and 10K miles on the 2011 Camry Hybrid, so the lemon law may not apply.
Question: What happened to Chris Barnes in PA? He never did post again about what the outcome of his Toyota field rep visit, or did I miss it. I know from the past that when a factory rep comes out, typically they buy the car back and have a nondisclosure agreement signed. Keep up the great posts, I know I will be back soon to update you on my saga.
Yes, this will be the LAST Toyota I will ever buy. Sad day after owning several of them. I thought that Toyota was different than the rest and don’t get me started about the dealership staff and management. I have only used the sunroof 4 times in 2 years of owning the car.
Make sure all of your complaints are put in written form by the dealership (mine tired to avoid creating a paper trail) but insist on everything you do with them have it in writing. If they call you recap the call and fax them a transcript of what you talked about and or email them and ask them if what you are stating in your fax or email is accurate. It works trust me.
Here’s another tale of woe to add to the list. Bought a 2012 Camry SE last July. I talked my wife into buying a Camry instead of some other brands we looked at because I told her they were the best. She is now convinced that I’m an idiot. The car was in the shop the first time in September for the dreaded moonroof pop sound. The dealer (Toyota Bountiful, in Utah) readily admitted they had seen the problem before and felt confident they could fix it. They couldn’t. Not the first or second or third or fourth time. The field service guy has been involved and that didn’t help. I have been working with Toyota’s customer care folks, and they are awfully nice but totally useless. The interior got so trashed I made them replace the headliner and the damaged door seals. (I recommend everyone who has had this repair done check the door seals for damage, you will get air leaks soon). Ha ha wouldn’t you know it, the new headliner has a factory defect! Now I will be going back for the 5th time, I will insist on all new interior trim pieces (the moonroof cover and sun visors are a mess, and I’m sure the back sides of all the pillar trims are all bent out of shape). Still the popping persists! It is worse in warm weather, it didn’t pop at all in the winter, but the noises came back with the springtime. I have talked to my lawyer; Utah’s lemon law requires 4 trips for one repair in the first year, and i have to go through with the manufacturers arbitration process, which I will be starting if lucky #5 repair doesn’t work. I am not hopeful. To their credit, the dealer has treated me well, provided rental cars and has seemed well-meaning. If they could actually fix the problem, I would be happy.
Rob,
Let’s just say that Chris will be posting more on this site when he gets clearance.
Brian, thanks for the heads up on Chris.
My nightmare continues…….
First trip, the dealer has no idea about the noise or popping sounds. Then on the second trip they have an Official Toyota Technical Service Bulletin on the moon roof popping noise.
The car spent 4 days at the dealership last week and I picked it up today. Before I signed for anything at the service department I wanted to test drive the car.
Prior to doing the test drive of the “fix”, I asked the service advisor for details of what they did. He could not answer my questions, but merely stated the mechanic followed the Toyota Technical Service Bulletin for this issue.
I inspected the car and they put so much white grease on the moonroof that the car smelled awful. After two hours of being in the car I am having a severe allergic reaction to the odor from the grease or chemicals they used in their “fix”.
Sure enough the popping noise is BACK AGAIN, it didn’t take too long to go from mild popping to full on popping. Folks, USE YOUR SMARTPHONES safely to video record the popping. I did it today and it came through loud and clear on several different driveways.
The service department invited me back to do a ride along with the head mechanic tomorrow morning, which was promptly revoked when I told them I had video of the noise after their failed attempts at fixing it.
I will keep you all posted on this saga.
Update on 2011 Camry Hybrid, I was told that the dealership serviced and fixed issue with the car since they had it for 4 days and used the Toyota Technical Service Bulletin for the Moon Roof Assembly Structure Noise.
First off the white grease that they used in excessive amounts did affect me, after driving around for two hours in the car, my throat was swollen up. To make matters worse I must have touched some of the grease and then brushed the left part of my lip by accident. My lips started to go numb. I called another dealership that stays open till midnight and they told me that they use Toyota White Grease which is a Lithium White Grease. Yes, you are not to be exposed to the vapors and should not come into contact with your skin.
But hang on the best part is still coming.
Tuesday morning, I call the dealership to get their MSDS on the grease and to find out about scheduling a “ride along” with a mechanic to resolve this issue.
About 45 minutes later I get a phone call from the same service advisor that assured me that the roof issue was resolved and HE ADMITTED THAT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT PERFORM ANY SERVICE ON THE MOON ROOF and denied applying grease to the Moon Roof Tracks. I most certainly didn’t apply any grease, the car is still under warranty and the dealership is suppose to be dealing with this issue.
I could not believe my ears. The same service advisor handed me the Customer Invoice detailing the work along with the 19 page Toyota Technical Service Bulletin on the Moon Roof.
I have several of the managers involved and waiting to hear back from the dealership as to the next steps.
This is seriously eating up far too much time from my work and personal life.
I cannot believe that the dealership actually admitted to not performing the service. I think they knew they were in trouble as I have HD video and audio of the popping noise after they said in person and in writing that they serviced the car for this issue.
I had the problem with a 2009 Camry. It was under their Platinum extended care warranty which I paid a cool grand for, and they said the repair was not covered. I am presently at war with Toyota. Never buy another
Sad – pay for a good warranty and they don’t even cover a widespread, known factory defect.
ALL: Do NOT buy a 2012 Camry with the moonroof especially. I don’t recommend this car to family or friends. It has been the most disappointing car experience I’ve ever had.
I have the 2012 Camry SE and started getting the terrible persistent knocking/tapping noises the first month I had the car.
Repair 1: Cause: Knocking noise while driving. Lack of insulation in roof panel. Insulate.Insulate.
614991 Loud Tap/Tapknocking Noise. R&R Headliners/Sunroof-Insulate Sunroof & Ceiling for Noise, lack of Padding.
13 WT93
1 90467-10162 CLIP
1 7434833040-BO Holder, Visor.
FC: T191/T273 Part#: Count:
Claim Type: RG
Auth Code:
558 Has a bad ticking noise at the moon roof area. Found the pinch welds are to blame. Install shims at spot weld and lower the sun roof. finish the job and still had noises. Lower half of the head liner and make some final adjustments. Retest drive the car and all seems good.
Repair 2:
Recheck Noise concerns. Hears rattle noise in sunroof area. Noise verified.
TUM ADJUST LEFT SUNROOF Track
Repair 3:
Cause: SUNROOF ASSY BOLT TORQUE
614991 R*R Sunroof Assembly-Retorque per technical instruction
13 WT93
2 62217-06020 Clip, FR Pillar Garn
FC: T91T99 Part#: Count:
Claim Type: RG
4286 Remove headliner and modify the sunroof structure at the roof metal pan. Test drive for noise and it seems the noise is gone now. Replace a pillar safety clips. They have a 1 time use.
Sadly, most of my readers are already victims..
The 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid saga continues.
I am off to pick up the car finally. The dealership finished the work on the moonroof but in the process managed to have someone back into the car. Yes, the dealership gave me back the car with the body and paint damage and denied responsibility at first. A few heated phone calls and meetings with upper management at the dealership took care of that, but there again it wasted more of my time and energy. So for the last week it was in a body shop being repaired and repainted.
My disgust for Toyota and the dealership is very hard to describe here in a polite manner.
I hope the moon roof repair actually works, only time will tell. Now that we are having really warm weather here, I hope that the smell from the grease and chemical they first used on the car is gone. But if you recall the dealership said they didn’t work on the car even though they provided me with an invoice that said they did. BTW remember odor is something that is covered by the lemon law. California allows for filing a lemon law claim as long as your car is under the factory warranty and meets certain criteria such as it being a potential safety or resale issue.
Brian, thank you for your time and energy for allowing us to post on your site.
I will keep you posted if the popping noise comes back.
I think we’re all disgusted enough with Toyota. Let me if the discussion turns to Class Action suit. I went the lemon law route in California & was denied. Not adverse to trying again though!
I have had my 2012 Toyota Camry XLE for about a year and have also experienced the same roof creaking sounds when driving on uneven surfaces, especually in my office parking deck or other road curves on hills. It is very unnerving and would like some assurances as to safety and structure of the roof/vehicle should I, God forbid, have an accident and roll over. Is it safe structurally? Did a google search to see if others had the same problem – we all know what jerks these service guys can be…especially to women.
I think the structural & safety issue is something really important that none of us touch on much here. We need an expert to help.
Thank you brmorris. Before going to the dealership, I’ll make an audio/video to have on-hand as well, that a few others here have mentioned. I love my Camry, but vehicle safety is a major issue for me. I’ll keep monitoring this site for updates.
I have a 2011 Toyota camry. 4 months after purchasing – brand new I noted a rattling sound in the front passenger side. I kept looking for something that could be making the noise –
took everything out of the car because in a few weeks the noise was also in the back passenger side and then it was the driver’s side. I took it to the dealership and road with a tech. The noise was coming from the frame of the sun roof – it had become loose. Toyota kept my car for a few days and fixed the problem. Now it has returned just about two years later. I dropped the car off this morning and hope to get it back in a few days. The service rep told me rattles are covered for the first three years or 36,000 miles. I am interested to find out how much it will cost when it returns and I am past the 3 years or 36,000 miles. I don’t think customers should have to pay to repair for an obvious flaw in design. It should be recalled
kkey,
Very interesting — that should make the 2007-11 owners here very nervous.
Chicago suburbs was 350 plus tax…still at war with platnium warranty rolls
The disgust for my dealership continues.
They gave me back the car from the body shop with the sticker that goes over the back bumper to protect it (factory installed option) mine is misaligned and has six different pockets of air.
The dealership service advisor said, give it a few days the air pockets will disappear on their own. I laughed and said they would not.
I noticed that when they removed and painted the bumper (yes they damaged the car in their lot while it was being serviced) and now the drivers side seam is 4.5mm wide and on the passenger side seam is only 2mm. Pointing this out to the service advisor, he replied “it looks even to me.”
Later at home I went to reattach the cargo net that was removed and found the now the cargo net hooks on both sides are loose and about to fall out. So the cargo net is useless, until they fix the hooks.
As for the noise, it appears they have silenced it for now. when pressing the service advisor for what was done to fix the popping noise he stated “the mechanic tightened the moon roof bolts”. Basically the service advisor has proven himself to be useless.
As for the possible safety issue, I have to agree with Brian, that a true expert needs to review this carefully. Many of us with the 2011 cars only have months left under our warranty.
Also as for cost of moonroof repair, it was initially written up and given to me as estimate of $303.52, this is in the SF Bay Area. So adding in a rental car you are looking at a cost around $750.00 if you are out of warranty.
People, be sure to document your phone calls and follow them up with an email confirming what you discussed and what action will be taken next. You need to hold the dealership accountable. Take lots of photos and video when you can. Make sure you create and maintain a log of all phone calls, emails, trips to the dealership and who you spoke to. You would be amazed at what a good paper trail will do to make companies treat you in an honest manner. In the last month I have been lied to by my dealership a number of times and I have it documented.
This ordeal has wasted so much of my time which was completely unnecessary if the dealership would have taken care of the issue in the first place.
Don’t give up people, hold them accountable!
The popping noise is BACK again, not as loud as it was, but it is there and to make things even worse, I now have a rattling noise in the headliner behind the drivers side. Can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it is to have a rattle above your head. Could it be that they forgot to install some parts? I found a sealed bag with two identical items in the backseat of what look like some type of support device.
I am getting close to having the dealership cross the line for the lemon law to kick in but close doesn’t cut it with the law.
Fortunately, the dealership is owned by a publicly traded company, which typically does not want bad publicity. A phone call to their investor relations department or some senior vice president of customer relations is going to happen soon. If that doesn’t work, I am going to retain an attorney.
To all you readers:
We really don’t have any idea how widespread this is. We all found this site because we have the problem and owners without the problem wouldn’t tell us. If you have the guts to do it, stop and talk to any other Camry owners (w/sunroof) and ask if they have any roof noises. My first chat with a 2012 owner just happened — he was surprised and hasn’t had an issue with his 2012 or 2007 before.
I have a 2012 Toyota Camry SE with a sunroof and have taken the vehicle back 3 times and the noise is still there. The dealer stated it was loose nuts on sunroof the first time but the noise came back. They then said they had to install a special bracket for the sunroof the noise is still there. The headliner is looking greasy and beat up not fitting tight anymore I am really disappoint with Toyota and will NEVER but another one again. This problem has caused us so much grief and time lost wages you name it. It seems everytime my wife and I get into the car that is all we talk about and ended up disgusted on what we paid for this new car.
Gerry,
Join the club. Thanks for commenting. Maybe someday I’ll have some good news to share, but I’m not hopeful.
I have the same popping noise with my 2008 Camry Hybrid, at first I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Then I found that it was coming from the moon roof. Worse yet, now I have a high pitch squeaking noise that appears on bumpy roads. Has anyone experience the Squeaking, or figured out where it might be coming from, I can’t find the source.
I am very disappointed in Toyota, we currently have two Camry’s and we will probably never buy a Camry again.
after months of fighting and negotiating with my Toyota dealer after my 2009 Camry was fixed at the cost of 350 yesterday we finally agreed that they would give me $175 credit towards future maintainance service. I still contend that it should have been covered under our platinum warranty, but a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.
Today, I returned from my SECOND visit to the dealership for the same problem. He said that in early 2012, I was the first person to bring a Camry in for this repair (2012 Camry XLE hybrid).
It was repaired in August 2012, and it sounds like a bunch of angry squirrels are dropping acorns on your roof!
And then last week, while on a long trip, the sound returned! I was in tears from frustration. Today, I picked up the car and was told that the FIRST repair (which consisted of shims) had failed, and that the shims were literally severed in two and had dropped onto the headliner, and that’s why the noise had returned.
I asked the tech if this was going to become part of regular maintenance: Change the oil, rotate the tires, drop the headliner and put in fresh shims.
He said, “probably not.”
Not too reassuring, is it?
He said that they took photos of the car, and sent them to Toyota to show that their “fix” is NOT a permanent fix.
I call it the “Snap, Crackle, Pop” Camry.
In all seriousness, one more visit and we’re into Lemon Law territory.
Rose Thornton
Norfolk, VA
Ah, PS to the above. The tech told me that they’ve done about 60 of these repairs now in their shop, and that I was the FIRST one they did.
He said I have NOT been the first to return, and that Toyota’s shim repair is not proving effective.
Hello,
I have a 2012 Camry v-6 and have had the same clunking noise in the sunroof area. In my case, the noise is more prevalent during cold weather. Once the temperature is above 60, the noise goes away. My dealer also dropped the headliner and kept it for a week to put in shims. One shim fell out when I opened the sunroof. I am confident once winter returns the noise will also. I am also getting a vibration noise on the expressway coming from behind the rear seat. Has anyone heard a similar noise?
Had the creaking noise in ’12 Camry XLE repaired yesterday at a local Toyota dealership. They didn’t look too happy when we told them the specific problem, but so far so good. The repair order indicated tightening sunroof bolts – no mention of shims. Other than a handprint on the sunroof glass, no other negative issues observed following the repair. My husband wondered if the key was taking cars with this issue to a Toyota dealership with an actual body shop on-site. The dealership we purchased the car from did not have a body shop, but the one across town did – that’s where we took it. FINGERS CROSSED!
I bought my 2012 Camry Hybrid fully loaded in December 2012. I live in Los Angeles. Within a couple weeks noticed a clicking sound coming from the front end. This abated after a month. Flash forward to 5000 miles and the “clunk” began. It’s intermittent but just this past Saturday (with temperatures over 100-degrees)it happened 3 times during a very short trip on city streets. Noticed it first on a hard right turn out of a drivway a few months ago. It may have been more than a 90-degree turn. The noise was so loud and startling, I thought the rear end was going to fall off! It started to occur on a regular basis. If last Saturday is any indication,it will get worse with the heat. That day was the first time the “clunk” was very loud – I easily heard it coming from a spot near my head (aka the moonroof). Will take it to the dealer this Friday for a drive. The first two times I mentioned it to them it got brushed off as 1) haven’t had any complaints about that and 2) it’s the engine making noise/going through one of its cycles. Dealer is Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys, CA. Will report back. I have half a mind to trade it in and cut my losses.
Don’t let them fix it, just have them document it. We feel your pain.
2012 Camry SE V6
The knocking noise, rear passenger area started at 3,000 Miles
Took into dealer January and they tried the Shim repair. Worked for awhile and then months later it came back. Took to dealer multiple times and left it there only to get the “we don’t hear anything” from the techs. Sent it back in several times, and still nothing. Escalated to Toyota Corporate (Case#1306050367)
Car drives me insane and VERY UPSET with Toyota.
I just got my 2012 Camry XLE (Hybrid) back after five days at the Toyota Dealer. Headliner had significant scuffing and damage, which isn’t a surprise as this was the FOURTH time it was dropped.
So now it has to go back a FIFTH time to get that repaired.
They told me that they had several consults with Toyota about this car, and Toyota told them to tighten down sunroof some fixed number beyond manufacturer’s recommended torque limits. They also reinstalled more shims and did some other “sound deadening” repairs.
If there’s one more failure with this problem, I may push forward with my rights under the Lemon Law.
I am worn out by this car. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
On the premise that my sunroof/center console noise was not going to magically go away – and the clock is ticking if I intend to pursue the lemon law or arbitration – I took my car in to Libertyville Toyota (IL) for
repair. They had my car for nearly two weeks and the problem is still there. The headliner was dropped twice. Repair order states “Found rack rail of sunroof system was rubbing against main bolts that are attached to the roof assembly. Tech was able to remove sunroof track assembly, padded between track and roof, and torqued down the track assembly.”
Vehicle was driven by both the service director and service manager who confirmed repair. Reluctantly I will be taking my Camry Hybrid XLE back to them in an attempt to fix this problem. Illinois lemon law states that the car has to be unavailable to me for 30 business days before a claim is
submitted. Claim must also be submitted within a year’s time of buying car. I filed a complaint with Toyota Headquarters and received a claim number before I took my car in for service. I would encourage everyone with this problem to do the same and start a paper trail. Oddly, the operator who took my complaint put me on hold to check the records for like complaints and said there were none.
The obvious is that none of us who are experiencing this problem are being compensated for the time and effort involved in dealing with this.
That being said, we need to give Toyota the opportunity to repair this problem before any other action is taken. The internet is great for finding
people in the same situation, people like us looking for answers. The down side is that complaints are rampant when such a frustrating issue
occurs but people who have the problem resolved and are satisfied (if they’re out there) don’t seem to post.
With almost 3K miles in my 2012 Camry XLE Hybrid I’m having the same sporadic annoying clunking noise problem. Truly disappointed on a brand new car for such a price tag and inconvenience I’m going through.
Brought to Toyota dealership this June 2013 for diagnostic and of course repair. The noise is coming from inside roof area per the Shop Foreman and here is what they did to remedy the issue;removed sunvisors, all door seals, A, B & C pillar panels, scuff plates, dome light, overhead console, all door handles and clips and RF seat in order to remove headliner then removed sunroof frame and installed vinyl shims. Then remounted and re-torqued sunroof frame and headliner + components then road tested to check and here is the non-sense comment they made “NOISE NO LONGER PRESENT AT THIS TIME” it clear shows they are not certain they fixed the real problem. And come to think of it they almost strip the entire car, unbelievable?
I’m monitoring my car on day to day basis, hopefully problem fixed.
CAUTION:Think twice before you buy this car.
Toyota attempted to fix a second time. The original rattle is gone but a new one, a few inches away, has taken its place. Removing the headliner twice has created a separate issue. I really hate to give them a third chance. I talked to the local dealer about a trade. Their trade value was only $17400. I talked to Toyota Corporate. They only offered to repair again. I told them that I was concerned about the problem coming back after I was out of warranty. In so many words, they told me that it would not be covered once I’m out of warranty even though this problem began early in the warranty.
Has anyone had success with arbitration? I’m not looking for full buy back- just fair trade value.
Same issue with my 2012 camry se and impatiently Waiting for a TSB.
I have a 2010 Camry that has just recently starting the popping noise. Very annoying! I’m sitting in the toyota service center waiting for them to come out & tell me their “plan” to have my car repaired. Service mgr. did say there was a service bulletin on this problem!
Laura,
Yep. T-SB-0088-12 is the service bulletin.
All,
I’d like to make a video of our 2012-3 Camrys to demonstrate the noise at its worse. Anyone that has a bad noise (not little clicks or clunks), please make a 5-15 second video and send it over to me at the email address on my home page. I’ll put them all together in one video and post to YouTube and this blog post.
I know this is a Camry problem site, but just wanted to let you know…
I bought a ’10 Corolla S that was certified with 33,000 miles on it a month ago and it has moonroof issues as well. It’s a clicking noise as I hit even the slightest bumps in the road, so darn annoying. After reading about how they pretty much ruin the headliner trying to fix the problem, I guess I will just live with it.
This is my first car that I shelled out a good amount of money for and had to take out a loan, probably my last as well. I’d rather drive around in a 10 yr old car that has its quirks, KNOWING it is paid off and I don’t have to spend the next 5 years paying it off.
First Toyota too. Not impressed.
Just to add to the prevalance of this issue. I have a 2010 XLE Hybrid. First heard the noise after about 7K miles. Was not loud or presistent enought to raise issue during my 10K service, but problem has steadily worsened over past few months (current mileage = 13K) and I will be taking the car in this week or next.
I too have the moonroof clunk above the front passenger seat on my 2009 Camry hybrid. It is now out of warranty and quite frankly it doesn’t sound like the repairs being performed are solving the problem. I did find the Toyota technical service bulletin T-SB-0088-12 referring to this issue but it does me no good as I am out of warranty. I’ve been experiencing this clunk for over a year now and it is becoming more frequent. At my last service visit I mentioned this to the service person and he shrugged and told me they’d have to be able to experience it during a test drive. I will mention it again when I bring it in for service later this week. I would like to at least have them document my complaint.
I am truly disappointed with this vehicle. Between the recalls and the fact that I had to replace the cheap Bridgestone tires they put on it after less than 26,000 miles, I can honestly say I will never buy another Toyota. This is the first Toyota passenger car I have owned, and it will be my last.
Hey Guys,
Just checking in again. I’ve been playing telephone tag with Toyota for 2months now!!! Horrible customer service from corporate, I’ve been assigned 3 case officers who have either quit or been transferred. The last case officer has now sent me back to the original dealer and I’m pretty pissed at this point. I would love to participate in making a video collection and my experience with the dealer. NEVER BUYING A TOYOTA AGAIN! Luckily its a leased car and it will be there problem in due time.
I gave up…cut my losses and frustration and traded it in.
Toyota will just continue to offer to fix it but they don’t have a long term fix.
I am considering doing the same and trading it in….it would be such a hard decision as otherwise the sunroof and knocking issues I love my Camry…
I purchased a 2013 Camry Se and I have experience the same noise from the sunroof. It has been driving me crazy for 2 months now. I just took it in for the 5k maintenance and mentioned the knocking sound. They had it for three days and said the problem was the sunroof was not torqued correctly but the problem has been fixed. I pick up the car and didn’t even get out of the parking lot without hearing the noise! I turned around to take it back and the tech asked what was wrong, I said the noise is still there! he looked at me as if I had three heads. I asked him to get in the car and he heard the noise and just said huh? they are attempting for the second time to repair and will have the car for another three days! This is not what I expected when I purchased a new car! My 2003 Galant with 200K miles was quieter than this!
I too have noticed this sound but I was thinking it was from my door panels on my 2012 V6 SE with Moonroof. I don’t notice it once I turn up my radio up but when I have my toddler in the car it’s very apparent (since the radio volume is low). I’m hesistant to even have them look into it with all the various damage I’ve read on this site. There seems to not be a fix and have to live with the fact that this noise will continue and if I do anything it just gets worse. I have bought several Toyotas in the past (95 4Runner, 2 corollas) and each one had issues with a leaky water pump and defective interior lights. I thought I learned my lesson but tried one last time. To no avail something new has arisen with a knocking noise. Shame on me. I will continue to monitor this site to see if a permanent fix is posted and verified. I appreciate reading this and it has enlightened me to what I’m going through. Good luck everyone with whatever course you are taking on this matter.
I recently purchased a 2013 Camry SE and have noticed irritating rattling or clunking sounds coming from different spots around the sunroof. It’s not as noticeable in the morning but as things warm up (I live in Florida) the sound becomes more pronounced. I was surprised to see that this has been a common experience with other Camry owners. I have yet to approach the dealership concerning this.
Tom,
Make sure to read through many of the comments to balance whether you want the dealers to “try” to fix it, or just deal with it like me.