OK, I've had some of the squeaks/chirps described by many of you. I have now found that the entire horizontal plastic trim piece that begins up under the two "fins" and runs down to the arm rest can easily be made to squeak just by applying slight pressure side-to-side or front-to-back. And by "slight", I'm talking about using your little finger. I can only imagine how this will squeak as the car ages. I'm sure hoping for some creative solutions to nip this in the bud!


(Yes, I edited this to correct "squeek" to "squeak". Man, sometimes I don't know where my brain has gone.)

 

Turn up the stereo.



On a more serious note, just about anything made of plastic will yield some amount of noise if pressure is applied and than released.

The only vehicle I have ever owned that does not do this is my wife's X5 BMW.

 

I have now found that the entire horizontal plastic trim piece that begins up under the two "fins" and runs down to the arm rest can easily be made to squeek just by applying slight pressure side-to-side or front-to-back.

Ok, I have a solution. You don't have to turn up the stereo. Quit applying pressure and the noise will stop.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

If it's properly designed and assembled, the plastic pieces should be held in place without touching and thus never make noise. By applying pressure you are changing the design criteria into a situation that should never occur naturally. Granted a bump later on may make them rub, but I would not go around pushing on all my trim possibly causing problems where I currently have none.

On my two Toyota Tacoma's I had to cut out a small rubber wedge to insert between the dash and windshield. They both had the problem and this solved it. I should not have had to do it but it was an easy and unnoticable fix.

 

I took my console apart so I could re-route my satellite radio wiring. I have about 1500 miles so far, and no squeaks so far (knock on wood). I wonder if the fact that I took it apart will help or hurt any future squeaks...

It was surprisingly easy to disassemble.

 

It was surprisingly easy to disassemble.

Does it screw together or is it clips? Easy to align back up?

 

It is mostly clips.

You first remove the gearshift **** (it just unscrews).

Then you pull off the fins - they just clip in. Removal just require that you pull them straight back (toward the rear of the car). There is an upper and lower clip.

Next the plastic panel that includes the markings for the gear selector (and the buttons for the seat heaters if equipped) lifts straight up. The toughest parts here were getting a grip on it without using tools (I didn't want to scratch anything), and getting the connector for the seat heater switch disconnected.

Next, I unsnapped the console front section itself, and lifted it up and out of the way of the console bin between the fins. I left the 12v connector hooked up.

Finally I removed the 2 screws that hold that console bin in place, and pulled it out far enough to remove a trim grommet from around the pass through hole in the bin, and I was able to run the power and audio wires out the pass through, down into the bowels of the center console, and out near the front of the drivers side to route them up to my satellite radio receiver.

It looked like just removing the fins and the bin screws would be enough, but the bottom of the bin hooks on the front edge of the console, so the console pieces needed to come out.

The whole thing didn't take more than one hour - including reassembly.

The install now looks much cleaner, since the power and audio wires dont have to run out the passenger side of the console, and then across the console (at the bottom of the fins) to get to the receiver on the driver's side.

I have a PDF of the instrument panel disassembly that I used as a guide, but it is on a computer that I had to send in for service

 

Applying pressure is EXACTLY how I demonstrated my squeak to the service manager. 10 minutes later he told me the squeak was gone after he attached a clip in the center console that was not attached at the factory. Now, I apply pressure and NO/ZERO/ZILCH squeak. I drive over Boston's crappy roads, and NO/ZERO/ZILCH squeak. Hope this helps.

Come on Toyota factory workers, install those clips correctly!

 

Luis

I'm in Boston as well, I've yet to see another TCH driver, and was
enjoying being the "only one".
Where did you pick yours up?
I had to go to Weymouth to find a dealer who had one.
I need to go back there and get my squeek fixed.

Byron

 

I've seen a few around here. One works right near where I live, a block away. I got mine at Boch, what a disaster that place is. But they had one in stock, and it was pretty much what I would have wanted.

 

I'm glad to see some Boston Camry Hybrid owners here. I live in the South Shore area and bought mine from BOCH Toyota in Norwood last June. Even though they are 5 minutes form where I live, I'm not going to take my car there for service after they mangled some panels and screwed up wiring in my previous car (2005 Camry SE) after installing an alarm.

I also happen to have just about ALL of the Camry Hybrid squeak and rattle issues that are mentioned in this forum, though I still wouldn't trade this marvel of machinery in for anything.