Hi all. I'm a first time writer, so please be gentle. I have owned a 2002 LS430 with premium pack for little over a year now. Up until perhaps 3 months ago, it was utterly squeak and rattle free inside. Then I noticed a persistent 'rattle' coming from the near side rear door. Shortly afterwards, the same noise started coming from the off side front door. It's especially noticeable when driving over even a moderately rough surface, and also when taking up drive from start. It sounds vaguely as though whatever is holding the windows in place is loose allowing them to move ever so slightly. Interstingly, when the windows are completely open, the rattle seems to disappear. It's driving me slowly mad although I'd describe it as intensely irritating rather than something that makes me worry the car is coming apart.

My Lexus dealer suggested 4 hours per door stripping the door down. At £125 per hour that's £500 a door! I think the advice may be sound, but the cost is horrendous.

Has anyone experienced something similar to me before with this kind of rattle coming from somewhere within a door?

Might there be any merit in going to a windscreen fitting company and asking them to take a look?

Does anyone know of a good Lexus Independant Dealer in London/South East who they would recommend for thoroughness AND lower hourly labour rates?

Any assistance anyone is able to provide is much appreciated.

David.

westfield motors in rayleigh are ex-lexus and charge a lot less than lexus do. i have used them for servicing my cars.

hmmm, you could get the workshop manuals and strip the doors down yourself. i suspect you just need to know where all the screws are.

Must be irritating as the LS is so quiet you hear everything!

Cheers Maneesh. I should have said that my mechanical aptitude is zero, so the "I've got to pay for a dealer" option looms large. I'll check out Westfield Motors as they are not too far from me. Anyone in particular to speak to? You're so right about the bloody noise - I have to have the radio on just to stop the annoying 'clunk clunk'

It's significant I believe that the same noise is coming from two windows. I have a suspicion forming that, at some stage, the side windows have been broken and replaced. Might this account for the noise perhaps. e.g. poor fitting by the company that replaced them?

Dave

Could be the lugs on window runners snapped. Is there much movement on the glass with the windows halfway down?

Could be the lugs on window runners snapped. Is there much movement on the glass with the windows halfway down?

Could be the lugs on window runners snapped. Is there much movement on the glass with the windows halfway down?

Dont know if this will be much used to ya but I had a similar problem when I first bought my IS200 in October. A rattle from the drivers door. In the end it got the better of me, so I found a walk through on taking the door card off. Took me about 30 mins to sort out. It turned out to be a metal clip that kept the window secure or something and came unbolted and fell down through the door. Its not a hard job, so don't pay to much! Any mechanic should be well practiced in taking panels off.

Thanks for the advice guys. I know noises can be very deceptive, but it does seem like the window itself is loose but not to any massive extent. I guess this is why it's particularly noticeable when taking up drive or going over cobbles for example. Sounds very much like that noise a window makes just as it closes, although the back passenger window has a more noticeable metallic (?) knocking sound like maybe whatever is holding the window in place (such as a baracket or lug) might be a little loose. I've confirmed with a Lexus dealer that they did replace the windows but they are not sure why they did it! I wonder if the previous owner, longing to return to the days of total quiet, took a blunt instrument to the buggers and got it done with just the window excess to pay. Hey, now there's a thought.

Dave

Did you buy from Lexus dealer?
If you did it's a warranty item