2010-11 Toyota Prius Fender Rattle Noise - TSB

Toyota has released a technical service bulletin (TSB) affecting 2010-11 Prius vehicles with a fender rattle/tick noise. This annoying noise can now be fixed by following these steps.

2010-11 Toyota Prius Fender Rattle Noise - TSB
Does your 2010-11 Toyota Prius have a rattle noise coming from it? Have it looked and repaired with this technical service bulletin.

The Toyota service bulletin, T-SB-0064-12, address a condition in certain 2010-11 Prius vehicles that have a “ticking/rattle type noise from the A-pillar area on either side of the vehicle. This noise has also been identified as a ticking/rattling type noise from the instrument panel. Revised upper fender retainer clips have been developed to address this condition,” according to Toyota.

Prius models built BEFORE the production change effective VINs shown below are subject to this TSB.

sb0064t12-prius-fender-rattle-1-VINThis repair is covered under Toyota’s comprehensive warranty of 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in-service date. The repair is also limited to only the occurrence on this TSB.

The Repair Procedure:

  1. Confirm that the Prius vehicle is making the rattle or tick noise. This should be done by driving the vehicle down the road with the window down. Once you hear the noise, try using hand and applying pressure to the upper portion of the fender to see if it stops. If the noise goes away when the pressure is applied, then this TSB applies. If it doesn’t, continue to investigate the noise.
  2. Remove the front side fixed window, the small window in front of the driver’s window.
  3. Remove and replace the upper fender retainer clips. This is done by removing 3 bolts to detach the fender from the body and then opening the front door to remove the topmost bolt holding the fender to the body.
  4. Next, gently remove the 2 retainer clips holding the fender in place with a pry tool.
  5. Separate the cowl seal and pull the fender away from the vehicle. Next, slide the fender retainer clips off of the panel.
  6. Slide the new clips into the fender and make sure they line up properly. Applying pressure to the clips, they should snap into place and seat fully.
  7. Next, use general purpose weatherstrip adhesive to adhere the front fender to the cowl seal back to the A-pillar. Then reassemble the vehicle using the reverse steps.
  8. Lastly, confirm the repair.

Like any TSB repairs, it is recommended that you visit your local Toyota dealer to have their trained technicians complete the repair.

Have you experienced this rattle noise? Tell us about it below.