
New Highlander may produce abnormal noises due to reasons such as tire noise or body noise. The details are as follows: Tire Noise: If there is a sound of metal collision inside the tire during driving, it may be caused by damage to the shock absorber or bearing. The solution is to promptly go to a 4S shop for inspection and repair. Body Noise: Poor fixation between the body parts of the car may cause abnormal noises. The solution is to tighten the screws to fix the issue. These abnormal noises are only common in daily vehicle use, some are caused by problems with key components, while others can be avoided manually. Therefore, when abnormal noises occur, it is important not to take them lightly. Conduct a thorough inspection and repair as soon as possible to ensure the vehicle's driving safety and improve the driving experience.

My kid kept complaining about a 'clickety-clack' noise in the car on the way to kindergarten. After squatting in the trunk listening for ages, I finally found the culprit—the cargo cover clips weren't fastened tightly! The plastic buckles on this generation Highlander are made too loose, sounding like bamboo clappers on bumpy roads. Also, the folding hinge area of the third-row seats needed two rounds of felt tape wrapping to quiet down. Another heads-up: pay attention to the sunglasses holder—it took me three days of my shades rattling inside to locate the noise source, the design is just way too shallow.

A friend who runs a repair shop mentioned that about 30% of the abnormal noises in the new Highlander are caused by the sunroof. The shark-fin-shaped drainage channel tends to accumulate leaves, and when water flow is obstructed, the roof makes a whistling sound. More subtly, there's an issue with the B-pillar welding points—using a stethoscope in their shop revealed that some batches have cavity resonance in the welds. They advise paying attention when recording noise audio: high-frequency cicada-like sounds are often due to the AC expansion valve, while low-frequency rumbling usually indicates a detached fuel tank anti-sloshing board.

The source of the rattling noise in my sport edition is laughable—the passenger seat belt buckle! The metal piece bounces up and hits the plastic base, but stuffing a piece of foam instantly quiets it down. I also discovered a design flaw: the dust cover for the second-row seat sliding rails can trap small pebbles, making a 'clackety-clack' sound when driving with the windows down, just like a washing machine. Now, every time I wash the car, I have the workers use an air gun to blow out the gaps in the tracks.

Off-road veterans' experience suggests: first identify the frequency of the abnormal noise. My top-tier version produces a spring tremor sound from the rear when going over bumps, which turned out to be a loose spare tire cover—fixable by padding some foam inside. However, be wary of 'buzzing' electrical sounds, as these may indicate turbocharger pipe resonance, requiring an official bracket installation at the 4S shop. The most concerning issue is the transmission 'humming,' a known problem with the hybrid version's motor coupler—it's crucial to replace the entire unit under warranty before it expires.


