Disappointed with My 2025 Camry XSE

I bought a 2025 Camry XSE on November 25, and at first, I was really happy with it. But after just three weeks and fewer than 500 miles, I started noticing a weird clicking noise underneath the car. It’s subtle, but once I heard it, I couldn’t ignore it. It seems tied to the weight shifting when the car moves.

I took it to the dealership, expecting a quick fix, but they initially said they couldn’t hear anything. I had to go on a test drive and point it out. After keeping the car for a day, they re-torqued all the bolts but still couldn’t eliminate the noise. Their solution? “Just drive it more and see if it goes away.”

I wasn’t okay with that, so they kept the car and gave me a rental. Now, they’ve gone as far as disassembling the dashboard, still trying to find the source. At this point, it feels like they’re guessing. I was so excited about this car, expecting Toyota reliability, but now I just feel let down.

Update: The dealership couldn’t fix it and claims it’s “normal” for new cars to make this noise. They even tested two brand-new cars from their lot and said they had the same issue.

I wanted to love this car, but now I’m just frustrated. I worked hard for this, and I expected better quality from Toyota. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

It’s under warranty. They’ll fix it.

Casey said:
It’s under warranty. They’ll fix it.

Right? Because spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new car means you should just accept weird noises from day one? /s

Mica said:

Casey said:
It’s under warranty. They’ll fix it.

Right? Because spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new car means you should just accept weird noises from day one? /s

Every new car has issues. Even the best manufacturers have about 135 problems per 100 vehicles. Source.

@Unclewaffl3s
FYI, I was being sarcastic.

Casey said:
It’s under warranty. They’ll fix it.

It’s not being a crybaby to expect a brand-new car to function properly. OP has to deal with a rental, back-and-forth dealership visits, and wasted time over an issue that shouldn’t exist in a new car. I’d be upset too.

@Hayes
Exactly! I was excited about having a brand-new car, and now it feels like a letdown.

Casey said:
It’s under warranty. They’ll fix it.

The car shouldn’t have needed a trip to the shop this soon. OP has every right to be frustrated.

I had a similar issue with my ‘22 Corolla. I took it to the dealership, and they brushed it off, saying it was just “how the exhaust mounts were designed.” My brother-in-law is a Lexus master tech, and he found that a rubber grommet wasn’t fully pushed in, causing a metal part to rub. He fixed it in minutes.

If the dealership is saying the noise is “normal,” they probably just don’t want to put in the effort to figure it out.

@Vivian
Appreciate you sharing this! I hope mine is something simple like that.

There might be a loose screw or nut under the dash or floor. When I worked as a dealer tech, I’d sometimes find extra screws just sitting there in brand-new cars. One of my coworkers even found a whole socket left behind during assembly.

@Bret
That would be annoying, but also an easy fix if they actually looked for it.

I had a clicking noise in my new Corolla when accelerating and braking. Turns out my back seats weren’t locked in place, and the metal latches were clanking around.

Might be worth checking all your seats and panels once you get the car back.

@Vero
I’ll check when I get it back. Thanks for the tip!

Toyota’s U.S.-built cars don’t seem to have the same quality as their Japanese-built ones. I try to buy only Japan-assembled Toyotas.

Van said:
Toyota’s U.S.-built cars don’t seem to have the same quality as their Japanese-built ones. I try to buy only Japan-assembled Toyotas.

That used to be true, but not anymore. Even Japan-built Toyotas have had issues. It’s just the reality of mass production.

I leased the same car, and Toyota is a joke now. My shifter clip fell out, and the car was stuck in the middle of the road. Couldn’t shift gears at all. This happened with less than 2,000 miles on it.

Honestly, if you can, get rid of it.

They don’t build them like they used to. You might’ve been better off with a well-maintained early 2000s Toyota.

Nile said:
They don’t build them like they used to. You might’ve been better off with a well-maintained early 2000s Toyota.

Or a mint-condition ‘98 Corolla? lol

FrankRich2 said:

Nile said:
They don’t build them like they used to. You might’ve been better off with a well-maintained early 2000s Toyota.

Or a mint-condition ‘98 Corolla? lol

That would actually be a great find!