I bought a 2007 XLE v6 new in April. Great car, love it, but one thing: Over the last 2 months I have noticed a buzzing sound (like a bee) coming from the console or dashboard, to the left of steering column. Someone else described it as sounding like “an electric current” (!) I cannot locate its exact position. At first, I thought that something (like a bee) was stuck in the left vent…or some loose change was vibrating in the change compartment. Not so. It happens only intermittently. It does not seem to be related to braking, road condition, speed, lights on instruments, airflow in vents, or radio/speakers. But I am wondering if it might have something to do with steering wheel movement as it frequently happends right after I turn the steering wheel, even slightly. I have noticed that it always happens first thing in the mornings as I back out of the garage and then shift into drive and start moving forward. Other than than, it can happen anytime. Always brief – 3-10 seconds. Not very loud, but noticeable, even over the radio. I’ve spoken with two other Camry owners (one has a O7 LE and one has an 06 XLE) and they have not noticed a problem in their cars. I took it in to the dealer. They did not hear anything. My engineer brother suggested that it could be power steering “talking to itself” or self-adjusting. The sound is annoying but I am also concerned that it could be an eletrical problem. Any ideas?
This is really impossible to answer from a distance. The only thought I have is that it’s a vibration and it might be related to winter cold and the nature of various plastic pieces that make up the dashboard. Do you live in a cold place?
We live in eastern Tennessee. These days it is about 55 degrees or so, colder in the mornings, of course, when I first take the car out. Even with the car in the garage overnight, the car’s inside temperature reads 40-50 degrees first thing in the morning. I did first notice the sound a few months back…when temperatures dropped.