# Mysterious clicking/ tapping sound from tire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** rav4, toyota\ **Created:** [May 6, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588 "2021-05-06T01:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![olivialaing6\_175074](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@olivialaing6\_175074](https://community.cartalk.com/u/olivialaing6_175074)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/1 "2021-05-06T01:33:17Z")
Hi all, I’m hoping to identify the source of a mysterious clicking noise that appears to be coming from the front right tire of my 2012 Toyota RAV4. It started about 1- 1.5 months ago. It’s a small, tapping sound that increases in speed with tire rotations, and I can only really hear it well with the windows down at lower speeds. It really does sound like there is something embedded in the tire, but I was unable to see any debris upon inspection. Additionally, there has been no remarkable loss in tire pressure. Any ideas about what could be causing this? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/2 "2021-05-06T01:41:46Z")
I’ve seen tires with lag bolts stuck in them and not lose air and make that noise. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/c/fc66f062809255c5004efdd5f69c2955a185c1c3.jpeg) How did you inspect the tires? Tester ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/3 "2021-05-06T03:28:28Z")
You could rotate the tires and see if the sound moves. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 1:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/4 "2021-05-06T13:03:01Z")
Unfortunately I’ve had that happen more then once in my 50 years of driving. At least that’s repairable. ---
**Author:** ![sestivers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@sestivers](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sestivers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/5 "2021-05-06T17:50:19Z")
I would say to look closer for something like a pebble or piece of gravel stuck between the treads. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/6 "2021-05-06T20:47:34Z")
Last week I had a screw in a tire, tire had to be at just the correct orientation to see it. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/7 "2021-05-07T04:17:02Z")
Fancy wheel covers can be noisy, especially spoked ones. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 8:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/8 "2021-05-07T08:18:18Z")
Retread flap? Does anyone drive retreads anymore? I was with friends on US 395 near Death Valley 50 years ago when 1 of the tires began to flap. ---
**Author:** ![olivialaing6\_175074](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@olivialaing6\_175074](https://community.cartalk.com/u/olivialaing6_175074)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/9 "2021-05-23T12:01:26Z")
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I ended up taking it to a mechanic- turns out the brakes needed to be redone. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/10 "2021-05-23T14:34:40Z")
If the car has wheel covers remove the cover on that wheel and see if the noise goes away. It it does then the cover needs to be modded a bit. If the noise remains then you need to look that tire over carefully for a rock or embedded screw. Other possibilities could be a CV joint beginning to fail or an issue with the brakes although the latter is less likely. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/11 "2021-05-23T14:35:38Z")
Guess I should have read the entire thread before posting… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/12 "2021-05-23T15:14:46Z")
Exactly🤪 When I have my routine maintenance done, a visual inspection of the brakes is done. I have yet to get to the point of noisy brakes. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-clicking-tapping-sound-from-tire/176588/13 "2021-05-23T15:39:48Z")
> [@ok4450](#): > > Guess I should have read the entire thread before postin I thought I was the only one who did that.