Can This One Tip Reduce Highway Noise On 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?

In April, we published an article on the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s highway noise and if this was going to be a problem in long term driving. Be sure to read that article first to get an idea of what we are really talking about. Long story short, owners have noticed that their new 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrids are making an exceptional amount of noise non-paradoxical to regular driving.

A few months ago, our team test drove a Chevy compact SUV with a factory roof rack attached and it made so much noise that even with the radio on 50%, we could still hear the eerie whistle-like noise coming from the cabin.

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On Facebook’s Toyota RAV4 Hybrid group, Lakshay Grover asked, “Around 80mph, the cabin noise does get pretty loud. I plan to remove roof racks to see if that helps. Am I the only one?” In our previous article on this topic, I mentioned that my 2012 Prius makes a lot of noise due to the hybrid drivetrain sounding like a straight piped gold kart.

Let’s take a look and see what some of the other owners had to say about this and what they did to maybe combat this problem.

Steve Spiewak said, “First thing I did was remove the roof racks that I did not want anyway. A huge difference.” I think that most of the time, unless your door seals are defective, your roof rack is going to be the main source unnecessary highway noise which will make your driving experience uncomfortable.

Surprisingly enough, I did not encounter many complaints about this for the RAV4 Prime although I am sure there are plenty of people who drive a RAV4 Prime with similar problems. Some have suggested inflating your tires just a tad bit more than advised by your door panel. This makes your tires a little fatter which absorbs more sound.

I personally am a little iffy on that solely because if you have old bad tires, then you really wouldn’t want to do that especially if you drive on the highway and high speeds a lot. Maybe like half a PSI or at most 2 PSI which might help lower your cabin noise. Also be sure to check all your weather stripping. Sometimes a simple crack or warp can lead to engine noise. All in all, I think that if you just remove the roof rack or maybe upgrade your weather striping you could see a significant change in road noise.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun and on YouTube at Toyota Time for daily Toyota news.