Overhead Sound Like Rice in a Cardboard Box

[SilverAndGold]

When I make a sharp turn, it sounds like tipping a cardboard box with rice inside -- the rice slides across to the other side.

When I hit a bump or allow one of the sun visors to snap back up against the roof of the car, it sounds like shaking a box half full of rice.

That's with my slightly older gold ("desert sand") 2010 Corolla. With my slightly newer silver 2010 Corolla, I hear a similar sound when allowing a sun visor to snap up.

But, when I make a sharp turn in the silver Corolla, it sounds more like just two or three pieces of rice sliding across a piece of cardboard overhead.

I assume there is something like styrofoam insulation in the roof of each car, and that small pieces have broken loose in the newer vehicle, while large sections must have disintegrated in the older car -- and that these are bouncing or sliding around inside the roof of the car.

So, my questions are:
1) Is there reason to be concerned?
2) Would Toyota fix the problem for free?

I bought both cars new from a dealer in 2010, and both have between 60,000 and 70,000 miles on the odometer.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Well past the warranty period for the bumper-to-bumper.

Ummmm ... I've never heard of that happening, but it sounds like that is what it is. It won't cause an issue with the car, but I'd definitely be tempted to take a look by pulling some trim off.

Any chance when you are letting the visor snap up, it is breaking a clip?

 

[SilverAndGold]

Well past the warranty period for the bumper-to-bumper.

Ummmm ... I've never heard of that happening, but it sounds like that is what it is. It won't cause an issue with the car, but I'd definitely be tempted to take a look by pulling some trim off.

Any chance when you are letting the visor snap up, it is breaking a clip?

Thanks for replying. Yes, I was afraid bumper-to-bumper was expired.

Nothing seems to break when the visor goes up. Even a gentle flip up results in that sound, though.

However, most of the loose stuff sounds like it is behind the dome light, directly overhead in the middle of the car, behind the driver's head, quite a distance back from the visors. So, this stuff must just disintegrate or break off, even when nothing is hitting it. (We are two old folks driving these, with no kids ever in the cars, and with no rough stuff that could have broken anything.)

Thanks!
Dave