Jim

If anyone's interested or experiencing similar, I took my car into the dealer and at first they could not detect the buzz/rattle. I took a test drive with them and repeatedly pointed out the sound, which they finally heard audibly when they were in the driver's seat. The pattern seemed to be when first accelerating and when braking (though I think I've noticed it at other times too). He suspected that it was the electric engine kicking in and that it was normal. We test drove another prius and found the same buzzing/rattling. So it was deemed to be normal noise caused by the electric engine. Has no one else noticed this noise coming from the driver's side (left under the dash)? Jim

I have a very similar situation, but mine definitely sounds like it on the left driver's side under the console, or where the door meets the console, and it's definitely more audible when the car is cold. Seems to be completely random - accelerating or braking doesn't seem to spark it. It's a 2007, about 500 miles. I figured I would just ask about it when I take it in for maintenance.