[purpleRac3r]

I for one don't have any out of the ordinary ticking sounds. The fuel pump can seem noisy to some people but is normal. I usually don't hear it when in the car, but can when the windows are down and the radio is off, such as in a drive-thru. Due to tricks of acoustics, it sometimes seems to come from the passenger side.

I suggest if you are concerned, visit your dealer. If they tell you all is normal, check with a different dealer for a second opinion. If they too say all is good, your car is probably fine, especially if there are no other symptoms of problems. You might also pick up an automotive stethescope and see if you can narrow down the location of the ticking. This can sometimes help dealer techs track more obscure problems down.

And just FYI, lifters are one of the few fully mechanical parts in an engine. I don't know how much more mechanical something could be.