Rear passenger side rattle/buzz

MustangFrank said:

I am still under warranty, I am going to try to pad it myself one more time before I take it in, just because of the hassle it is to go to the dealer for something like this. But if I can't fix it I'm taking it in.

Do you happen to know where your dealer padded yours? Just where the air bag brace meets the plastic cover? I have already padded where the brace would meet the sheet metal and it did not help.

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I think they padded that whole area, but mainly concentrated on the area where there's plastic that can touch the rail where the airbag is installed.

I've managed to get rid of all the rattles except for one. It now sounds like metal on metal (which leads me to believe it's a trim clip) from somewhere right behind my left ear as I'm driving.

I've taken apart most of that piece and insulated it, but obviously I've missed something.

One of these days I'll have a car that doesn't rattle like a tambourine. . .

HBMike said:

My car has the same vibration buzz with the headlight switch and passenger door. I've just been too busy to pop them off and fix it.

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Same EXACT buzz. Headlight switch rattled about a month after I got my car, but it was so mild. Push with my left index finger on the center of switch, and it went away until next time I drove. This was back in January of 2016. Now, it just rattles every single day.

The passenger door buzzing surfaced about a year ago, and I had a problem with dealer that wrote "could not replicate problem" three times, and on top of that they ruined my steering rack after an alignment (steering jerked ever so slightly from left to right when driving straight down a smooth road).

After complaining to corporate, I was pointed to another dealer, and they checked for code and told me that the rack threw a code (WHY COULDN'T THE FIRST DEALER PLUG THE DAMN COMPUTER IN TO CHECK CODES???)

But as for the buzzing, it wasn't even listed in the customer information sheet when I picked up the car.

I then took the service adviser for a test drive, and he heard the buzzing (always at 3750-4000 RPM, on its way down engine braking with clutch engaged). I was sure he was going to take care of it.

I go to pick up car, "Could not replicate problem"...

I told them that I am not happy.... He has me take a technician for a ride.

Tech hears it (sounds like a fly trapped inside the passenger door panel), I tell him three times, it happens when you lift throttle while at 4000RPM and it engine brakes. And it does it when the engine is warmed up.

I go to pick up the car, "Could not replicate the problem". ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

I have been driving a car for over a year where every single time I accelerate, it makes a "buzz" at the top of the RPM. It drives me NUTS. Every passenger that enters the car would look at their door panel and try to push something down because they hear it...

I guess I must love my Mustang, because this was my first and I STILL chose to order a 2018 (I also have trunk squeak, where the tail lamp rubs against the inside of trunk, wearing away paint and rubbing into the metal). I figure mine was a very early stock build, and I figure they must have figured out how to properly build/align parts on the s550 frame by now...

But it seems that my 2018 order will not arrive before my dec 18 expiration of my current lease. The dealer owner offered to extend my current lease until my car arrives. Which means that I have to drive possibly another 4+ months with this buzzmobile...

If anyone knows what the actual fix is, I'd love to hear about it, as I am sick of taking this car into dealer and being yanked around and then being told to take car home because it's all fine...

Don't even get me started on the seat ventilation (or the backs warming up when I hit cool)...

I know EXACTLY what the buzz is for the passenger door. The door is not aligned correctly and/or has slipped out of alignment.

First step...check the door seam...if it is wrinkled or warped, the door skin was replaced and you weren't told about it...if this is the case...contact the dealer's general counsel and let them know the situation...don't talk with the dealer. They will get you much further than screwing around with the dealer (trust me...I know this very very well).

Second step - take the car to a body shop and have them check the vertical alignment of the door as well as the weather-stripping. A lot of the earlier models did not have the best weather stripping, which lead to slop in the window track and play in the glass.

As for the headlight switch...I suggest removing it as well as the surrounding dash trim. Take the headlight switch out and pop it back into the dash trim to see if it seats differently. If it still makes a rattling sound, get some black felt and stuff it into the space between the dash trim and headlight switch (don't glue it in since you will need to take it out before turning the car back to the dealer).

Hope this helps.

jperls said:

I know EXACTLY what the buzz is for the passenger door. The door is not aligned correctly and/or has slipped out of alignment.

First step...check the door seam...if it is wrinkled or warped, the door skin was replaced and you weren't told about it...if this is the case...contact the dealer's general counsel and let them know the situation...don't talk with the dealer. They will get you much further than screwing around with the dealer (trust me...I know this very very well).

Second step - take the car to a body shop and have them check the vertical alignment of the door as well as the weather-stripping. A lot of the earlier models did not have the best weather stripping, which lead to slop in the window track and play in the glass.

As for the headlight switch...I suggest removing it as well as the surrounding dash trim. Take the headlight switch out and pop it back into the dash trim to see if it seats differently. If it still makes a rattling sound, get some black felt and stuff it into the space between the dash trim and headlight switch (don't glue it in since you will need to take it out before turning the car back to the dealer).

Hope this helps.

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Thank you! I will take a look at it this weekend. While I love my mustang it does kinda suck that it's a lease (first time ever). My Genesis coupe purchased new in 2010, I took apart chasing after any rattles, and added my own custom leather, seat ventilation.

After I look at my mustang, I'll report back any findings

jperls said:

As for the headlight switch...I suggest removing it as well as the surrounding dash trim. Take the headlight switch out and pop it back into the dash trim to see if it seats differently. If it still makes a rattling sound, get some black felt and stuff it into the space between the dash trim and headlight switch (don't glue it in since you will need to take it out before turning the car back to the dealer).

Hope this helps.

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I know the headlight switch has been discussed in other threads but I don't know if there has ever been a true solution.

I put flocking tape all around outside and inside edges of the bezel and it still rattles. So I concluded that it is the switch itself, i.e. that something inside it buzzes.

Folks, if you have not seen my thread I had posted a while back in the DIY section, try it:

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62664

That may be the fix for most...

I had a slight rattle on the passenger side rear window area. I fixed it by removing the cover to the clothes hanger and tightening the screw! It wasn't real loose, but it was loose enough that I had a bad vibration/rattle sound. Could all of the passenger rear rattles be as simple as the hanger screw? I don't have any rattles in that area any longer.

pyrophilus said:

Thank you! I will take a look at it this weekend. While I love my mustang it does kinda suck that it's a lease (first time ever). My Genesis coupe purchased new in 2010, I took apart chasing after any rattles, and added my own custom leather, seat ventilation.

After I look at my mustang, I'll report back any findings

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Any updates?

imaginager said:

After about two weeks the rear passenger side rattle returned. So today I disassembled everything and went hunting for the "new" source...and took the opportunity to shoot some pics. When I reassembled the panel last time both of the white plastic pins were tight. However, today one of them was very loose.

The videos below are before and after the electrical tape preload treatment.

Before

After

The first pic shows the rear interior of the mustang with the side panel removed - red arrows indicate holes where the panel's white pins are inserted. The inset pic on the left shows electrical tape application around the hole to prevent plastic on metal contact.

The second pic is the inside of the side panel with the hard foam bits in place (for reference; I removed mine).

The third pic shows how I cut the electrical tape pieces to preload the white push pins (the bottom of the U is inserted into the mount first, otherwise fitting the pin in the mount strips the tape off).

The fourth shows the pin being inserted back into the side panel mount point.

The fifth pic shows the completed side panel interior with both pins preloaded with electrical tape.

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I get a rattle from this panel area and this area makes this sound when I tap on it. Is this how you fixed yours or do you have any solution? This problem is super annoying. I linked a video with a sound of it.

Just saw another post with the issue being the rocker panels not securely fastened. Climb under your car and check that all of the clips are there an securely locked.

mustangenthusiast25 said:

I get a rattle from this panel area and this area makes this sound when I tap on it. Is this how you fixed yours or do you have any solution? This problem is super annoying. I linked a video with a sound of it.

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Reviving this thread. I’m having the same issue from the same general area on a 2400 mile cross country trip and I’m dying.

I’ve ripped nearly every panel off. Removed the big foam pad in the lower part and replaced with a roll of paper towels and variously micro fibers shoved everywhere. Pretty sure it’s coming from right at that airbag area. Been driving with the cover off to help me pinpoint.

Gonna try to do some more debugging and repairs during our hotel stop in buttfuck New Mexico tonight.

Any more Insight would be great! To be clear my issue is not around window trim or anything it’s closer to the intersection of the top of the seat corner, the plastic panel and the airbag panel. The Bermuda Triangle.

Here is a video of my noise.

whalesalad said:

Reviving this thread. I’m having the same issue from the same general area on a 2400 mile cross country trip and I’m dying.

I’ve ripped nearly every panel off. Removed the big foam pad in the lower part and replaced with a roll of paper towels and variously micro fibers shoved everywhere. Pretty sure it’s coming from right at that airbag area. Been driving with the cover off to help me pinpoint.

Gonna try to do some more debugging and repairs during our hotel stop in buttfuck New Mexico tonight.

Any more Insight would be great! To be clear my issue is not around window trim or anything it’s closer to the intersection of the top of the seat corner, the plastic panel and the airbag panel. The Bermuda Triangle.

Click to expand...

Same situation as you, but with driver side, though the passenger side is starting to do it too. I shoved fabric behind the canister on the driver side as best I could, but it seems to be a temporary fix as it comes back pretty quickly now. The fact that you've done a LOT more than I have and you still have it is concerning. I'm wondering now if the noise is coming from some part bouncing around inside the airbag canister thing.

I know it would be a bad idea from a safety standpoint, and also illegal, but I'd just assume have the stupid rear airbags removed/program the system to not fire off the airbag light.

Between the C pillar rattle and the mysterious intermittent plastic "tink, tink" sound I get from the passenger dash area, I'm pretty tired of it. I had the same exact tink tink sound from the passenger dash area in a 2012 ford escape. Shoved some rubber between a couple panels and it went away. Not as lucky with the Mustang so far.

Good luck, and let us know if you fix the stupid thing.

Have you guys checked the rocker panel attachment "trees"? I found the rattle was that on my car, my son's friend had a '16 and that was the issue on his also. Check all of the trees are pushed in tight. If they aren't the rockers are your rattle.