Interior Rattles

[Thrash]

Hi guys

I've had my car for just under 6 months now and it seems to have developed a number of rattles coming from the center console. It's been into my local dealer 3 times now and they have attempted various fixes, I was able to identify that the loudest rattle was coming from the infotainment screen, after 3 attempts this one rattle hasn't reappeared since but its only been a few days. The rest are still there as bad as ever, despite the dealer attempting to grease and felt every part - screen, screen mount, radio, vents, instrument binnacle, etc.

It seems to be fairly intermittent and dependent upon a number of things, outside temperature is definitely one but even on the smoothest road surface they can manifest. I have been trying to film every rattle because of course, when I take a technician out to demonstrate, they never appear.

I have spoken to MBUK but all they said before was they would get in contact with the dealer, what they actually did I dont know. I hope some people can understand my issue as these rattles drive me crazy, never had them in any other car but even with the radio turned up I can still pick them up.

Without being able to actually identify where they're coming from it seems pointless to bring it back to the dealer - they claim to have fixed all of them every time its gone in despite me being able to prove otherwise so not sure what their hearing is like!

I don't want to pursue the rejection route as its probably quite trivial and might not have a very strong argument, what do you guys think? Whats the best way to proceed, apart from selling the car, which I am very tempted to do!?

Thanks in advance

 

[Eddy77]

I feel for you. It's not what you expect from a premium car.　


The level of acceptable rattles and squeaks is a little subjective. The opening position should be "none"...but dependent on road type and choice of wheels / suspension, some might argue that a bit is OK and unavoidable.　

My own Mercedes (a ten year old CLK) has always suffered from myriad squeaks. I bought it at 30k miles / 6 years old and was amazed at how squeaky it was. I asked my local MB specialist and he said that it was "normal" for a CLK.　

On mine, it's all to do with the frameless doors and hood (it's a cabrio). For the first year I obsessed about it buying all sorts of lubricants and things to try and reduce the "chattering". In the end, I gave up and accept it for what it is.　

But if anyone asked me whether or not the car feels well built, the answer would be no as it has so much chatter and noise coming from the roof and door seals.　

So - I think you have three options. One is to do your own investigations and try and fix the rattles and squeaks. A bit of trim removal and the application of some felt pads can work wonders. I have done this on my Mercedes (and other cars) and often you can improve things no end.　

Alternatively, you try and reject but that will be a tough one to get approved.　

Finally, you sell it and buy something else, but you will lose ££££££.　

In the end, just how bad is it? You know the old saying, "turn the radio up and ignore it"!!

 

[Thrash]

It is disappointing, I know its only an A Class but the list price for mine was still over £30k - I also had one a few years ago before it got facelifted and it had no rattles or squeaks at all.
Apart from what my local dealer has already done, im not too sure what else I could do. They haven't took the dash apart yet but that would probably be the next stage but without being able to tell them exactly where its coming from, I don't think I'll have much success. I'm constantly trying to push and press on different bits of the centre console to try and see what 'bits' might be causing it but to no avail.
I don't necessarily want to reject the car outright, if MB were willing to put me in a different car (even if it cost me more) then I would be happy with that but it seems unlikely due to the current situation with the outstanding finance and I can't imagine they would see it as serious enough to warrant it. I think that's probably the ideal outcome; they take the car back and settle my finance but I don't know whether that's realistic.

 

[markjay]

Both my old W203 and my current W204 suffered form creaky suspension, but the interior is quiet. Said that, there have been several reports form members here regarding rattles and creaks on W204 cars which the dealers were unable to sort (under warranty). So I guess it can be random. Don't remember seeing any complainants here regarding the A-Class though. Good luck with it.

 

[Headhurts]

Sometimes you can be 100% sure a noise is coming from say a dash when in fact it is being transmitted from elsewhere.

I had this on a car once and was totally wrong when the noise was eventually traced to the rear of the car.

I personally am very intolerant of noises whereas my wife would be oblivious.

My current car is totally silent with no creaks or rattles (fingers crossed).

I once sold a car at just over a year old with 6000 miles on the clock due to noises from what appears the dash.

With the amount of cars going in with rattles etc it surprises me there is not some sort of equipment you can drive the car onto to replicate differing road surfaces, it seems a time waste to get a technician out driving the car trying to find varying surfaces and indeed dangerous.

Robin


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[E63S]

If my soon to be delivered E Class has rattles I’ll be sending it straight back. It’s not good enough, especially from a “premium” marque.

If other marques can make rattle-free cars, then I’m not sure why MB can’t.

 

[Tiim533]

It's a bugger if you can't work out where the rattles are coming from, and they don't happen when a technician is in the car. But, as an aside, could it be something to do with the passenger seat, and if someone is sitting on it it no longer rattles due to the downward pressure? Just a thought.

I had wind noise (sometimes whistling if it was cold) on my passenger side windows. My dealer went to town on it and got a ton of parts across from Bremen. Essentially replaced the whole lot... Lordy knows the cost... but all done under warranty with good grace.

 

[DoberMan]

I had a new B Class and that had squeaks and rattles from day one. It's very difficult to identify where noises come from. Some were from the info screen as you stated and some I discovered from the light switch panel area as I prodded and pushed every bit of trim. Some noises were reduced when a passenger was with me so maybe it was the seat as well. Most disappeared after about 4k miles but I have since traded it in at less than 1 year old.

Good luck

 

[Crazyfool]

I’ve posted on other sections of this forum, but I too suffer from rattles in my S212. I know it’s the AMG Sport version so has hard suspension, but not as hard as my B8 Avant S-Line.

Despite all the issues I had with my B8, I never had any interior problems. The S212 is a different story. There’s something going on around the speedo area, but it’s intermittent. At least twice now on a motorway drive I’ve heard a draft coming from the corner of my drivers window, but the the problem that’s really driving me nuts is in the rear.

The rattle is horrific. Part of it is coming from the plastic back behind the centre armrest, the other is coming from the lower left section of the seat.

I’ve had a feel around but can’t work out what it is, so the car is going into the garage to have the rear seats removed.

Don’t get me wrong I love the car, but since having Audi’s I feel I’ve taken a step back in interior build quality. Pity really.


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[classcchap]

It seems to be fairly intermittent ... when I take a technician out to demonstrate, they never appear.

Have you tried scanning the cabin with a function generator? this may excite the offending buzz and help you locate it from the safety of your garage. I suggest Audio Function Generator Pro, £2 from the App Store, using iPad via the car audio through Bluetooth.

 

[Thrash]

Mine is AMG Line so the suspension is quite hard although it's not as bad as my previous pre-FL A Class which was the same (although coined AMG Sport as opposed to AMG Line) and as I say, no rattles or noises at all.
I did notice whilst driving yesterday that just the outside of my leg resting against the centre column/console area was enough to make it creak in various places. I guess this is probably the issue and I suppose there could be a range of factors which might 'trigger' it.

Have you tried scanning the cabin with a function generator? this may excite the offending buzz and help you locate it from the safety of your garage. I suggest Audio Function Generator Pro, £2 from the App Store, using iPad via the car audio through Bluetooth.

I might give this a go, I have read about people using something similar in the past.

I think I might be fighting a losing battle though, I imagine the more times they take bits apart, the more likely it is that some other rattle/noise will be induced.

 

[Thrash]

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Here is a video I recorded back in December, it's been in twice since then and is still the same. I recorded another earlier today and yesterday evening. It almost sounds like a crackle and this is the sound that has been persistent throughout. The last fix hasn't fixed it though, I can still put my finger on the corner of the screen and it goes silent, even after the screen has been replaced. I can also press on the 'carbon fiber' effect material between the vents and it stops too.

A few new ones have developed since though, it seems to be coming from the instrument binnacle and also the driver seatbelt housing - I can hear it coming from behind my right ear somewhere but obviously this one isn't as easy to prod when driving.

This is my main worry, the longer it goes, the more rattling is appearing and im not even 6 months in yet.

 

[clk320x]

Forget the rattles get a decent duster or microfibre cloth!

 

[kianok]

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Here is a video I recorded back in December, it's been in twice since then and is still the same. I recorded another earlier today and yesterday evening. It almost sounds like a crackle and this is the sound that has been persistent throughout. The last fix hasn't fixed it though, I can still put my finger on the corner of the screen and it goes silent, even after the screen has been replaced. I can also press on the 'carbon fiber' effect material between the vents and it stops too.

A few new ones have developed since though, it seems to be coming from the instrument binnacle and also the driver seatbelt housing - I can hear it coming from behind my right ear somewhere but obviously this one isn't as easy to prod when driving.

This is my main worry, the longer it goes, the more rattling is appearing and im not even 6 months in yet.

Just all the dust rubbing together I reckon

 

[Thrash]

It has been dusted since haha, MB don’t include that in their “valet” when it goes in it seems.

 

[Crazyfool]

Here’s the culprit. My son thinks it’s hilarious that an spent £250 having a piece of his KNex retrieved from inside my seat!!

They even had to remove the leather to get to it!


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[millo20]

Hi guys

I've had my car for just under 6 months now and it seems to have developed a number of rattles coming from the center console. It's been into my local dealer 3 times now and they have attempted various fixes, I was able to identify that the loudest rattle was coming from the infotainment screen, after 3 attempts this one rattle hasn't reappeared since but its only been a few days. The rest are still there as bad as ever, despite the dealer attempting to grease and felt every part - screen, screen mount, radio, vents, instrument binnacle, etc.

It seems to be fairly intermittent and dependent upon a number of things, outside temperature is definitely one but even on the smoothest road surface they can manifest. I have been trying to film every rattle because of course, when I take a technician out to demonstrate, they never appear.

I have spoken to MBUK but all they said before was they would get in contact with the dealer, what they actually did I dont know. I hope some people can understand my issue as these rattles drive me crazy, never had them in any other car but even with the radio turned up I can still pick them up.

Without being able to actually identify where they're coming from it seems pointless to bring it back to the dealer - they claim to have fixed all of them every time its gone in despite me being able to prove otherwise so not sure what their hearing is like!

I don't want to pursue the rejection route as its probably quite trivial and might not have a very strong argument, what do you guys think? Whats the best way to proceed, apart from selling the car, which I am very tempted to do!?

Thanks in advance

 

[millo20]

Hi there.
I am on my 12th mercedes C Class and have had rattles on most of them. I have found that rattles on the dash are usually where the dash id joined or where air vents are affixed. I solved all mine by carefully spraying silicon spray round the joins and then wiping off immediately.
It has worked every time for me. Hope this sorts it out for you

 

[fourwheels]

I had several rattles (not really the right word) on my new C250d W205 and reported them immediately. The dealer replaced the dampers but that didn't solve the main problem which were squeaks and a slapping sound several seconds after driving over a sunken manhole cover.
I searched high and low and several months passed by before I realised that the body panel behind the rear near side wheel could be pressed inwards because it wasn't secured to the wheel arch liner. There was a simple solution to that and it solved the squeak. More weeks passed before looking underneath on a wet day I noticed that the plastic cover that protects the near side rear axle (I think) was hanging down. Closing it meant I could easily flick it open again. I think it bounced open on the manhole cover, then slapped shut with wind pressure. Secured and solved that with a cable tie.
Next as Winter came were rattles from the left hand dashboard/windscreen. It went back to the dealer several times without them solving it. In the end I sprayed all the rubber seals around the pano roof with Halfords silicon.
I didn't solve it but but it did change it so it went back to the Dealer again and they sprayed the rear edge under the glass that I couldn't reach.
Result I now have a beautifully quiet car. Moral: squeaks and rattles don't always come from obvious places - think outside of the box.