Model 3 Creaking Sound Rear Seats Fix

[HCassidy]

I have been experiencing creaking coming from the rear seats of my Model 3 (21 model year) since I bought it used a year ago.

It appears normally as a leather-on-leather rubbing sound coming from the offside rear corner, but then when the body is flexed going up a hill and taking a corner it would be more of a metallic creaking sound.

Disassembly of the rear bench and removal of the seat backs is rather simple, requiring a 13mm socket for the latter. I found that the black pivot sleeve (label 7 below) between the two rear seats was sitting slight pronounced and that the zipper from the rear seat covers was through the pivot (label 9 below) that is mounted to the chassis. The pivot itself has wear marks through the vehicle paint.

I poked the zipper back into the seat and re-seated the sleeve. I also applied some lithium grease to the pivot to try and prevent any rubbing in the future.

I oddly don't have the pivot bushing (label 6 below) so will see if the Tesla SC recommend fitting.

Hope this helps someone else as was driving me crazy.

 

[Adopado]

I have been experiencing creaking coming from the rear seats of my Model 3 (21 model year) since I bought it used a year ago.

It appears normally as a leather-on-leather rubbing sound coming from the offside rear corner, but then when the body is flexed going up a hill and taking a corner it would be more of a metallic creaking sound.

Disassembly of the rear bench and removal of the seat backs is rather simple, requiring a 13mm socket for the latter. I found that the black pivot sleeve (label 7 below) between the two rear seats was sitting slight pronounced and that the zipper from the rear seat covers was through the pivot (label 9 below) that is mounted to the chassis. The pivot itself has wear marks through the vehicle paint.

I poked the zipper back into the seat and re-seated the sleeve. I also applied some lithium grease to the pivot to try and prevent any rubbing in the future.

I oddly don't have the pivot bushing (label 6 below) so will see if the Tesla SC recommend fitting.

Hope this helps someone else as was driving me crazy.

View attachment 986227

View attachment 986228

Interesting. I have seen a number of fixes for creaking noise from the back seats but this is one I haven't come across ... so could be useful for someone. (Curiously, despite having an "original" American made Model 3 from 2019 with supposedly worse build quality I have not experienced any such issues.)

 

[yessuz]

yeah.. this is the same issue which is plaguing my car...

 

[superflyrolla]

Thanks for posting the diagram. My rear seat is driving me nuts now too, especially since getting cold.

That part 6 washer was way inside the seat and part 7 sleeve had fallen off. I put it back in place and taped it in place because the retention fingers were not holding it on. Unfortunately, it's still creaking so that wasn't the fix.

 

[yessuz]

I have installed felt strips on all sides of the rear seats (total 4 strips) - full height of seat side. this actually helps somewhat.

 

[HCassidy]

I have installed felt strips on all sides of the rear seats (total 4 strips) - full height of seat side. this actually helps somewhat.

What felt did you use?

 

[yessuz]

What felt did you use?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089LR1PBS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this one

 

[mdixon72]

I have a 2023 Model 3 with the same issue. I find that if I have either one of the seat backs in the down position, the squeak goes away. Also, if I have passengers in the back, the squeak goes away. But with no passengers and with both seat backs in the up position, there is an annoying squeak, especially at slow speeds, turning and when the car is flexed (i.e. turning uphill into a driveway).

 

[superflyrolla]

A few things I've done in the past months which helped reduce creaking noises.
1) Check the pin at the bottom middle of the rear seat. #7 in the diagram above does not fit tight and falls off.
2) The "deck" behind and above the rear seat has some added insulation that is on my 2023 M3 but was not on my 2018 M3. I think Tesla must have added this to help reduce noise, but it doesn't work. I shoved an entire bath towel between the sheet metal and the carpeted cover. This helped a lot. To access, fold down the rear seat, and pop out a few plastic plugs.
3) Use Gummi Pflege or some other lubricant on the window weatherstripping. Especially when cold or icy, they creak over bumps with the frameless window design. I've torn my pillars apart to felt tape the entire seatbelt mechanism because I thought it was rattling, but it turned out to the be the weather stripping.