Rattle in rear (Model 3)

[DaveisWoke]

Having a similar problem with my 2020 3. Have about 500 miles and a heavy rattle when driving and clunk when I hit any kind of bump. It's on the driver's side rear.

I sat in the back with the seat down and can't tell if it's from the wheel well or the trunk mesh area.

 

[Vern Padgett]

I took the left rear seat down and had my daughter crawl under the back support cardboard to look and feel for anything rattling.

She has a white 2018 Model 3. She couldn't find anything but she did stuff a rag into the area behind the left rear seat top and no more rattle!

It makes such a difference to drive a quiet car that does NOT rattle!

 

[Vern Padgett]

Having a similar problem with my 2020 3. Have about 500 miles and a heavy rattle when driving and clunk when I hit any kind of bump. It's on the driver's side rear.

I sat in the back with the seat down and can't tell if it's from the wheel well or the trunk mesh area.

Other than taking it into Service you've got to have another person drive so you can crawl around in the back and find the source of the rattle (or drive while they do that).
Have a few rags with you so you can stuff them in wherever you hear noise.

 

[PNWLeccy]

She couldn't find anything but she did stuff a rag into the area behind the left rear seat top and no more rattle!

Do you have any pics of where the rag was placed? I’m not sure where exactly you’re referring to.

 

[amcfarla]

So I had a rattle (clicking) in the rear of the car that would rattle all the time. I have had 6 different techs the have looked at it. I thought it was coming from seat latch because it stopped rattling when you unlatched the fold down for rear passenger seat. Well the tech got in the back on the floor and discovered the noise was coming from the seat belt area and removed the seat while driving it got a lot louder. Well it turns out the rod that comes from the center section (with cup holder) that hooks into the passenger rear seat, that rod was rattling off the back of the cylinder it is part of and they put foam around the cylinder and the clicking that has plauged me from day one of owning the car appears the be fixed. I went and drove more than 50 miles with no music and didn't hear it once. I am so elated that I finally got this re esolved.

 

[iollmann]

Yes indeed, it comes from play between the rear seat latch and bracket (in my 3 it's the double rear seat, not the single) I added some felt pads to prevent it from occurring. The felt pads push against the seat and eliminates the play between the seat and the bracket. I used two pads on top of each other, they are the same pads you put on chairs to prevent scratching wood floors. And I agree, it's a very annoying rattle!

View attachment 335254

I had a similar problem. The dark grey material has nothing behind it for a good 1/2". I needed 3 pads on top of each other. I ended up sticking them to the back of the seat though. Maybe not the best choice, since it will get knocked off if ever the seats are down.

The rattle is brutal because it is set off by the smallest motion at any frequency, so it is just constantly going off like a popcorn maker.

 

[Candleflame]

for me its the rear seat latch. been waiting for almost a year for tesla to fix this.

currently having an applicator sponge wedged in there which solves it.

 

[PNWLeccy]

for me its the rear seat latch. been waiting for almost a year for tesla to fix this.

currently having an applicator sponge wedged in there which solves it.

In the actual handle? Do you have any pics?

I managed to have Tesla replace them 1.5yrs ago and it didn’t change anything for me.

 

[Candleflame]

In the actual handle? Do you have any pics?

I managed to have Tesla replace them 1.5yrs ago and it didn’t change anything for me.

the latching mechanism. and you can push the seat back and forward and it gives way.

 

[Bayou3]

Yes indeed, it comes from play between the rear seat latch and bracket (in my 3 it's the double rear seat, not the single) I added some felt pads to prevent it from occurring. The felt pads push against the seat and eliminates the play between the seat and the bracket. I used two pads on top of each other, they are the same pads you put on chairs to prevent scratching wood floors. And I agree, it's a very annoying rattle!

View attachment 335254

This was it! Thank you! I read what others tried that didn't work and then I found that closing the seat back up on an opened black KN95 mask that I covered that metal catch part of the latch with worked well and no noise! Before this I brought the vehicle in 4 times and they could never solve the problem, always thinking it was something else. Thanks for discovering this!

 

[EV-lutioin]

This was it! Thank you! I read what others tried that didn't work and then I found that closing the seat back up on an opened black KN95 mask that I covered that metal catch part of the latch with worked well and no noise! Before this I brought the vehicle in 4 times and they could never solve the problem, always thinking it was something else. Thanks for discovering this!

Love it! I am so glad my post could be helpful, that is what these forums are for! And, you found another use for a mask

 

[joverobn]

I'm trying to debug if my rattle (from passenger side rear seat, almost sounds like it's coming from the seat belt tensioner) is due to this. Do you know if, prior to your fix, the seat would rattle even if someone was sitting in it and leaning against the back?

I have this same problem! Did you ever figure this out?

 

[joverobn]

I'm trying to debug if my rattle (from passenger side rear seat, almost sounds like it's coming from the seat belt tensioner) is due to this. Do you know if, prior to your fix, the seat would rattle even if someone was sitting in it and leaning against the back?

I have this same problem! Did you ever figure it out?

 

[u/Illustrious]

I’ve had the same issue with a rattle in the rear double seat area of my Model 3 2022. SC has a new back seat on order for 4 months now and looking like it will be no time soon for it arriving. They have wrapped the strike bar for the latch and I’ve put foam behind the parcel shelf area. It was back in with the SC again as I had a passenger sitting on it and they thought it was coming from below them. The technician folded the seat down and pressed hard near the bottom and the metal rod that goes through the seats was clunking. He wrapped it in foam which has helped but can still hear it sometimes which I’m assuming is knocking against where the rod goes through to the fixtures.

 

[u/Illustrious]

I have been having a similar issue with a rattle and clunking coming from the rear double seat. SC has a new seat on order but so far I’ve been waiting 4 months and still no sign of it anytime soon. I’ve wrapped the strike bar (latch) in material, put foam underneath the part of the parcel shelf against the seat and still the problem persists. Getting closer to resolving it and it was back in with the SC and if you push on the rear back of the seat you can hear the metal rod clunking that holds the seats in place. It’s been wrapped in foam which has considerably helped but can still hear a dull knock which I assume is in the bracket itself between both the seats.

 

[Candleflame]

I have been having a similar issue with a rattle and clunking coming from the rear double seat. SC has a new seat on order but so far I’ve been waiting 4 months and still no sign of it anytime soon. I’ve wrapped the strike bar (latch) in material, put foam underneath the part of the parcel shelf against the seat and still the problem persists. Getting closer to resolving it and it was back in with the SC and if you push on the rear back of the seat you can hear the metal rod clunking that holds the seats in place. It’s been wrapped in foam which has considerably helped but can still hear a dull knock which I assume is in the bracket itself between both the seats.

i had exactly this problem and the issue was the latch. what temporarily alleviated it was to take a cloth applicator for carcare products (i guess can also fold a microfibre 4x) and wedge it between seat and the.... parcelshelf.

I personally had no success just putting a thin microfibre next to the latch, itll still creak under acceleration.

 

[Kandiru]

I found a way to isolate the location of all rattles in my Model 3. Use a tone generator to make them all light up like a Christmas tree. I’m gonna bring it with me to the service center to pinpoint them all to the service tech.

I found a way to isolate the location of all rattles in my Model 3. Use a tone generator to make them all light up like a Christmas tree. I’m gonna bring it with me to the service center to pinpoint them all to the service tech.

I had an odd rattle than only occurred as I turned the car. Sounded like a screw rolling in an enclosure in the rear. I had the car in the service center for some other issues and had this on my list. The service advisor took a ride with me and I was able to duplicate pretty easily. First he emptied my glove box, thinking it was in the front but I kept telling him I was pretty sure it was in the back. So he got in the back of the car. I was pretty impressed as he followed the sound he was laying across the floor in the back. He then told me he could feel it and pops up with a small tree nut in his hand. I recognized it immediately as they are all over my driveway! Anyway it was laying in the rear heater/cooling duct under the passenger front seat. It has a trough below what you can see in the picture and any number of things could fall in there.

Keep this in mind if you hear this type of sound as I am sure anything could get in there and roll back and forth. There should probably be a grill covering this or some padding on the inside.

View attachment 344531

I got covers from AliExpress, make sure you get the highly rated ones that do not just go over the edge, but cover them for better durability.

 

[suwaneedad]

i had exactly this problem and the issue was the latch. what temporarily alleviated it was to take a cloth applicator for carcare products (i guess can also fold a microfibre 4x) and wedge it between seat and the.... parcelshelf.

I personally had no success just putting a thin microfibre next to the latch, itll still creak under acceleration.

I put a garden hose washer on each backseat latch and it solved the rattle for me. The washers fall out if I unlatch the seat/s, but since I only do that once or twice a year, I'm good with this DIY solution.

 

[nvesprini]

I have been having a similar issue with a rattle and clunking coming from the rear double seat. SC has a new seat on order but so far I’ve been waiting 4 months and still no sign of it anytime soon. I’ve wrapped the strike bar (latch) in material, put foam underneath the part of the parcel shelf against the seat and still the problem persists. Getting closer to resolving it and it was back in with the SC and if you push on the rear back of the seat you can hear the metal rod clunking that holds the seats in place. It’s been wrapped in foam which has considerably helped but can still hear a dull knock which I assume is in the bracket itself between both the seats.

Just spent an afternoon adding silicone and foam to various parts of the car to try to fix this rattle thinking it was in the wheel well or back deck. As I was putting everything together I noticed exactly what you posted....the metal rod in the base of the back seats that hinge to let the seats fold. I wish I was this earlier!!!!

Any idea how/where they added foam? I didn't really notice an easy way to remove the back seats to get to that rod...just felt the play if I pushed down.

 

[nvesprini]

I've had this same problem. My first visit and the head of service said there's a svc bulletin for it. Has to do with two pieces of metal rubbing in some of the early builds...in other words it's not related to any interior trim pieces if you're having the same issue I had. Mine occurred in the right rear. It's accessed from the wheel area. Anyway, the first attempt did not resolve...it reduced it to a clicking sound (rather than a creaking sound) but within a week or so the original creaking was back in all its glory.

Return visit to the SC, and a different fix this time apparently involving a shim of some sort. That is three weeks ago and so far so good.

In short, keep pushing. It is fixable. And at least in my state, if Tesla fails to fix it after three attempts, there's a Lemon Law process that results in them taking back the car or replacing it, at their option.

Accessed from the wheel area inside the trunk or from the exterior?