Hi John -
Your post is aptly-timed, as I have had my 2015 90D (10/2015 production date, currently 22k miles) into the Las Vegas Service Center
three times in the last 45 days for this very issue, and unfortunately they still have not fixed it. I don't need a rough road or high speeds to produce the sound. It's evident at parking lot speeds. A rattling/rain dropping sound right above the driver's head. In my case venting the pano roof and then closing it will eliminate the sound for about 30-45 seconds of driving, then it returns. A search through the TMC forums will yield a couple of related threads, with several people posting varying levels of 'fixes', some seem to have been permanent, some seem to have only worked temporarily.
Just FYI, my detailed service history is as follows:
First Visit -
Service invoice stated "Insulated Headliner Mounting Points" and "Verified proper fitment after repairs". After leaving the service center the noise returned after about 5 minutes of driving. I called the SC and they asked me to come back. I turned around and took a tech for a drive again, verified the noise had returned. The tech said "I think I know what it is, and since venting the roof makes it temporarily subside that leads me to believe it is the rubber seal between the moving sunroof glass and the rear fixed glass." I would consider what followed the second visit, as the car was taken back into the shop. They asked if I could wait in the lobby while they worked on it right then. I obliged.
Second Visit -
They took my car into the shop and lubricated that rubber seal on the outside (top of the roof) and the inside (under the headliner), as well as cleaned and lubricated the sunroof tracks and rubber seal. It took about 20 minutes. Then we went for another drive. The noise was still present but substantially reduced. I agreed that it had been reduced to an acceptable level and took possession of my car. I drove for about 20 minutes to get home and as soon as I exited the freeway, the noise was back in full force. <FRUSTRATED> Called the SC, they were great, and asked me to drop the car off again in a few days.
Third Visit -
They had my car all week last week (they were not working on it all week, they were just really backed-up). My invoice stated "Removed and replaced panoramic glass screws and added anti-rattle washers. Lubricated seals. Performed test drive. Noise no longer present. No additional work needed" They used (4) anti-noise shim washers and (4) M5x0.8x12MM tprx bolts. I was out of town when they finished the work so I had a valet run my car out to my house and grab the loaner out of the garage. My first drive after returning home from vacation confirmed that the noise was very much still there, in fact I would argue it is worse.
When I informed the Vegas SC that despite having the car for a week they still hadn't addressed the problem, they asked me to swing by and take a lead tech for a drive. Did that, and he heard it in less than 10 seconds. I am now scheduled with another appointment on 1/24. The lead tech took detailed notes of our drive today and has committed to overseeing the repairs on 1/24. That will be the car's fourth visit for the same issue.
I will be sure to post the outcome of my fourth visit. The Tesla service folks have been terrific to deal with,and are committed to getting the issue identified and resolved. They are true professionals and have completely reinvented the automobile service experience. I can appreciate that rattling, crackling, creaking and all noise-related matters are probably the bane of their existence (They refer to these types of issues as NVH - noise, vibration, and harshness). I am trying to be empathetic and cooperative, but at the same time having to return four times for the same issue, after being told "It's fixed" every time, is getting frustrating.
Anyone else with a story to tell - please speak up! Sometimes I wonder if the Tesla SC's don't have a searchable service database like most other brands do, as I get the impression the guys here in Vegas are trying to figure this out on their own - a bit of re-inventing the wheel.
