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Dashboard Rattling Noise

35K views 47 replies 27 participants last post by  vascorama 
#1 ·
2010 WRX - Is anyone else getting a rattling noise that appears to be coming from the drivers side dashboard? I will be bringing it in for a check up shortly, just wanted to know if this is happening to anyone else and if so was it fixed by the dealer?
 
#8 ·
I drive an 09 wrx and I'm having the same problem. It bugs the heck out of me because my 20 years old 89 supra turbo doesn't rattle as much. Poor installation? Let me know what you find out if you ever take yours to the dealer.
 
#11 ·
No i doubt this is the vin rattle... Its a plastic on plastic pop...

It sounds like it could be the whole dash popping going over bumps. Or Maybe its a vent that rattling...

I would think maybe some 3m tape under the dash would solve this issue...
 
#12 ·
There is a TSB out for the 09 WRX which states there may be a clicking noise from the bottom of the A-pillar...not to sure what you guys are hearing and how its best described but I have a guy feeling this TSB would be something to check into..ah here we are..pulled it off Subarunet for you guys...;)
NUMBER: 12-113-09
DATE: 08/03/09
APPLICABILITY: 2008~2009MY Impreza Sedan / Wagon / STI
SUBJECT: Noise from “A” Pillar
SERVICE BULLETIN
ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER ❏
PARTS MANAGER ❏
CLAIMS PERSONNEL ❏
SERVICE MANAGER ❏
IMPORTANT - All
Service Personnel
Should Read and
Initial in the boxes
provided, right.
Introduction
If you encounter a customer complaint of a sharp click type noise coming from the bottom of
the “A” pillar trim, it may be due to free play caused by installation variance and/or temperature
difference. The noise is normally heard while driving over bumpy or rough road surfaces
when temperatures are 50°F or lower. To eliminate the noise refer to the repair procedure
listed below.
Countermeasure in Production
The length of the non-woven tape was increased to 50mm in July, 2008 starting with the
following VINs:
Model VIN
Sedan 9G500668
Wagon 9H800721
STI 9L800723
Part Information
Part Description Part Number Remarks
Non-Woven Tape SOA963W110 1 - 8 x 11 Sheet, thickness
0.43mm (Needs to be cut to size)
Repair Procedure/Information
• Remove “A” pillar trim (refer to the applicable service manual).
• Cut the non-woven tape to size, long enough to cover the front and back of the tab
as illustrated.
Note: Make sure the “A” pillar trim is room temperature and clean and dry before installing
tape.
CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS
COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They
are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles, or
to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly
trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to
do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this
Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.
Subaru of America, Inc. is “ISO
14001 Compliant”
The international standard for excellence
in Environmental Management Systems.
Please recycle or dispose of automotive
products in a manner that is friendly to our
environment and in accordance with all
local, state and federal laws and regulations.
continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-113-09; Date: 08/03/09 Page
• Peel off backing of tape and apply to “A” pillar.
Right Side
Right Side (reverse side)
• Install “A” pillar trim in reverse order of removal.
Warranty/Claim Information
For vehicles within the Basic New Car Limited Warranty period, this repair can be claimed
using:
Labor Description Operation # Fail Code Labor Time
“A” Pillar Modification A913-171 YCJ-48 0.2
Parts: Use part # SOA635079 for non-woven tape. The part # is non-orderable and used for
claim purposes only.
 
#13 ·
Wow! Intense stuff. Thanks for the info EvoEatr. I have about 8k on the odometer and I don't know if I should take mine back to the dealer because of the mods I did to the car. I'm afraid they might turn me away because of it.
 
#14 ·
my 04 with 38k miles has an annoying rattle where the passenger side air vent is. its hard for me to pinpoint it tho since im usually alone in the car and it only rattles when i drive, making examination of the rattle quite difficult. oh well....
 
#16 ·
Did anyone try having the dealer fix the rattle yet? I have it too, and I'm probably going to go in next week. Just wondering if they will try to get out of it somehow. I only have 2K on mine. I have trunk rattles too. Oh yea, the door side panels rattle too. Only negative with my car.
 
#19 ·
Over the last two weeks my 2010 has popped up with this too.. only over expansion joints or where the road kinda shakes the car .. its like a "tang" kinda noise trailing the noise of the bump? Almost sounds to me like a license plate rattle (though its not my plate)

I've not brought mine to the dealer yet but have wandered around the inside of the car to see if I could locate the offending interior panel. What I found was that the hatch inside panel and pillar trim vibrate against the hatch itself. (if you tap it with your fingers quickly but not too hard you'll get it to vibrate with that buzzy "tang" noise) .. Tomorrow I'm going to grab some thin sticky backed foam weatherstripping and pop off that panel.. see if putting some sort of thin padding back there will help out.

I haven't noticed any noises from my dash, but I'll get in there and tighten those mounts. ;) Thanks for reporting back!
 
#24 ·
It creaks when you go over uneven surfaces? Lube the part that slides over the aluminum on the end (plastic) .. I put a dab of rc shock oil on there (35wt silicone oil) and spread it to a light layer all around the alum part where the plastic slides over it. Its been SILENT since.

as for the other rattles I think I'm just going to track them down myself.. I dont feel like leaving the car with the dealer for a whole day to do what I can in probably a half hour. ;)
 
#22 ·
I took my 09 wrx in today to have them fix the front dash / windshield clicking and vibrating sound that occurs over bumps. I dropped it off at 8am with the TSB report found earlier in this thread. I was optimistic, called them at 3pm to check in and they said they were still working on it. At 5pm they called me and they told me to come in and pick it up. At 5:15pm I got there, and of course nobody was there from service to explain to me what they did. The cashier lady handed me my keys and said everything should be fine. At about 5:20 I drove out of the dealership and my dash starts rattling immediately.

I hoped for more, but it's what I expected from the dealership. This rattle is destroying my new car experience. Tards.
 
#25 ·
I just finished up with the exhaust the other week. '09 WRX, Perrin Downpipe, Mid and S Pipe, and Crawford Gymkana Exhaust. It's at stage 2 from Perrin, and the dash and something out back rattled before but now basically the whole interior shakes. It just feels raw now and I enjoy it. If the rattle is a pain, just turn your music up. Enjoy the Rumble!
 
#26 ·
With the outside temp dropping below freezing, I now have rattles all over the inside cabin of my car. It's coming from my dash, passenger pillar, trunk, and rear suspension. Every little bump I hear a rattle. Don't get me wrong, I love driving my car. The rattles just bug the heck out of me. New cars shouldn't have this problem. What gives???
 
#27 · (Edited)
i also rattle alot in my 09. It's been below 10F these past few days (Omaha NE) and its really bad when its that cold. Worst is any music bass also rattles my door. I have the bass set at -4 and it still does it.

But the the 0 - 60 MPH still works fine =).
 
#28 ·
Well I got motivated the other night and tackled the hatch and its panels.. I used foam weatherstrip that you can get at autozone.. works great for damping vibrations or fixing the fit of loose panels. Pics below. fyi, my hatch area is now SILENT .. though still have a "pang" noise in my dash area.. I'll track that one down too :D I think rather than put a new amp/sub in I may just spend for some dynamat and hit the doors n floor.







The panels will come off pretty easy once you get the pattern right.. on removal the top panel has to come off first, then the sides.. then the main hatch panel, installation is the reverse. Now, make sure they're warm.. they'll be less likely to break and leave you visiting your parts department. If you have a dark colored car you can kinda look around where the panels mount to find rub marks in the paint. I found a few and placed the foam accordingly. I found that putting a narrow piece of foam on each point where the panels snap into their fasteners helped how tight they fit and brought the tangy vibration noise down quite a bit.

In this shot I put a piece of leftover backing paper on the hatch to represent where I put foam pieces. I could have (and probably should have) used more foam around the top of the main panel.. but so far its quiet... so whats there is working.



When I get into the dash I'll post up some more pics ;)
 
#29 ·
Hey all- I took delivery of my car in July 09 and have been dealing with a dash rattle emanating from both A pillar areas as well as a rattle from the rear cargo cover over the trunk (4 door). I'm pissed b/c my 2003 never had any like issues. Anyway, first time I took it to the dealer I don't think they did anything cause the same issues persisted. Followed this up with a letter to Subaru and explained the situation.

In mid Dec. I brought the car back and a field rep worked on it with the dealer techs. Upon picking the car up and driving it the rear rattle seemed to be fixed and the front dash rattle was attenuated (though still present to some degree).

I'm not 100 percent satisfied, but I also don't want the service techs to get too invasive because I'll probably only end up with even more issues.

Also the other night I also heard what sounded like a ping or clang noise from the left side of the dash kinda by the VIN plate. Sounded like it was my license plate frame but the next day it miraculously went away. Any thoughts?

Does anyone who lives in a warm climate year round have these issues? Don't get me wrong, I love the car, but the fit and finish needs some work.
 
#30 ·
I'm not that much south of you.. but I've noticed that the noises get worse as it gets colder. I just spent xmas in upstate NY with family and the car was a complete rattle box except for where I'd already fixed the rattling panels. Tomorrow I'm going to pop off both A pillars and add more of that foam.. if you sternly tap them with your middle finger you can get them to make that "click/tang" noise Just like the rear panels do. As said I love the car but a new $27k car should NOT rattle.. period. I'm a little disappointed with the interior fit/finish. It was ok when it was warm out but now that its gotten cold and I have some mileage on it, its terrible.
 
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