2011 WRX Sedan - Rattles

[MagnumXL]

Oh GOD, I hate unauthorized sounds...as a new owner, this is NOT the thread I wanted to find. It's brand new and the radio makes the passenger side door panel make some noise so I'll bring this up to the dealer.

I got the door panels 'fixed' and the rear deck fixed and now the front dash at the window is making horrible rattles when I hit the slightest little bump now that the temperature has dropped near and below the freezing level on a regular basis. This car is one big rattle trap. My last ('04) WRX was nothing like this. I've never had a car with so many rattles in my life.

[Rholman1]

I got that same rattle once it got below 40 degrees- on the far right side of the dash somewhere? It's really annoying, but today it was back up in the 50's and the rattle disappeared. I couldn't tell if it was coming from the dash, glovebox, or the A-pillar.

[Cubanaso]

I got the door panels 'fixed' and the rear deck fixed and now the front dash at the window is making horrible rattles when I hit the slightest little bump now that the temperature has dropped near and below the freezing level on a regular basis. This car is one big rattle trap. My last ('04) WRX was nothing like this. I've never had a car with so many rattles in my life.

Forgive me, I have alot to read here and learn, but how did you fix it? Dealer, forum mod fix, etc?

[djclue8713]

+1 on the right side dash rattle when below 40 degrees. This is a new one...it seems like one rattle goes away and a new one appears. I might have to go back to get that one fixed up.

[MagnumXL]

Forgive me, I have alot to read here and learn, but how did you fix it? Dealer, forum mod fix, etc?

I had the dealer address the door panels (not sure what they did there) and the rear deck (they put some kind of foam strip between the edge and the rear glass, but they were a bit sloppy about it (I can see the end of it on the one side popping up above the deck through the rear window). I might have been better off doing it myself. I'm not sure what would be needed to fix the front dash since I'm not certain where it's coming from (I need to get someone to ride in the passenger seat and listen for it while it's doing it. I simply can't tell for certain if it's at the window, in the glove box or behind the glove box. At different points, it sounds like any one of those areas. Even the seat belt retraction/clip area is making light buzzing sounds now in the cold weather. And despite my 'fixes' for the door panels, they'll still buzz a bit with enough bass in a given song at the right frequency. I'm thinking most of the interior needs dynamat and/or other material between adjoining surfaces at this point.

Just feel the visors and how hard they are and you'll quickly get an idea where the problems are coming from. When I tried to hang my garage door opener from the passenger visor, I got instant vibration/rattle issues because the roof lining is way too thin and the visors are way too hard and that was in the summer. I ended up buying the home-link auto-dim/compass mirror so I wouldn't need a remote any longer.

Speaking of sun visors and the associated items to block the sun, they suck in this car. There's no 'blue' strip at the top of the windshield, just a 'black dot pattern' behind the rear view mirror area that is almost completely ineffectual when the sun is right in that spot (my '04 WRX had a little fold down center visor that did a pretty good job of blocking the sun there and the roof line was apparently a little lower as well as the sun didn't tend to get in my eyes this time of year on the way home when in line with the passenger side. Now it's a nightmare. The sun is 'just so' that it shines in my eyes in the middle section and somehow on the passenger side even if I put the visor down almost the entire way home from work each day. It's very difficult to look over to the right mirror with the sun in your eyes and even in your left eye when looking over your right shoulder to move to a right side lane. I'm thinking of putting some electrical tape along the top and middle as a temporary solution or something until I can find something better.

[dalwrx]

The buzz in the right door was repaired. I purchased Dynamat 12”12” sheets and Dynamat door sheets and had it installed at a local Best Buy. The direct cause of the buzz was the nylon cage-like boxes in the door. BB techs insulated and taped up the cages with Dynamat and lined the inside of the doors with the larger sheets, including the impact bar. All is well.

[AmateurX]

Speaking of sun visors and the associated items to block the sun, they suck in this car. There's no 'blue' strip at the top of the windshield, just a 'black dot pattern' behind the rear view mirror area that is almost completely ineffectual when the sun is right in that spot (my '04 WRX had a little fold down center visor that did a pretty good job of blocking the sun there and the roof line was apparently a little lower as well as the sun didn't tend to get in my eyes this time of year on the way home when in line with the passenger side. Now it's a nightmare. The sun is 'just so' that it shines in my eyes in the middle section and somehow on the passenger side even if I put the visor down almost the entire way home from work each day. It's very difficult to look over to the right mirror with the sun in your eyes and even in your left eye when looking over your right shoulder to move to a right side lane. I'm thinking of putting some electrical tape along the top and middle as a temporary solution or something until I can find something better.

Just take it to a local tint shop & have them put a 6" strip at the top. It works like a charm.

[suby04]

Just got done with dealing with the annoying a pillar rattle on my 11 hatch - OMG, what a difference, and to think the dealer "couldn't duplicate the issue" I was amazed at how other plugs and connectors in the car are wrapped in foam, but these ones that are obviously in close contact with the body were unwrapped!

One question - i noticed and orange plug on the passenger side in the a piller - it had the following 3 wires in it " red/black, grey/black, and Purple. Seemed to come from the headliner somewhere. Anyone know what this is for?

[Jejunum]

11 hatchback question - terrible rattle at driver side near side airbag, any ideas where its from? Tore off part of dash couldnt find anything.

[rage-wrx]

11 hatchback question - terrible rattle at driver side near side airbag, any ideas where its from? Tore off part of dash couldnt find anything.

which airbag?

[Jejunum]

Sounds to be coming from the side airbag, or somewhere below it in the dash.

[MagnumXL]

I had Subaru check out the creaking sound I was getting in 1st gear when taking off that sounded like it was coming from the passenger strut tower area. The guy riding with me said it sounded like it was coming from the driver side (odd). It turns out it was in the middle. It was the bushing at the bottom of the gear box making the noise (i.e. one of the kartboy bushings? That may explain why I only started noticing it after I had the short shifter installed), according to the mechanic there. They lubricated it, but said it wasn't damaged or anything and that it quieted it down, but it will never make zero noise. I don't know about that, but I didn't hear the sound anymore when I left the dealership.

[ad53030]

So I have to chime in on this. My A pillar rattle started in my left ear as I drove out of the freakin dealership! I was in shock but I pretty much knew it was coming. I have had many cars with the same plastic interiors and I already had a roll of sound deadener waiting but that was really for the road noise. I was and am still shocked that the rattles come instantly in a brand new almost $30k car. I've had a trim panel come loose under the driver's seat, a little plastic plug fell out of somewhere and landed in the drivers door pocket, and now four total rattles with like 1500 miles. A pillar, pass door panel, occasional dash noise, and terrible rear deck noise. And it's in San jose, Ca and not cold... And as far as slowing down for bumps, not driving on "race tracks", etc. lol, I have babied the hell out of this car from the second i sat down in it. And it seems to have not mattered a bit. The quality is not there. Just sucks. But... we actually still are very excited about the car. We have pretty much decided we can fix most of the rattles and we will make it faster to make up for the lack of interior quality. It handles great, sounds great, and has a ton of potential. Have to hope Subaru is getting wind of this somehow though...

[Rex_Harrison]

How do you get your speakers to rattle your doors? My stereo has zero bass, actually it's one of the worst stereo's I've ever listened to. My 96' GMC Sonoma's stock stereo would give my 09' WRX stereo a run for its money.

Honestly, the only really good thing about our cars is the engine, even though it's inefficient and a little outdated (barely 100hp per liter with a turbo). The handling is good but not great ( the understeer is pretty bad ), the interior is as cheap as they come ( hard plastic everywhere = creaks and noises) the gearbox is a little sloppy, all that being said, I still love my WRX, it only cost me 24k brand new, and on a good country road it's a blast to drive

[Rex_Harrison]

OO