[2012]

My 2020 Mazda3 has this same annoying rattle. I have looked up under the glovebox and this is what I see. Am I right in thinking that the yellow hose is what needs to be secured and prevented from hitting something else? Where do I place the foam - is it up at the "other" end of the house i.e. as far as my fingers can reach? I guess I need to stuff it in so that there is no movement with the hose. Is that right? Any help / tips much appreciated!

View attachment 281488

That yellow tube is the wiring harness of the airbag. No, I don't think that's what people were referring to.

Between the two passenger air vents, there's a center vent. It appears fake at first sight, but if you look up into it, you see it has a small air outlet. There's a plastic tube (maybe an inch in diameter) going to it which is connected to the floor air ducts. I believe it's this tube that everyone is referring to.

The driver side has similar tubes going to the small air vents on either side of the steering column, though they do not appear to be prone to rattling.

 

[perseus]

My 2020 Mazda3 has this same annoying rattle. I have looked up under the glovebox and this is what I see. Am I right in thinking that the yellow hose is what needs to be secured and prevented from hitting something else? Where do I place the foam - is it up at the "other" end of the house i.e. as far as my fingers can reach? I guess I need to stuff it in so that there is no movement with the hose. Is that right? Any help / tips much appreciated!

View attachment 281488

I think you're instinct is correct. That foam is 100% there for a reason.

 

[Saman2021]

My 2021 had the same issue. Took it to a dealer. Seems there is a TSB for it. "Tech was advised to loosen the passenger air bag, center it and tighten to 109" lbs". This has fixed my rattling problem. Will monitor and let you know if it comes back.

 

[Sticky BKK]

My 2021 had the same issue. Took it to a dealer. Seems there is a TSB for it. "Tech was advised to loosen the passenger air bag, center it and tighten to 109" lbs". This has fixed my rattling problem. Will monitor and let you know if it comes back.

Yes, please do let us know how it goes!

 

[perseus]

My 2020 Mazda3 has this same annoying rattle. I have looked up under the glovebox and this is what I see. Am I right in thinking that the yellow hose is what needs to be secured and prevented from hitting something else? Where do I place the foam - is it up at the "other" end of the house i.e. as far as my fingers can reach? I guess I need to stuff it in so that there is no movement with the hose. Is that right? Any help / tips much appreciated!

View attachment 281488

I think @discoburg had some success tightening those 4 nuts in this thread:

Interior Rattle Noise

Just curious to see if any new 2019 Mazda 3 owners have noticed any issues with fit and finish or rattles? I have a '19 Sedan have an annoying rattle that occurs when I hit bumps at city speeds. Sounds like something bouncing or moving around in the glove box or passenger door pocket, even...

www.mazda3revolution.com

I wouldn't be surprised if that corrosion is part of the problem. The airbag manufacturers all say it's perfectly safe, but if I were a gambling man I'd wager that the corrosion exponentially increases the likelihood of those nuts coming loose.

 

[D-Boy44]

Hello everyone. I got a 2019 mazda 3 and im experiencing a plastic rattle in the passenger side. Near the glove box area. I have a video, as well as a picture that indicates where i put my fingers to stop the sound, i put my fingers near the glove box area with a little pressure and noise is gonzo, but as soon as i remove my finger its back to rattle town. Ive placed foam just about everywhere and i have no success, i added foam, i added these plush microfiber towels as well. Some stick on foam. No success.
Video: - YouTube

 

[perseus]

Passenger Knee Airbag possibly:

 

[2021thbpp]

It is not a hose, wires or the glove box. It is this:

Get under the passenger side and look up just above were your feet would be if you were sitting there. It is forward of the back/bottom of the glove box right against the firewall. There you will find a very flimsy piece of black plastic clipped to the firewall loosely with one plastic peg. Start thumping on the dash with your hand while holding this cover and you'll see that it is the source of the rattle. I believe this to be the sacrificial airbag cover that blows off after deployment. It is thin plastic; like a sandwich wrapper box. Secure this to itself as best as you can with electrical tape and also to the air vent next to it that is flapping around connected to nothing. It is also a culprit. Jam something into the gap between the glove box and this cover. Gone.

 

[opti1]

I think I have this same rattle in my 2016 sTouring. Does it sound like a marble or a stone bouncing around inside a plastic prescription bottle that pills come in?

While I'm driving my rattle sounds like it's coming from behind the infotainment screen, between the screen and the center dashtop speaker, but it's hard to tell for sure. Sometimes a thump in that area stops the rattle for a while. Mine also started with the onset of hot weather, as it has off and on for a few years.

The last post in this thread (before mine) is from over a year and a half ago. It would be helpful if we could get updates from previous posters in the thread on whether they solved the problem or if they still have it.

Thanks!

 

[SM3_Sedan]

Unfortunately I have some rattle too in my 2020 sedan and sometimes it drives me nuts.
1. Rattle from de dash area behind the front USB connector. I have put some foam from the glove are and it helps but not for 100%
2. Driver side, left armrest creaks when I rest my arm
3. B pillar passenger side rattles randomly.
4. Rattle from the back plastic/metal speaker grill when driving in city or playing some bass heavy music on volume 30.

 

[raegreen53]

Hey Mazda 3 Gurus...
OK, I finally found the annoying dash rattle and got a little video of it. It happens when I drive over any road that is less than perfect, and yes it drives me nuts.
It occurs right under the top of the dash on the passenger side only. If I make a fist and lightly tap the top of the dash on the passenger side, I can recreate the annoying sound. It seems like right under that area it is "hollow" and some kind of wiring loom might be moving around.

A point of interest though is that if I press on the dash (in the hollow area) (see pic below) and tap on it again - the rattle is pretty much gone. I think that the top of the dash pad has to come out so something can be taped down. Anybody know what is directly under there?


I will take it to the dealer to have this sorted out but I wish I could remove the side panel on the dash to peek inside and see what is going on. Anybody know how to do this?

Here is the video:

Hi everyone. I have a mazda axela 2013 that has developed a rattle vibration noise when on any road other than very smooth. Worse when the dash is cold. definately on the drivers side behind the whole steering and meter areas. Getting worse. Any ideas ?? Im going nuts over it and cant afford to get someone to search it out. Desperate penspensioer 🤣😜

 

[opti1]

I think I have this same rattle in my 2016 sTouring. Does it sound like a marble or a stone bouncing around inside a plastic prescription bottle that pills come in?

While I'm driving my rattle sounds like it's coming from behind the infotainment screen, between the screen and the center dashtop speaker, but it's hard to tell for sure. Sometimes a thump in that area stops the rattle for a while. Mine also started with the onset of hot weather, as it has off and on for a few years.

The last post in this thread (before mine) is from over a year and a half ago. It would be helpful if we could get updates from previous posters in the thread on whether they solved the problem or if they still have it.

Thanks!

Replying to myself but more info for you detectives out there . . . We've had a few really hot days recently (90s) and the rattling noise described in my previous post above is back. I've noticed that usually if I cycle the HVAC through the different modes I can hear stuff going on back there as it switches modes and the rattle stops, at least for a while. I wonder if something that controls the mechanism that redirects the airflow is responsible for this noise . . .