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Annoying dash rattle found... but how do I fix it?

67K views 70 replies 28 participants last post by  raegreen53 
#1 · (Edited)
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:
 

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#5 ·
Brilliant ... thank you!

This is the last (for now, and with luck forever) niggle we have with our 3 Sport GT/premium. "Clunk" from stop is gone (all four axle nuts re-torqued -- gone); false airbag malfunction warning fixed (TSB/recall/new module).

I will check this tomorrow using your 'tests', and see if I have the same 'rattle location'.

Will report further.
 
#13 ·
Update: took it to the dealer today and showed the technician the rattling sound by tapping on the dashboard. However, he said that he can only fix it if we take it for a test drive and hear the noise. He said Mazda won't pay for the repair by simply 'tapping' on the dash. No problem, we went for a test drive and he heard the annoying rattle. So it's now in for repair.

Make sure you are able to duplicate it while driving so the technician can hear it.

Will keep you posted on the results.
 
#25 ·
This was absolutely priceless info. I have had the dash rattle since day one with my 19 premium hatch. I mentioned it to my dealer and they said that haven't had any complaints at all. I'll pay them another visit with the info from this forum and see if they will take care of it. Thanks again for the info.
 
#27 ·
Update: so, the front right-side rattle -- fixed a week or so ago as I reported above -- is back with a vengeance. Even gently knocking the top right soft dash pad (over the passenger air bag location/glove box) creates an annoying set of rattles, as if everything is ready to fall apart.

We've just driven about 1800 kms (highway) out to our summer location, where the roads are rough at times. Took about three days for the rattle(s) to return, more irritating than ever.

Stuck with them until October (don't trust the local Mazda dealer/result of past experience) when we return 'home'. However, I have the lug nut recall on our car, so will have to have that attended to. Already had the false airbag etc. malfunction and the loose axle nut clunking fixed.

Pity. In concept (intention, design) this car is soooo good; the execution, even on a Japanese production line? Pretty poor. Not happy.

I guess now I'll wait for something else to go wrong; shouldn't be long now!
 
#29 ·
Hi!

If you don't mind, and if you know -- could you tell me exactly what/where this is that was rattling, and what was the fix? I suspect we have the same problem. The first 'fix' (dealer) made it go away, but only for a week or so. The more specific information I have, the more likely it is the problem can be traced/permanently solved.

So frustrating; as I've said in several posts, this car (our fifth '3' since 2003) is soooo good in concept/design/nhv-suppression, etc., but these niggling problems are irritating.

TIA for any info.
 
#30 ·
It is a hose connection up to the left and behind the glovebox. Removed the glovebox reached up ad to the left and found a plastic hose connection to be movable. I wedged a styrofoam pad between it and a support rod to prevent it from moving. Did it by feel. Perhaps if there is clamp holding it in place it can be tightened. I chose to wedge it and prevent any further movement. Styrofoam pad is 1.5” thick. Wedged it tight.

I’m 72 years sold and have found over the years that many dealers are sloppy when doing these types of corrections. So I tried it myself.

I love the car. Mine is a stick premium hatch.
 
#39 ·
Just brought home my 2020 premium hatch. I had been on two test rides prior to purchase, never heard a thing. Three blocks from the dealer on the way home, dash rattle commences on the first street encountered that had some rough patches. Went straight back to dealer. Service dept is backed up, have to return tomorrow. 35 min. drive one way.
 
#43 ·
@Leonardo Po what did yours sound like? is it like a plastic 'tick tick' sound? or a rubbery diving board sound? i want to be sure before i go tell them to look at that hose. i really need someone's help to identify the sound profile because this dashboard airbag issue has been through multiple visits. even the glovebox ceiling panel is starting to make noise from constantly open/close by the service guys, who don't seem to hear a thing
 
#46 ·
So I finally took mine to the dealer. As it's a worse problem in warm weather, I waited till late spring, having put up with it since purchase in January.
They didn't fix it. They told me they had foam wrapped some components over the glove box and that stopped it . I was skeptical, as I had already tried that and told them so.
No matter, they said, as they were more thorough. Seemed ok till I got 20 miles from the dealer and it started in again. Intermittent as always.
Taking it back next Tuesday, this time insisting to talk with attending tech.
 
#48 ·
I left the car at the dealer for the second time yesterday. Showed the tech how tapping on top of the dash could produce the rattle. That was 930am. I texted the service rep at 2pm today for a status report. He said the tech is working on it now but to not count on it being done today. It seems he had to consult Mazda USA for the tear down procedure to get deep enough into the dash to get to the rattle. OMG.

They gave me a CX3 loaner, so I'm ok with the delay.
 
#51 ·
@Had4mazdas@ believe it or not i had this repair done last summer. the heat causes the passenger airbag to vibrate like a diving board. it took 2 visits for corporate to send a guy out and tell the techs about re-torquing the airbag bolts. but surprise-- that thing still vibrates at a much lower volume in the summer sun.

i went back to them about it. they couldn't hear it. bullshit. i am pretty fed up with it. but it makes little sense for me to bring up the same problem and expect a different solution from the 'experts' who don't quite seem to know what's rattling back there.
 
#52 ·
Don't know if it will be any use to you but just to update. After a long day trip my wife and I did notice there was still some rattle in the air bag area, but on fewer bumps and of a lower volume. I would say it had been about 85 to 90 percent reduced and it was no longer bad enough that I would have brought it the dealer in the first place.

This morning I went back to trying stuffing foam material around components at the top of the glove box. Though not effective before the dealer visits, this in combination with whatever they did seems to have gotten rid if it 100 percent. But I only drove it ten miles on rough roads on a 70 degree morning.

So as you say, conditions such as temperature variation can play a part as well, so I'll just have to wait and see if this works over the long run.
 
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