Plagued by rattles

[RHAGEL]

I am at a point that I am totally pissed about my car. My glovebox rattles, my stereo and dash rattle over big bumps and uneven roads, my drives seat squeaks, my driver door has a rattling noise and I have this annoying chirp sound when I accelerate or go over certain types of bumps. Does anyone else have similar problems? Why I am so suprised is that my Protege was quiet with no rattles at 70k. I have 8k miles now and can only imagine what its going to be like down the road. I know I can have the dealer look at it but we all know that they aren't going to do shit. My plan is to take everything apart myself and check it out when I get a chance.

[VermZ06]

Well I have an msp right now and there are very few squeeks other than the infamous 'clunk'. The msp is pretty simple, probably simpler than an '89 ford bronco I used to own. I did however have an '01 Gti about three years ago and that thing squeeked more than a hampster. I'm guessing although the 3 has a much nicer interior than the protege, it probably has more assembly parts, which of course are plastic. When there's plastic pieces bumping and moving against one another they produce a fair amount of squeaks. The Gti's dash and glove box rattled like crazy. I think that's just the price of having a really nice and high tech looking interior with more switches and whatnot. The fewer the parts used to put the interior pieces together, the less movement and noise you'll have. That's just my take on the whole thing.

[rodslinger]

Interesting you brought this up...

I just dropped off my 04 model 3s sedan at the dealer today and most of the issues were noise related. I bought the car in November of 03 and only has 35k miles on it. The problems they are to address are;

Creaking in the front end when turning steering wheel in either direction.
Rattle in left rear suspension when going over bump (brake related)
Creaking in right rear suspension when stopping (probably bushing)
Rattle in both front doors
Front motor mount clunking
Rattle sound in HVAC ever since they put in the the diffuser panel per TSB

But damn I still love this car....

[RHAGEL]

Yeah, I love my car too but damn, 8,000 miles and already lots of rattles. I want to lower my car but am concerned that if I go to the dealer they will blame it on that, so I want to get everything resolved before I do anything else to it. I am hoping the dealer can do something with my seat because I doubt they will address anything else.

[Newf]

my msp was fine after 3 years, 44k on it. Except the damn clunk of course. MS6 is rock solid, but only 6k on it so far.

And I am seriously anal about rattles and squeaks.

[javanc]

yeah my wifes 3s sedan squeeks creaks and groans like nothing else. The p5 has little clunks and rattles, but nothing like the 3. Although her dash is quiet while mine rattles a bit, thanks AWR. I cant get over the squeeling brakes and the hum when you make a sharp turn into a parking spot. How do you guys live with that noisy PS pump? drives me nuts.

[madeinmexico805]

by any chance do the cars that rattle inside have satellite radio? if so i think i know what can cause those rattles inside

[RHAGEL]

by any chance do the cars that rattle inside have satellite radio? if so i think i know what can cause those rattles inside Not mine.

[Mikey444]

Rattles are part of the experience of owning a Mazda :(
In my RX-8 the driver side seat makes a cracking sound when I turn, it's driving me crazy.
The Mazda 6 has a rattle pretty much everywhere you can think of, both front doors, dash, rear hatch, etc etc...
Interior fit and finish in all new Mazdas are garbage but I still love these cars.

[PlatinumMSP]

I am at a point that I am totally pissed about my car. My glovebox rattles, my stereo and dash rattle over big bumps and uneven roads, my drives seat squeaks, my driver door has a rattling noise and I have this annoying chirp sound when I accelerate or go over certain types of bumps. Does anyone else have similar problems? Why I am so suprised is that my Protege was quiet with no rattles at 70k. I have 8k miles now and can only imagine what its going to be like down the road. I know I can have the dealer look at it but we all know that they aren't going to do shit. My plan is to take everything apart myself and check it out when I get a chance.

i had a lot of rattles on my Protege, take it to the dealer and have them fix it under warrenty, they will do this, they have to

[RHAGEL]

i had a lot of rattles on my Protege, take it to the dealer and have them fix it under warrenty, they will do this, they have to Yeah, I know I've tried it before and they give be all this BS and it never gets fixed. I will have them check out my seat though, it squeaks when you sit in it so they can't miss it.

[RHAGEL]

Rattles are part of the experience of owning a Mazda :(
In my RX-8 the driver side seat makes a cracking sound when I turn, it's driving me crazy.
The Mazda 6 has a rattle pretty much everywhere you can think of, both front doors, dash, rear hatch, etc etc...
Interior fit and finish in all new Mazdas are garbage but I still love these cars. That sucks, I thought the 6&8 would have a little better build quality. I had a '94 626 and it was pretty solid unless you went over big bumps. Visual quality seems to be going up but build quality seems to be diminishing.

[Antonio DiMarco]

That sucks, I thought the 6&8 would have a little better build quality. I had a '94 626 and it was pretty solid unless you went over big bumps. Visual quality seems to be going up but build quality seems to be diminishing.

I've owned several Mazda's and all except my 3 and 5 have exhibited rattles. My 3 and 5 are tight, tight, tight. The 3 did have some annoying rattles when I first purchased it but they were all fixed under warranty. The truth is that the dealer needs to fix these. Many are probably related to TSB's (Door and suspension). If your dealer doesn't fix it then find another dealer. Or better yet call Mazda directly and report the issues. This will get the dealer's attention.

[Antonio DiMarco]

That sucks, I thought the 6&8 would have a little better build quality. I had a '94 626 and it was pretty solid unless you went over big bumps. Visual quality seems to be going up but build quality seems to be diminishing.

The newer 3 and 5 are light years ahead of the older Mazda's in terms of visual appeal and build quality. It just so happens that your 3 has some defects.

BTW do you armor all your dash? About a year ago the dealer cleaned my car and applied armor all to the interior. The amor all caused squeaks and rattles around the center console andinstuments to the point where I couldn't drive the car. The dealer fixed the issue by cleaning the dash with detergent, ever since then no problems.

[Antonio DiMarco]

Rattles are part of the experience of owning a Mazda :(
In my RX-8 the driver side seat makes a cracking sound when I turn, it's driving me crazy.
The Mazda 6 has a rattle pretty much everywhere you can think of, both front doors, dash, rear hatch, etc etc...
Interior fit and finish in all new Mazdas are garbage but I still love these cars.


I disagree wholeheartedly. My 3 and 5 are assembled to higher standard than my older Proteges and MPV. If you guys have rattles why don't you get them fixed by the dealer instead of whining?:)

[bbrich57]

...How do you guys live with that noisy PS pump? drives me nuts.
I hardly ever hear mine. It's electrically driven and is only active when it needs to be. Otherwise, 0db.
I kinda' like that sound, but the only way to hear it is sitting still w/the windows down.
You sure that's what you're hearing?

[rodslinger]

Interesting you brought this up...

I just dropped off my 04 model 3s sedan at the dealer today and most of the issues were noise related. I bought the car in November of 03 and only has 35k miles on it. The problems they are to address are;

Creaking in the front end when turning steering wheel in either direction.
Rattle in left rear suspension when going over bump (brake related)
Creaking in right rear suspension when stopping (probably bushing)
Rattle in both front doors
Front motor mount clunking
Rattle sound in HVAC ever since they put in the the diffuser panel per TSB

But damn I still love this car....

Still love the car but dealership is pretty much stupid...
1) Creaking in the front end when turning steering wheel in either direction. - Dealer replaced both front strut bearings. Fixed that.

2) Rattle in left rear suspension when going over bump (brake related). Dealer said jack in the truck was loose and I argued against this on the phone. When picking up the car, it made a very nice rattle as it rolled over a speedbump for me and the service writer to hear... Of course I rubbed it in.... Back in the shop it went.

3) Creaking in right rear suspension when stopping (probably bushing) - Turned out to be another strut mount. Dealer fixed this.

4) Rattle in both front doors - Dealer said they can't duplicate. We go for a drive with the technician and they magically re-appear. I suggested a hearing aid.

5) Front motor mount clunking - Dealer said it is OK... We go for a drive and now they hear something and agree the mount is bad....

6) Rattle sound in HVAC ever since they put in the the diffuser panel per TSB - Of course dealer said they can't duplicate. I get in the car with the service writer and turn on the HVAC. Rattle sound is there. I suggested another hearing aid.

[bbrich57]

'Sounds like we got the same dealer. I've been ready to punch somebody out there several times... and I am a non-violent kinda' guy.
I've got an '04, build date 02/04, purchase date, 08/04. No rattles, or squeaks even though the suspension can be harsh over some of our rough roads around here.

[Chibana]

Yeah, the interior of my 2005 Mazda3s has more buzzes and creaks than my Focus did when I sold it. The Focus was completely solid and quiet right up to 3.5 years and somewhere around 120,000 miles. However, I do like my Mazda3 better, inside and out.

[Antonio DiMarco]

Yeah, the interior of my 2005 Mazda3s has more buzzes and creaks than my Focus did when I sold it. The Focus was completely solid and quiet right up to 3.5 years and somewhere around 120,000 miles. However, I do like my Mazda3 better, inside and out.

...in cold and damp weather. But they go away after about 15 minutes. What's the weather like for the people complaing about rattles and creaks?

[RHAGEL]

The door is my biggest complaint. I can deal with everything else but the door rattles about 5 inches from my ear. I thing the door is out of alignment and two pieces of metal are touching. Just a guess though. It is hard for me to take my car to the dealer. I drive 100 miles a day and there is no dealer near my work...or not until march.

[Antonio DiMarco]

The door is my biggest complaint. I can deal with everything else but the door rattles about 5 inches from my ear. I thing the door is out of alignment and two pieces of metal are touching. Just a guess though. It is hard for me to take my car to the dealer. I drive 100 miles a day and there is no dealer near my work...or not until march.

If the rattle is coming from the B-Pillar area then it's probably the same problem I had when the car was new. It turned out to be the window. My dealer fixed it and now it only seems to occur when the car is very cold or the weather is cold and raining. Even then it goes away after the interior warms up. It could also be the striker. My 95 Protege exhibited terrible sqeaks, creaks and rattles when the striker and lock were dry. Lubing them fixed the problem.

Did you ever get the TSB for the door rattle fixed? That is yet another issue that has been widely known.

It's tight otherwise.

[RHAGEL]

If the rattle is coming from the B-Pillar area then it's probably the same problem I had when the car was new. It turned out to be the window. My dealer fixed it and now it only seems to occur when the car is very cold or the weather is cold and raining. Even then it goes away after the interior warms up. It could also be the striker. My 95 Protege exhibited terrible sqeaks, creaks and rattles when the striker and lock were dry. Lubing them fixed the problem.

Did you ever get the TSB for the door rattle fixed? That is yet another issue that has been widely known.

It's tight otherwise. Actually, I haven't checked any of the TSB's yet. My car is only 4 months old...with 9k miles. I need to get my clock fixed, I do know there is a TSB for that. I will check it out. What is the sight again? Thanks.

[bbrich57]

...in cold and damp weather. But they go away after about 15 minutes. What's the weather like for the people complaing about rattles and creaks?
Good point!
It can get bitter here, especially if the wind is up too, but my car seems very solid in that area. I notice the power window "clunk," and a bad road will give me some hard hits (stock springs/shocks, Progress rear bar,) but really nothing else to speak of.
I'm satisfied! :)

[bbrich57]

Actually, I haven't checked any of the TSB's yet... ...What is the sight again? Thanks.
Her ya' go...

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/mazda3/bulletins_index.html

[Mikey444]

I disagree wholeheartedly. My 3 and 5 are assembled to higher standard than my older Proteges and MPV. If you guys have rattles why don't you get them fixed by the dealer instead of whining?:)

It's very easy to say go to the dealer and fix it, but some people are extremely busy, I dont have time to loose at a dealership waiting on them to fix rattles. Some of those rattles can take hours before they find the source and it might still come back. The interior quality of the materials are extremely good but the FIT + FINISH is just garbage. That's only my opinion but from owning a Mazda 3, 6 and RX-8 I have been plagued with sub-par fit and finish in all 3 models.

[RHAGEL]

Her ya' go...

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/mazda3/bulletins_index.html

Muchas Gracias

[RHAGEL]

It's very easy to say go to the dealer and fix it, but some people are extremely busy, I dont have time to loose at a dealership waiting on them to fix rattles. Some of those rattles can take hours before they find the source and it might still come back. The interior quality of the materials are extremely good but the FIT + FINISH is just garbage. That's only my opinion but from owning a Mazda 3, 6 and RX-8 I have been plagued with sub-par fit and finish in all 3 models. I agree, the fit and finish is garbage. i actually liked the interior of my Pro, the dash had this soft finish that was nice. You would think a body that is 50% stiffer than the Protege would have LESS rattles. I guess between the rattles and the crappy clutch, I am unsatisfied with the car. It really is not that much better than my 02 Pro. I am going to be a little more skeptical with my next Mazda.

[Antonio DiMarco]

Good point!
It can get bitter here, especially if the wind is up too, but my car seems very solid in that area. I notice the power window "clunk," and a bad road will give me some hard hits (stock springs/shocks, Progress rear bar,) but really nothing else to speak of.
I'm satisfied! :)


Yet another rattle that I had fixed by the dealer. It occured on my passenger and driver door but are gone now.

I understand that it's frustrating when you don't have a good dealer or don't have one close by. I've been very lucky, my dealer offers me loaners when I ask nicely and is very up to date with the know problems. They even knew about the bushings on my 5 before the TSB actually came out. Every car has issues. I guess I've been very lucky with my Mazda autos and dealer.

[bbrich57]

Yet another rattle that I had fixed by the dealer. It occured on my passenger and driver door but are gone now.
I had the TSB done on my LS window too. It was back within a week. I just live w/it now. Blame Mazda for using plastic screws.

I've been very lucky, my dealer offers me loaners when I ask nicely and is very up to date with the know problems. They even knew about the bushings on my 5 before the TSB actually came out. Every car has issues. I guess I've been very lucky with my Mazda autos and dealer.
And yes Antoine, I'd say you are VERY lucky, especially w/your dealer.
As you may have read some of my other "dealer" comments, the few times I have been back there they took every chance to play stupid. Having worked @ dealerships and independents alike, I know they are not that uninformed.
A word to the wise for most of us: If there's a TSB out there for your specific problem, print it out and take it w/you. When your dealer plays stupid about it, stick it under his nose. :)
I've gotten some satisfaction that way, and it makes them look like the fools that they can be.

[Antonio DiMarco]

I had the TSB done on my LS window too. It was back within a week. I just live w/it now. Blame Mazda for using plastic screws.

And yes Antoine, I'd say you are VERY lucky, especially w/your dealer.
As you may have read some of my other "dealer" comments, the few times I have been back there they took every chance to play stupid. Having worked @ dealerships and independents alike, I know they are not that uninformed.
A word to the wise for most of us: If there's a TSB out there for your specific problem, print it out and take it w/you. When your dealer plays stupid about it, stick it under his nose. :)
I've gotten some satisfaction that way, and it makes them look like the fools that they can be.


I don't live in Japan :-)

[bbrich57]

I don't live in Japan :-)
(huh) :confused: (huh) :confused:

[Antonio DiMarco]

(huh) :confused: (huh) :confused:

You called me Antoine, who I believe runs this forum and lives in Japan. :-)

[bbrich57]

You called me Antoine, who I believe runs this forum and lives in Japan. :-)
Oops! You're right on both counts of course. (doh) (bang)
I am sorry Antonio. (bowdown)
Well it's not my first mistake and it won't be my last for sure. But, what's life w/o a few mistakes? :)

[Antonio DiMarco]

Oops! You're right on both counts of course. (doh) (bang)
I am sorry Antonio. (bowdown)
Well it's not my first mistake and it won't be my last for sure. But, what's life w/o a few mistakes? :)


:-)