Rattle from rear window/ceiling

[Metal Wing]

Ugh... I guess the time has come and my car is now falling apart.

A week ago I started hearing a rattling noise that sounds kind of like plastic-on-plastic. Here are some of the things I've done/noticed:

- it rattles whenever I drive over bumps/potholes/etc. No sound when on even road
- sometimes the noise goes away: emptied the trunk (including the spare/tools) - noise stopped. Put stuff back - no noise, then noise started again. Took everything out again - still noise. So not the trunk
- I had 3 different people sit in the back of my car trying to figure out what's wrong. Doesn't seem to be the seats. Tried putting them down, tried people lying on them, tried wiggling them - doesn't seem to be related to the noise
- Two people told me it sounds like it's the glass

So this morning, the noise was still as loud and annoying as ever. After resisting the temptation of driving myself off a bridge, I pulled over and short of smashing the rear window with a tire iron, pushed around on the glass. What I noticed is that the little defroster thingamajig is loose. Not like it's falling off, but I can wiggle it side to side. Also, when I pushed up on it, I believe I heard that same noise that has been driving me crazy. I had to apply a fair amount of pressure (I poked it with pressure to simulate going over a rough terrain), so I am not 100% sure if it's the glass rattle or if its the plastic defroster hitting the glass.

So my question now is - what do I do?? Is my car now a write-off?? Can the dealership investigate/fix this? Is it under warranty? (my car is only 2 years old)

Any advice is appreciated!!

[Mazdafan14]

If it's just a ticking noise like thing, then it's fine. A lot of cars make that noise. Mine does it, and my roommate's brand new Charger does it as well. Yes its annoying because it sounds like the rear window might fall off, but nothing to worry about. It's a car, it's bound to loosen up and get used.

[Booter22]

we had a few cars that had a rattle from the gas door cable against the body that would make all sorts of noise. check that out

[studum]

Did you check pull the jack out of the side when you pulled the spare to see if that was rattling? I had a jack rattle in my truck behind the back seat and it drove me nuts until I figured it out.

[dietsprite]

I had similar rattle sound coming from the rear part of the car, which drove me crazy.It seems to happen only in the winter when its minus and really cold.I have no idea what it can be but when it became warmer out the rattling noise stopped.

[Metal Wing]

If it's just a ticking noise like thing, then it's fine. A lot of cars make that noise. Mine does it, and my roommate's brand new Charger does it as well. Yes its annoying because it sounds like the rear window might fall off, but nothing to worry about. It's a car, it's bound to loosen up and get used.

Sadly not a ticking noise. I feel like ticking would be almost therapeutic. This one is a rattle, sometimes almost sounds like something rolling around.


we had a few cars that had a rattle from the gas door cable against the body that would make all sorts of noise. check that out

I don't think that is it, but I'll definitely check cause I haven't looked there.


Did you check pull the jack out of the side when you pulled the spare to see if that was rattling? I had a jack rattle in my truck behind the back seat and it drove me nuts until I figured it out.

Tried that. Took everything out of the trunk, including the jack, etc


I had similar rattle sound coming from the rear part of the car, which drove me crazy.It seems to happen only in the winter when its minus and really cold.I have no idea what it can be but when it became warmer out the rattling noise stopped.

It almost seems to me that I am experiencing something similar. I think that because:
7am - rattle
Left car in the sun in the parking lot
3pm - no rattle
Left car in the parking lot (also sun, but evening?)
7pm - rattle

But then again, sometimes even after being left in the sun it rattles :/ I think I read something somewhere about window spacers and how they can cause the rattle.

I also found out that people say it could be the plastic interior around the brake light (that's at the rear window) so I'll check that
Some say it could be just the windows in the rear doors - it doesn't seem to me like the sound is coming from there, but I'll try playing with them.

All in all, still rattles. I no longer enjoy my commute and dread getting into my car =(

[Jenuine]

I have the same issue as dietsprite

If you're under warranty, they'll fix it. I think someone here had a similar issue and had it fixed by a dealership... samanthastyle?

[samanthastyle]

I have the same issue as dietsprite

If you're under warranty, they'll fix it. I think someone here had a similar issue and had it fixed by a dealership... samanthastyle?

LOL i'm pretty sure i've had every type of rattle happen to my car.

#1 - the wires in the roof were loose and banging around. (Between the carpeted ceiling and the metal roof..if that makes sense) It happened over bumps.. and when i punched the ceiling near the map light lol.. They took off the ceiling and padded all the wires. (fixed at Mountain Mazda)

#2 - There were rattles coming from my map light itself... they padded them. (fixed at Gyro Mazda)

#3 - My rear window was rattling like crazy. Apparently there was a bulletin for it. They had to send my car to some glass place where they could remove the back window to fix whatever it was... This one was THE WORST and sounds just like what you're explaining. (Gyro Mazda in Toronto fixed this one... Maybe you can call them and ask them about it?)

#4 - My defroster clip also came loose and eventually fell off (was hanging by the wire.) they fixed this too. (fixed at Gyro Mazda)

The back window one - they tried saying it had something to do with weather.. but it was summer so that wasn't the case

This was all done while my car was still under warranty...

[Jenuine]

I'll call Airport Mazda to see if they know about the bulletin for the rear window rattling. It only happens in the winter though so I might have to wait until the end of the year but I'll still be under warranty so it should be ok.

Thanks samanthastyle :)

[dietsprite]

Jenuinei would love to get it fixed the only problem its warm now and the noise stopped, how do i explain the dealership the issue without them hearing the actual sound ?

[Jenuine]

Jenuinei would love to get it fixed the only problem its warm now and the noise stopped, how do i explain the dealership the issue without them hearing the actual sound ?

We'll have to wait until winter for the noise to return lol.

Found this while searching, might explain our issue:
http://www.reddit.com/r/mazda/comments/2dqmcp/anyones_20102013_mazda3_have_a_squeaky_rattle/

I'll let you know what Airport Mazda says.

[samanthastyle]

We'll have to wait until winter for the noise to return lol.

Found this while searching, might explain our issue:
http://www.reddit.com/r/mazda/comments/2dqmcp/anyones_20102013_mazda3_have_a_squeaky_rattle/

I'll let you know what Airport Mazda says.

If the noise is only happening in the winter it may not be the same thing mine was doing... mine was happening all year but no harm in asking about the bulletin.. who knows, maybe theres a new one about it. Hopefully they can fix it!! It drove me crazyyy!

[Jenuine]

If the noise is only happening in the winter it may not be the same thing mine was doing... mine was happening all year but no harm in asking about the bulletin.. who knows, maybe theres a new one about it. Hopefully they can fix it!! It drove me crazyyy!

Yea, it might not be the same thing but it's definitely not normal. When this winter comes around, I'll have to stop procrastinating and take it in to the dealership because I only have warranty until April 2016.

[Metal Wing]

LOL i'm pretty sure i've had every type of rattle happen to my car.

#1 - the wires in the roof were loose and banging around. (Between the carpeted ceiling and the metal roof..if that makes sense) It happened over bumps.. and when i punched the ceiling near the map light lol.. They took off the ceiling and padded all the wires. (fixed at Mountain Mazda)

#2 - There were rattles coming from my map light itself... they padded them. (fixed at Gyro Mazda)

#3 - My rear window was rattling like crazy. Apparently there was a bulletin for it. They had to send my car to some glass place where they could remove the back window to fix whatever it was... This one was THE WORST and sounds just like what you're explaining. (Gyro Mazda in Toronto fixed this one... Maybe you can call them and ask them about it?)

#4 - My defroster clip also came loose and eventually fell off (was hanging by the wire.) they fixed this too. (fixed at Gyro Mazda)

The back window one - they tried saying it had something to do with weather.. but it was summer so that wasn't the case

This was all done while my car was still under warranty...

Thanks!! So looks like taking it to some sort of shop is my next move. The service where they take the car to the glass place and take out the window - was that done under warranty??

Anyway... so here's a story for the morning...

Last day, since I've pretty much established that the rattle isn't coming from the ceiling, I decided to move down and inspect the bottom of the window, to see if the rattle is coming from the panelling around the brake light. After about 10 minutes of looking for the stupid thing, I realized that I drive a Mazda and not a Toyota and my brake light is in the trunk lid... So whatever... Panelling under the glass then! After a bit of further inspection, I consulted a local expert (myself *sniff*) who advised to stuff some towels there and see what happens.

The result... My past 5 drives over all sorts of roads were completely quiet!! So ... This is what I did: http://i.imgur.com/xZHh6pw.jpg

Now, that still produced an occasional little rattle. So then I did this: http://i.imgur.com/815WDih.jpg

So currently, I am rattle free. All that's left is to get rid of those towels and see what I can do, to make it not rattle then. I am guessing taking it to service and having them fix it would be a good idea. I can only hope this doesn't run me hundreds of dollars :/ If this is something as simple as just pushing that panelling back into place......

[dietsprite]

We'll have to wait until winter for the noise to return lol.

Found this while searching, might explain our issue:
http://www.reddit.com/r/mazda/comments/2dqmcp/anyones_20102013_mazda3_have_a_squeaky_rattle/

I'll let you know what Airport Mazda says.

Ya keep me posted about what they tell you abut this issue

[samanthastyle]

Thanks!! So looks like taking it to some sort of shop is my next move. The service where they take the car to the glass place and take out the window - was that done under warranty??

Anyway... so here's a story for the morning...

Last day, since I've pretty much established that the rattle isn't coming from the ceiling, I decided to move down and inspect the bottom of the window, to see if the rattle is coming from the panelling around the brake light. After about 10 minutes of looking for the stupid thing, I realized that I drive a Mazda and not a Toyota and my brake light is in the trunk lid... So whatever... Panelling under the glass then! After a bit of further inspection, I consulted a local expert (myself *sniff*) who advised to stuff some towels there and see what happens.

The result... My past 5 drives over all sorts of roads were completely quiet!! So ... This is what I did: http://i.imgur.com/xZHh6pw.jpg

Now, that still produced an occasional little rattle. So then I did this: http://i.imgur.com/815WDih.jpg

So currently, I am rattle free. All that's left is to get rid of those towels and see what I can do, to make it not rattle then. I am guessing taking it to service and having them fix it would be a good idea. I can only hope this doesn't run me hundreds of dollars :/ If this is something as simple as just pushing that panelling back into place......

I didn't take it into the glass shop myself, I just took it into Mazda and they did whatever they had to do lol. Yupp, all under warranty.. So sad that my warranty is up now LOL

[r4BBiT]

I think there is Tsb for that and the fix was to add some felt pads iirc.

[Metal Wing]

Took it to Mazda of Toronto on Saturday in hopes of a quick-fix, but no such luck... figures lol

I was told that they did in fact hear the noise (They even tucked the towels right back under the glass so it doesn't rattle LOL) but they have absolutely no idea what's causing it.

I scheduled another appointment for the first week of June - this time I'll get a rental and just leave my car at the dealership for them to play around with it and hopefully fix whatever is wrong.

[MAZDArati]

could it be the rear passenger belt hitting the plastic on the side walls?

[Metal Wing]

could it be the rear passenger belt hitting the plastic on the side walls?

I wish! I twisted it around, buckled it in, and even had 2 passengers in the back - still rattled.

The fact that the towel under the glass solves the problem (and that people at Mazda heard it and have no idea what it is) leads me to believe it's something on the inside/out of sight =(

[ken6214]

My wife's sedan had this issue. I found it to be the rear glass placement clips rubbing causing the noise. I used this link, did the work myself and was noise free in 20 minutes. http://www.rx8club.com/attachments/general-automotive-49/204856d1409279070-s-k-y-bulletins-cracking-noise-windshield-rear-windshield.pdf Walks you through the whole thing.

[Metal Wing]

My wife's sedan had this issue. I found it to be the rear glass placement clips rubbing causing the noise. I used this link, did the work myself and was noise free in 20 minutes. http://www.rx8club.com/attachments/general-automotive-49/204856d1409279070-s-k-y-bulletins-cracking-noise-windshield-rear-windshield.pdf Walks you through the whole thing.

Oooooo..... It stopped making sense to me right after the title... I am not very bright when it comes to fixing cars... =(

Perhaps that PDF something I can throw at Mazda service and hope they do it :/

Thanks for the link!!!

[Metal Wing]

Well, dealership was a waste of my time :/

I am not paying $400 (minimum) for them just trying to find if there anything to adjust.

I guess I'll be trying to sell my car some time this year or something :(

[Jenuine]

Well, dealership was a waste of my time :/

I am not paying $400 (minimum) for them just trying to find if there anything to adjust.

I guess I'll be trying to sell my car some time this year or something :(

Isn't your car still under warranty? Which dealership did you go to?

[Metal Wing]

Isn't your car still under warranty? Which dealership did you go to?

Yup, warranty of all sorts. Went to Mazda of Toronto cause I trust them most. Never had a problem over the past 2 years.

My knowledge of cars is limited to "it's a car" so whenever I am told that this is what it'll cost and Mazda won't cover it, sorry - I say "I understand" :/

The conversation basically amounted to "There is no recall or TSB for my issue. Mazda doesn't cover rattles so this would likely have to be some kind of adjustment. Quote is $240-360 + tax to start (2-3 hours of work to try and find the issue). It's possible it'll be fixed in that time, but could take more"

I might attempt some sort of DIY padded tape solution or something before I completely lose hope

[Jenuine]

Yup, warranty of all sorts. Went to Mazda of Toronto cause I trust them most. Never had a problem over the past 2 years.

My knowledge of cars is limited to "it's a car" so whenever I am told that this is what it'll cost and Mazda won't cover it, sorry - I say "I understand" :/

The conversation basically amounted to "There is no recall or TSB for my issue. Mazda doesn't cover rattles so this would likely have to be some kind of adjustment. Quote is $240-360 + tax to start (2-3 hours of work to try and find the issue). It's possible it'll be fixed in that time, but could take more"

I might attempt some sort of DIY padded tape solution or something before I completely lose hope

Well someone said there's a TSB for it, if you can find it and print it out and bring it to them then I don't see how they can turn you away.

I know cars develop rattles sometimes but this kind of rattle isn't normal so it should be taken care of under warranty.

I think you should try another dealership... maybe go to the one samanthastyle went to?

[Mazduh]

There is a TSB for the rear window rattling. It involves dropping the front and rear of the headliner, trimming the white tabs attached to the windows, and bending the bracket down some. If I had a copy of the TSB with me I'd post the campaign number, but It's at home.

[samanthastyle]

Well someone said there's a TSB for it, if you can find it and print it out and bring it to them then I don't see how they can turn you away.

I know cars develop rattles sometimes but this kind of rattle isn't normal so it should be taken care of under warranty.

I think you should try another dealership... maybe go to the one samanthastyle went to?

Worth a shot... Gyro Mazda is where I went to get that problem fixed. They had the car for a couple days though.

[Metal Wing]

There is a TSB for the rear window rattling. It involves dropping the front and rear of the headliner, trimming the white tabs attached to the windows, and bending the bracket down some. If I had a copy of the TSB with me I'd post the campaign number, but It's at home.
Isn't that the pdf that was linked here earlier? That one is the TBS for the tab trimming. I did show that to Mazda of Toronto and they told me earlier today that TBS is for US only :/

Also it does appear that my noise is coming from the bottom where window meets the trim behind the seats (hence the towel trick working there) so I don't know if it's the tabs :(