Rear Hatch Rattle

I have been dealing with this for 14 months and 27,000 miles...on a 2017 4 that I took delivery on 12/20/18.

The sound is coming from the right rear (or at times sounds like the rear seat)

I've had the shock nuts done per the TSB,

Techs have insulated the panels in back corners and the bumper, and chased outside trim pieces (as have I).

I've spent hours and hours trying to pin this down, I know my way around a vehicle, it's been back to the dealer multiple times and they have spent hours chasing it as well - I(we) thought rear seat arm rest, hatch cover rattle, stowed under rear floor stuff...what have you ... it's been a monster frustration has almost pushed me to dumping the car..

Finally I removed everything I could, rode in the back and concluded that the rattle was coming from behind the right rear interior panel. I put an "X" in tape on the panel and took it back to the dealer for the 5th or 6th time.

Dealer - quoting service order "Rattle upon driving internal baffle issue with right rear shock, replaced shock..."
482201 Replaced Right Rear Shock
48530-80788 Absorber set shock
48750-47020 support assy RR sus
94130-61200 Nut
90201-16039 Washer Plate
90109-A0066 Bolt

Still do not have it - I can give the rear bumper a hard burst - push down and I can hear the rattle behind the right rear inner plastic wall - sounds like a wire connector or something banging around about half way between the wheel and rear of the car.

At times it still sounds like the rear center arm rest plastic, but I've drove with a broom handle pushing on the arm rest to no avail. And a tech riding in the rear seat also thought it was behind him and possibly in the hatch trim.

I've build and restored cars and motorcycles over my entire life - this car was to be my daily wheels to take me into retirement - I'm so frustrated. I have a 2004 MB SLK320 hardtop convertible with over a 100K on it that makes this car feel like a bucket of bolts - my Gen 3's where far more solid feeling than this Gen IV. I'm sick of having to turn my hearing aids off and crank my JBL to ride in this car - makes it tough to talk to passengers

I have to say the dealer has been working hard to get this resolved. After the last failure to get it sorted a tech, myself, and the service manager all went for a ride - I am happy to say that they fully agree that the car has an unacceptable rattle coming form the rear hatch...this week we have a regional specialist coming up from Chicago ..I'm at my wits end - I sure hope we get somewhere...

I'll follow up after my next meeting on Thursday - in the meantime I'd love to hear from anyone that is having, or better yet, solved this issue.

 

Yes - the hatch closes solid with no play or movement. Thanks

 

I like that suggestion, worth a look - thank you.

 

Well - it appears we have it!

The tech from Chicago and the local service manager more or less had it figured out when I showed up - we went for a brief drive to confirm. Solution (and tested on a road in my neighborhood that was driving me nuts) was to replace the hatch stoppers and cushions.

The new stoppers are much softer - the hard rubber of the old stoppers, even though the hatch felt tight, would rattle against the frame. Quoting the service order:

642991 Replaced Rear Gate Bump Stops:
2- 27293-47031 Cushion, Back Door S
2-67281-47020 Stopper, Back Door