Tony M

I'd be grateful if you could elaborate on this. The arrow seems to point to a structural join that's unlikely to be the source of a loose rattle. Or am I missing something here?

JD.

Tony M

Thanks for that info. The rattle I have sounds a bit like a loose wire hitting on something solid behind the trim in the C-pillar area. Although the location is approximately the same, I think the character of the sound is different. I can't imagine mine being due to structural flexing and it isn't a creak or a squeak - more of a loose component rattle. I was sure it would be in the parcel shelf as this is what it sounds like, but removal of both parcel shelf components didn't fix it. To cap it all off and make it really difficult to track down, it seems to be somewhat intermittent.

Otherwise, I'd be sorely tempted to try to remove some trim components and see how similar (or different) the structure of my S5 SB is to your S4. I had a look at this and got nervous when I saw an airbag symbol - not something I want to play around with. So I might wait for some further info from braver or cleverer people than me. After all, judging by the several threads on this issue, it seems to be a common problem.

lkaufma1

So glad I'm not alone here. I've contacted Audi of America. Waiting to hear back.

future S4

Just to add to the fun, I've got a rattle as well on my A5 SB. So far I've looked at the spare tire, jack and toolkit and the parcel shelves. No luck. My next guess is that it's the hatch itself rattling. I had a similar type rattle with my 2014 Cayman and fixed it by adjusting the bump stops. Need to see if that's possible with the A5. It is an intermittent rattle that only makes itself known over certain, significant bumps.

ThaneS5

Dealer added tape under the pivoting latch cover which took car of my rattles over train tracks.

audi40

I have the same issue and am 99% certain it's from the panel that clips into the rear screen/hatch. When I remove the panel, the clip on the passenger side is not as firmly affixed to the panel as the clip on the driver side, and I can recreate the rattle while holding/shaking the panel. After 3,500 miles, it doesn't annoy me as much as it did initially, but definitely going to ask the dealer to swap it out when I take it in for its first service.

future S4

thanks for this. I took a quick look and it looks like audi already placed some foam tape under the edge where the hinged cover meets the surface above, so I don't think this is the source of my rattle. In looking at the hatch bump stops I see that the one on the left is set higher than the one on the right. I need to figure out how to adjust these as this may be causing the noise over certain surfaces.

MrBlahBlah

FYI - I brought my (essentially brand new) S5 Sportback into the dealer for the rattle I was experiencing over uneven pavement at speeds over 30mph from the rear driver's side C-pillar. The car was in the shop for a whopping 5 weeks...insane. I just picked it up yesterday. They said that the rear strut/c-pillar is an area where many body panels converge, and there was some poor welding, that was causing some flex in the components that converge there. They reinforced the welding from the exterior body panels, and they also replaced the bracket where the seat belt assembly attaches to/is welded to the chassis out there. This was the main reason for the delay - the seat belt bracket part was not in stock due to the newness of the car, and it had to be manufactured in Germany and sent over. This is actually super validating because I had originally described the rattle as "it sounds like there is a rattle in the seat belt assembly" - I guess my hunch was correct.

Anyways this is completely a manufacturing defect. The service foreman told me that there have been a number of similar issues popping up across the US, and in each case the solve is a little bit different. Audi Engineering is looking into what the cause is - something on the assembly line appears to not be right.

Tony M

I'm also annoyed by a rattle in this area. My wife pinpoints it when sitting in the back to the area where the c-pillar trim covers the seat belt so the location seems to be the same. But it's so light and tinny and sounds so superficial that I can't believe it is a structural weld problem. Also, it's present on tiny bumps/road irregularities at any speed. It sounds like I'd imagine a loose wire hitting on a panel to sound and I get the feeling that I could fix it instantly with a bit of foam tape if I could only find it. It also doesn't sound loud or significant enough to warrant the sort of repair your car has undergone. I don't think it would be recordable on a phone camera f'rinstance.

I'd love to investigate further, but I have a copy of the service manual and it seems to me that removal of the trim in this area is a major exercise that even involves dropping the roof lining. The rattle in my car just isn't intrusive enough to warrant letting the dealer do this or attempting it myself. Besides, on a smooth road, which is most of my driving, it just isn't heard.

So, it's a dilemma and I think I'll just put up with it for the present or maybe investigate if I can access this area just removing some easy lower trim components.

I'd love to get a better feel for the structural rattle you had in terms of loudness and character to work out if it's what I have or not. Would yours be noticed by the average passenger? Would you always hear it or would it sometimes appear to be absent? Could it be described as like a loose electrical wire, (which is what mine sounds like)?