springsteen

It's not severe--but noticeable at times and for those of you with ears like mine-it's annoying. The passenger seat (only when empty) on my 2011 Q5 makes a vibrating sound. I can easily stop it with relatively low hand pressure either on the seat back or the head rest while I'm driving. I'm posting this to see if others have had a similar problem and what the fix was? Such info will likely save me a lot of time back and forth to the dealer on this one. Thanks team.

D_Frost

I'm noticing this on my 1 month old Q5. I can replicate it by lightly pounding on the seat back. I have also noticed it in the loaner vehicles as well. Have you been able to find the problem?

springsteen

No--haven't been able to isolate beyond what I wrote earlier. It's also sporadic. It was more present when the weather here (pacific northwest) was warmer, and has all but disappeared now that things are cooler. This is counter intuitive since colder weather usually makes things rattle--though that's more with the harder plastics. I can't know if there is something on the under frame of the seat causing the vibration, or something in the seat itself. As I said, with very little pressure I can stop the noise by simply touching the seat back anywhere, or the headrest. I'm concluding--albeit without certainty--that the sound actually comes from the headrest.

D_Frost

I was reading around and this was a problem with some of the A6's... something like the headrest guide rail was loose or something and that it required replacement. Mine is sporadic as well since it manifests itself usually in the afternoons (when it's warmer). I've tried adjusting the seat back position but that didn't seem to make it any better.

springsteen

Yes--it happens more in warmer weather. Since it's cooler now in the fall--no problem! But I notice the headrest has some play in it that the driver's headrest doesn't. Next time I'm in the showroom I'll check a few more, that may be the answer right there. Thanks for this post.

tigerking

Hi springsteen, did you find out the cause of your seat rattle? The passenger seat in my Q5 rattles too and it seems to come from the right side where the back joins up with the seat. It sounds like something inside the seat, but I can't be sure. Like yours, the seat does rattle more in warm weather and holding my hand against the back of the seat makes it stop. Thanks.

springsteen

It was the headrest. The solution--odd though it sounds--was to raise the headrest, wrap some blue painter's tape around the posts. Bingo. It's been perfect since.

springsteen

It was the headrest. The solution--odd though it sounds--was to raise the headrest, wrap some blue painter's tape around the posts. Bingo. It's been perfect since. Hope this helps.

D_Frost

Good to hear that it's such a simple fix I will have to try that when I get home...

Thanks!

nemker

My rattle was the passenger seat belt clip. The red push button would rattle on certain bumps.