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Audi: Why is My Interior Rattling?

This article will help you track down the source of interior noises and make your interior a pleasant (and quiet) place to be.

By Brett Foote - March 23, 2016

This article applies to the Audi A3, A4 B7, A4 B8, A6 C5, A6 C6, Q5 and Q7.

On even the most well-made cars, interior noises are bound to rear their ugly heads eventually. After many miles of driving over bumpy surfaces and through evil potholes, the many parts and pieces that make up your interior are slowly coming loose and losing that factory gap. Eventually, they will become loose enough to generate various annoying noises. Sure, you can simply try to ignore them or just crank the radio up to drown them out, but you can also simply find them and fix them. Keep reading and we'll guide you through the process of tracking down and silencing those pesky rattles.

Audi Why is Interior Rattling infographic

Materials Needed

  • Felt tape
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • Sound-deadening material (optional)

Step 1 – Locate the source of the rattle

Interior noise can come from a wide range of places.

Interior rattles can come from anything from a loose speaker to a sunroof spring and pretty much everything in between. If possible, have someone ride with you and press down on any areas that have a noise coming from them while driving, and see if it silences the noise. Most often, rattles come from loose parts somewhere in the vehicle or a panel or piece that has come loose.

Locate the area you believe the noise is coming from
Figure 1. Locate the area you believe the noise is coming from.

Pro Tip

If your car is still under warranty, take it to the dealership for rattle fixes. While not all dealers will be receptive to fixing these issues, many owners have had success doing so. You'll definitely want to do this in the event that you have a broken part.

Once you've located the source of the rattle, move on to Step 2.

Step 2 – Silence the rattle

There are a few different ways to fix the problem.

Once you've located the rattle, it's time to silence it. If your problem is simply something like a loose speaker grill or center console lid, tighten it back up and see if that solves the issue. Check for broken clips and replace any that aren't holding parts in place as they should. If you have a panel or other part that has simply come loose and can't be tightened, you can solve the problem with a little felt tape in between the two parts. Simply cut the tape to fit and use the adhesive backing to attach it where needed.

If your problem is stereo-related and you get excessive rattles during times of heavy bass, you might want to look into applying some sound-deadening material. This will prevent the vibrations from rattling the rear decklid and trunk area, which is common on vehicles that have a good number of miles on them. Though this material can be a little on the pricey side, it's worth it if you like to crank your music up frequently.

A little foam or felt tape can silence noisy interior panels.
Figure 2. A little foam or felt tape can silence noisy interior panels.

Step 3 – Consider other common sources of rattles

The center console/armrest area is notorious for making noise, which is no surprise considering that it is made up of lots of plastic parts. A little felt tape can work wonders here, as come some lubrication on the hinges.

Rattles from the seats can come from loose trim or even the cables that reside inside the headrests. Power seat switches also come loose over time.

Perhaps the most notorious rattle in some Audi's comes from the sunroof area. Audi issued a technical service bulletin that outlined this problem and how to fix it. In some other cases, springs have been known to come loose and even fall out of the sunroof. Adjusting the position of the sunroof if it is out of alignment can also solve wind noise or even rattling issues.

Sunroof rattles are notorious in certain Audi models.
Figure 3. Sunroof rattles are notorious in certain Audi models.

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