Rear Rattles Resolved
So I had a rattle coming from the rear that I pointed out to the service center. I told them that I believed it was coming from the liftgate strut and they agreed. After trying the technical journals to add greese which did not help they ordered new struts which they said were a newer design. After the fix rattles over big bumps was improved but rattles on rough pavement remained.
I spent at least a good 15-20 hours trying to figure out where they were coming from. I tried every manner of felt, tape, foam, etc crammed everywhere you could think of.
Eventually I came back to the struts and this is the problem... The struts are actually two cylinders that slide together. When extended they rattle but when closed they get more snug and when fully closed at the very end of the inner cylender there is an O-Ring that I can only assume is there to make them fit very snug and eliminate rattles. In my case, even though the tailgate seemed to close all the way it wasn't and the O-Ring wasn't engaging.
The fix: first I added electrical tape around the inner cylender just below the o-ring. Wrap three times. This makes them fit snugly and is unnoticeable. Second, and what probably is the only fix necessary, adjust the rubber strikers (rubber pads on the frame on the sides of the trunk opening) all the way open so the liftgate closes tighter. This allows the liftgate to close all the way and therefor allows the O-ring to engage in the struts. BTW, even if you don't think you have this problem I would still do this. 1. It's easy and all you need is an Torx bit/screwdriver and thirty seconds and 2. It allows the liftgate to make a better seal with the gasket and cuts down road noise coming from the rear. Just trust me I spent a lot of time diagnosing and there was a small gap even when I thought it was not possible.
Now the car is dead silent over rough roads and road noise is reduced. I hope this helps some people out there, I'm willing to bet that more of you have this occurring than you might realize.
Also, during my time figuring this out and ripping apart the rear to find the problem I did notice that it's not that well designed. Pieces in the back fit loosely and there's a lot of plastic on plastic connections and excessive play. While not the source of my issues I did add felt (chair mover felt pads) and weatherstripping to many areas in the removeable floor boards, plastic cubby inserts, etc. just jiggle them around and you will see what I mean. I would suggest doing the same to cut down on other rattles and unnecessary movement coming from the back area.
Notice the small O-ring at the top. The tape is there to help make a tight connection between cylenders in case the O-ring doesn't make contact 100%.
![Image]()
Use a Torx bit here to loosen the bolt then pull the rubber pieces apart as far as they will go. This will allow the liftgate to close more, thereby ensuring the O-ring does engage.
![Image]()
So I had a rattle coming from the rear that I pointed out to the service center. I told them that I believed it was coming from the liftgate strut and they agreed. After trying the technical journals to add greese which did not help they ordered new struts which they said were a newer design. After the fix rattles over big bumps was improved but rattles on rough pavement remained.
I spent at least a good 15-20 hours trying to figure out where they were coming from. I tried every manner of felt, tape, foam, etc crammed everywhere you could think of.
Eventually I came back to the struts and this is the problem... The struts are actually two cylinders that slide together. When extended they rattle but when closed they get more snug and when fully closed at the very end of the inner cylender there is an O-Ring that I can only assume is there to make them fit very snug and eliminate rattles. In my case, even though the tailgate seemed to close all the way it wasn't and the O-Ring wasn't engaging.
The fix: first I added electrical tape around the inner cylender just below the o-ring. Wrap three times. This makes them fit snugly and is unnoticeable. Second, and what probably is the only fix necessary, adjust the rubber strikers (rubber pads on the frame on the sides of the trunk opening) all the way open so the liftgate closes tighter. This allows the liftgate to close all the way and therefor allows the O-ring to engage in the struts. BTW, even if you don't think you have this problem I would still do this. 1. It's easy and all you need is an Torx bit/screwdriver and thirty seconds and 2. It allows the liftgate to make a better seal with the gasket and cuts down road noise coming from the rear. Just trust me I spent a lot of time diagnosing and there was a small gap even when I thought it was not possible.
Now the car is dead silent over rough roads and road noise is reduced. I hope this helps some people out there, I'm willing to bet that more of you have this occurring than you might realize.
Also, during my time figuring this out and ripping apart the rear to find the problem I did notice that it's not that well designed. Pieces in the back fit loosely and there's a lot of plastic on plastic connections and excessive play. While not the source of my issues I did add felt (chair mover felt pads) and weatherstripping to many areas in the removeable floor boards, plastic cubby inserts, etc. just jiggle them around and you will see what I mean. I would suggest doing the same to cut down on other rattles and unnecessary movement coming from the back area.
Notice the small O-ring at the top. The tape is there to help make a tight connection between cylenders in case the O-ring doesn't make contact 100%.
Use a Torx bit here to loosen the bolt then pull the rubber pieces apart as far as they will go. This will allow the liftgate to close more, thereby ensuring the O-ring does engage.
