Tesla Model 3 - Driver Side Dash/Speaker Grille Rattle

My 2019 Tesla Model 3 is about a year old now, and the only thing that's really gone wrong with it so far is that it's developed a bit of a buzzing or rattling noise that comes from the driver side dash area. In this video, we'll insert some adhesive backed foam weather strip material between the dash, metal body, and front speaker grille in order to quiet the rattling.

[@cpuikemike]

PSA for anyone who loses the clips - Take a hard right-hand turn and they'll slide all the way into the driver-side vent. You'll be able to visibly see them using a flashlight. Then, using a needle nose plyers, you'll be able to grab them. Hats off to Tesla mobile service, who dropped mine and wanted me to drive an hour away to get it removed.

[@retinoic]

Thanks for this, worked like magic.

[@mikedeboard1197]

After watching your video I was able to fix the rattle by pushing two 5 inch sections of 3/8 inch backing rod into the space without removing anything. If you look from outside the car near the vin you’ll see the white metal you refer to. Because the grill is so flexible I was able to push the backing rod into the exact space you were speaking of. Voilà. Rattle gone. It’s been bugging me for years. Thank you very much!

[@rl6110]

I'm trying this now. Where do I stick the 2 3/8 foams in?

[@jimjsellshomes]

Thanks for the video. I watched it until your addendum at the end. I thought there's no way I could do what you were doing without screwing something up. Then I saw your addendum and I decided to insert some weather stripping up at the front left along the speaker trim. I shoved it down as far as I could and it worked! No more rattle, no pulling the trim apart, which I know I would have screwed up! Thanks for the info.

[@Slothieify]

This was an absurdly helpful tutorial. You really have a knack for well paced, detailed and high quality teaching. Genuinely appreciate this video!

[@JetFire9]

Beautiful DIY. You show all the hard steps that the others tubers completely omit.

[@briggsmiller7095]

After 4 years I believe I am about ready to fix this. Doesn’t happen all the time, but it always happens when the car is been sitting in the sun for a bit and then the irritation begins! It’s been the only problem with my car all these years. Thanks for the video!

[@rosskawa547]

Thank you so much for posting this video. So nice of you to take the time and work to do this for other Tesla owners. I have been living with this rattle for 3 years now and it’s been recking my whole driving experience. I followed your instructions and it worked great, no more rattle. I was thinking of trying to get Tesla to look at it but you can’t even get them on the phone. Thanks to you I can now enjoy my car to its fullest.

[@swirle13]

Thanks for this. I have the rattling in the front left now after having mine for a year. Also, props for the correct pluralization of "addendum", "two addenda"

[@reaperchad]

This video saved me a nightmare of trying to diagnose/locate this rattle in my 2022 model 3. Huge thanks!

[@rpatalas50]

After 1 yr owning Tesla model 3 and living with this rattle, I followed your instructions and rattle gone, thanks a lot - greetings from Poland.

[@robbarrett1204]

Thanks for the video! First saw it years ago but finally got around to the repair. Worked great!

[@richardrivera221]

I had been doing the process of elimination to discover this annoying rattle issue in my dashboard for weeks now. I read many interesting topics on the Tesla forum, and nobody had detailed instructions on how to remove the speaker grill in the dashboard like you did .After watching your video tonight my problem was solved 100%. Thanks so much for your helpful video and insight !!

[@jdgrupp]

I needed to clean the front windshield down near the speaker cover. Scraping with a razor blade was required, but the space was too tight. I used this video to help remove the parts needed and was successful in putting it all back together. Thank you.

[@timrv6a1]

Well done video. I followed your approach to stop my dash rattle today. Thanks!

[@mzell36]

Thank you, just perfect!! No rattle anymore on my 2019 sr+!

[@samscamardo]

Thank you SO much for taking the time to document this issue and post a great instructional video. I've had this exact rattle in my 2020 Model 3 for 2.5 years and it was driving me absolutely crazy the entire time. I followed your instructions exactly, and now the rattle is 100% gone. Some things I've learned from this experience. The rattle is caused by the "VIN plate" or tab that only extends on the drivers side. The plastic dash (with the speaker) rattles against this VIN tab, which is why you only hear it on the driver's side. Trim tools are a must, and the actual removal is simple and fast. I was worried about the A-pillar retention piece that you need to twist, but it was actually pretty intuitive once you get hands-on. Yes, those clips will fall into the dash when you try to re-install the grill piece, so make sure you have a magnet handy before you start. I used a small magnet with a wire attached, similar to what's shown in the video. TIP - if you have a metal clip that keeps falling, "open up the V" a bit with your hands so it becomes a bit wider and doesn't fall into the dash so easily. Also, if you have a problem clip, make sure you try to secure that one first, before you get the other 8 popped in. Thanks again, you've saved from the edge of a nervous breakdown trying to fix that rattle!

[@MrXyborg]

Excellent instructions, clear and easy to follow! Thank you so much for this! I had the exact same rattle but from the passenger side. Tesla service tried to fix it twice but couldn't quite make it go away. Your solution made it dead quiet!

[@alburritoeng]

Thank you. I spent $4 on the trim pry tools, $5 on a magnet on a bendable stick, $5 for a small window trim roll. I’m under warranty but Tesla wanted $100 for the labor. Opted to do it myself. I did lose two clips. Fished them out easy enough. Finally figured out how to put the speaker cover back in 👍. Super silent now.

[@Hatchet898]

How long was the magnet you bought?

[@ircsmith]

Well done! great and informative instruction. Love the X-wing T-shirt!

[@waderoberts4836]

Thanks for the video. I had a similar rattle -- would only occur after the dash was warmed by the sun and while driving on less than smooth roads. I could get the rattle to stop if I placed even the slightest of pressure on the dash grill (even a small rag laying on it was enough). I placed some foam (a little firmer than what you used) in various areas under the driver's side dash grill. It helped but didn't completely resolve the issue. On my second dive in I noticed a plastic "nub" (shaped like a flat head screw driver tip and about 0.5 inches high) sticking up just behind the tab closest to the driver's side door. I suspected that the plastic of the grill was vibrating against this nub when the plastic was warmed up and somewhat flexible. I placed some foam over that nub and it seems to have done the trick. I also found that I was able to avoid displacing the metal clips by pushing each one forward (toward the windshield) just a bit with flat head screw driver to get them started in their respective slots before pushing the grill down all at once (I only pulled up the left half of the grill to do this work). Thanks for leading the way with this video.

[@jensstam]

Wow I have had this exact same issue you're describing and have taken it to the service center 3 times with no luck. Finally I found someone who has the exact issue as me - thanks!

[@garymacnealross1]

for those that do not desire to take the car apart try this : I stuffed a rubber beed (type used to install a new screen in a screen window) between the pillar and the dash. Use the rotary given on the screen kit to keep the beed in place. This worked for me. Yes you can see the beed, but it is black and gives the raw edges a good finish look. This took me about 5 min.

[@KyleJoshuaKing]

Link?

[@andreadam82]

Link please!

[@yourfaceistube]

You have any photos or link to what you used?

[@erichchan3]

Can u show what you are talking about .

[@erichchan3]

What is this foam thing you are referring to? You have a link?

[@markmccrimmon]

I picked up my 2022 Model 3 today and the noise in the dash is terrible and heard within a block of the dealer! Seriously, second new car in my life and very disappointed by the lack of quality issue. Thanks for the video to help in identifying the problem. I might handle it as the dealership is an hour away and would waste a day :(

[@stevenzhou925]

You are the man! Thank you so much for posting this otherwise I would open up the entire dash of the car. Mine is the 2021 model and this rattle persists like it's in the DNA. Mine has a factory installed foam piece along with the entire dash where it meets with the windshield/firewall, however, I still have to jam in a rubber seal to stop the rattling. A tip: when reinstalling the speaker grill, slide the slide-in clips first, then use the trim removal tool (or screwdriver)to push each clip pins so they are aligned with the metal clips underneath, press down halfway until every clip is in, then press all the way down until you hear the click. This way you won't stress the metal clips so they don't fail into the dash.

[@AaronAverett]

Thanks. I think I actually did the thing you talked about, where you stick the metal clips into the holes first, but maybe I didn't talk about that explictly. That's interesting that they added more foam to it, and it still rattles, though. I wonder what other changes they made between my car and yours.

[@rbs427]

Excellent explanations! Well done! Thank you.

[@peteroffpist1621]

Thanks for sharing, same problem on my 2020 M3.

[@emmanuelmartin4712]

Thanks man, have the exact same rattle, you save me time trying to found a fix👍

[@AaronAverett]

Right on! Let me know how it goes when you fix it.

[@angelnavarro2019]

I found the same rattle smh

[@chezchezchezchez]

Covered under warranty? Three Mon old car!

[@ThriceAlmightyAZ]

I just shared this video with our on site, in home Tesla service tech. She is going to do what you showed on both our driver and passenger sides. She hadn't seen this video before and said it will help her a ton because she gets this issue repeatedly and insulates as best she can the gaps but didn't ever do the exact spot you showed. Thank you! I will keep you posted on whether or not it helps.

[@AaronAverett]

Oh wow. I'd have figured the mobile techs knew all about this; I've had some folks comment that newer cars come with something like this done at the factory now. I later found it also helped to also jam a piece of the foam on top of the speaker grille. I've also had some folks tell me that the same thing can happen on the passenger side, so it might make sense to just do both sides while it's all apart.

[@ThriceAlmightyAZ]

@@AaronAverett our particular issue is passenger side, at the moment, though a couple of weeks ago it was driver side when we brought it to the service center for work to rid us of the noise. They seemed to fix the driver side as that's all they could recreate, though we brought it in due to the passenger side. It's such an odd issue in that it occurs 80% of the time but seems to conveniently hide itself when they attempt to recreate it. I'm glad she's addressing both sides to be safe.

[@ThriceAlmightyAZ]

@@AaronAverett rattle gone on both sides, at the moment! Glad I didn't have to potentially pop the clips down and have to figure out how to fish them out. That was the only part that had me stressed about doing it myself.

[@Alex-vz1el]

Nope! My 2022 m3p has the same rattle but it showed up at around 20k miles and happens at low speeds (15-25 mph)

[@michaelblue7852]

Crazy this is still a thing on 23 models.

[@alexishorseadventures5912]

Have a rattle in the dash and Have a service appointment in a week hopefully they will fix it. The rattle has gotten louder only had my model 3 for 2 months. But this is the only issue that has come up. I am obsessed with it amazing car.

[@James.Buchanan]

Thanks so much for this video. That rattle has been driving me crazy and had no idea where it was coming from until watching. I was able to get foam behind the metal plate and the plastic without removing anything and eliminated the vibration!

[@jimjsellshomes]

I did the same thing. Fixed the problem without disassembly!

[@Aaron-xo5zr]

Can you elaborate on how you did that exactly? thanks!

[@Aaron-xo5zr]

@@jimjsellshomes Can you elaborate on how you did that exactly? thanks!

[@jimjsellshomes]

@@Aaron-xo5zr I actually just put some thick foam tape in the upper left corner between the speaker bezel and windshield. There is a little clip in there that was causing the rattle. So far it seems to have reduced the rattle by a good 95%

[@uscustoms05]

Thanks! The speaker cover was a bear but no more rattling from the dash.

[@joey5picks]

I've had my 2021 Model 3 in THREE TIMES to get this fixed. We'll see if the third time's a charm. If not, I may try this. Thanks.

[@joey5picks]

The rattle has returned. I've shoved several pieces of foam weather stripping between the windshield and the dash on both sides of the VIN plate, which seems to work part of the time, or it works for awhile. Guess I'll have to try this.

[@patmichl]

For anyone doing this fix. The hardest part was reinstalling the speaker grill without the metal clips falling in. Use a trim removal tool or screwdriver to guide the plastic tabs into the metal clips. Then only very light pressure is needed to push them all the way down, preventing the metal clips falling through.

[@TheBosnianFamily]

What to do if they falls trough? Mine did that, can i let it be there ?

[@patmichl]

@@TheBosnianFamily I’m sorry to hear that you have also lost a clip to the deep dark caverns of your Tesla. As you probably gathered from my original comment, I also learned the hard way. That’s why I wrote some instructions that worked for me later on in preventing further clips from falling in. I spent a lot of time trying to get to the lost clip. But with the limited access points, I just couldn’t locate it. I think the biggest issue is that the loose clip could be a new source of noise. In my case after my failed attempt to recover it and my unwillingness to tear apart the whole dash; I left it in place. I drove around for about a year, with luckily no noise coming from the clip. The clip didn’t cause any other issues either. A couple of months ago, I saw something metallic out of the corner of my eye. It was the clip that must have found its way into the passenger side vent. It was still pretty far back and lodged in there pretty tightly. But I was able to pull it out with a hook. I’m not a professional, so I can’t tell you that this loose clip couldn’t cause any problems, but in my case it turned out fine. I would still give it a shot trying to recover it. If it is loose and hasn’t lodged itself in place somewhere it could possible be recovered through one of the holes with a hook like I used. Good luck!

[@patmichl]

@@TheBosnianFamily Also, as someone else had mentioned in another comment. If the clip is loose, making a very aggressive right turn may result in the clip sliding to the driver side vent making recovery much easier.

[@TheBosnianFamily]

@@patmichl Thank you for the anwser! I noticed yesterday when i anabled the defroster mode i heard a metallic sound fall down somewere. So whats the best way? Take a speaker off and try trough the hole? Or just try trough a air vent or let it be inthere

[@patmichl]

@@TheBosnianFamily I’m not sure about the exact layout inside the vents. But I believe your best bet is getting it out of the vent when it makes its way there. At first I also thought about removing the speaker, etc. But it became clear pretty quickly that it’s a tight space with the windshield making some of the screws almost inaccessible. It seems I’m not the only one who had a clip show up inside the vent after a while. They find their way to either the driver- or passenger side vent sooner or later. If it’s not bothering you and you don’t hear any abnormal noises I would suggest driving for a little while and periodically peaking into the front facing vent openings.

[@cyprianskiba8768]

Great video!

[@avesraggiana]

If I start pulling my car apart (Model S and Model X), I’m afraid that I’ll, a, not be able to put it back together again, or, b, end up with even more rattles than I had before. Thanks for clear instructions for the M3.

[@lailawrence3903]

I have exactly the same problem after I upgraded the speakers to Infinity 4032cfx. If you remove the speakers, you can see a not secured plastic cup shape underneath the speaker attached to the firewall. If you tickle it with your finger you will hear the exact same sound. I put sound deadening materials there and it goes away nicely.

[@andrewchong5735]

Which sound-deadening materials did you put there? Could you post a link to a picture of how you did it?

[@MrNoien]

Thank you very much, I have the same problem, I’ve been looking for a long time how to fix it

[@billrobertson3622]

Awesome video - same problem on my car. I'd tried a number of things to solve the rattle but this nailed it. Did lose a clip down the defroster accidentally - heard it slide once and couldn't find it since... Car's nice and quiet now all the same :)

[@xbexbe]

Check your side vents. Sometimes the clips will get stuck there and you may be able to fish them out with a small screwdriver.

[@AaronAverett]

I think I talked about the clips in the video. I lost a couple of them down into the defroster vent too, but I was able to fish them out using a hard drive magnet on a piece of coathanger wire. I guess if the car is quiet thought, you may as well leave it alone. @rellacnwoknu - What do you mean by side vents? My Model 3 only has the single large vent that goes across the dash above the steering wheel. Airwave or something, I think they call it.

[@billrobertson3622]

@@AaronAverett - did watch the portion on retrieving lost clips with the hard drive. The problem I ran into was I was so busy driving around and enjoying the silience that I didn't even realize I'd popped a clip loose -- until I made a batman-style U-turn to go home :) That's when I heard the clip jingling across the dashboard. I went home and fished around for over an hour with a magnet tied to trimmer wire and couldn't find anything at all, then gave up. The good news is that rellacnwonknu is dead-on. The clip is in fact stuck in the drivers side window vent. If you look at the whole Model 3 vent structure you'll see there are distinctly seperate compartments on the very left and right-most sides for blowing air on the side windows - and that's precisely where my clip wound up - pinned in and stuck nicely out of the way. Thanks to both of you for the help!

[@jordanpegee5576]

I’m going to my service appointment and I will be showing them this video LOL This rattle has been pissing me off, to the point where I’ve been banging the dash with my fist (while driving) because it drives me insane. It’s the same issue, drivers side. Now all they need a fix for is this damn AC issue where the air still leaks out down by your feet even when that option isn’t selected. My toes are freaking freezing anytime I have the AC on. It’s ridiculous man, very disappointed but I love the car. 2022 Model 3. Get it together Tesla!!!

[@AaronAverett]

Now I'm curious, did they fix your rattle? If so, what did they actually do?

[@Magg78]

Did Tesla fix it? I’m going to show the video to my service Center myself now, and see if they will do it. I will insist 😎, being a musician and music lover this is a big deal. PS. Thank you Aaron for identifying the issue, and putting it out there. Appreciated 💖

[@Anakena3]

Love your video! I also hate this type of rattling noise too!. I actually have one at a different place: the dashboard plastique shell of the air conditioning output (the one right above the wood like panel). very annoying for a brand new M3. I have to find a tutorial on this part. Also as you pay attention to noise environment in the cabin, have you notice that when parking (or on a steep garage slope for instance) the parking alerts (different sounds to warn the driver when getting close to an obstacle) are producing randomly a sort a noise distortion in the speaker. the sequence of these sounds when switching to one an other can create this kind of cracks. not very premium feeling is that common? any idea how this could be fixed? Thanks!

[@AaronAverett]

As I recall, I noticed the hitching in the parking alerts as well. I think it's just sloppy programming - they let the sounds interrupt each other, rather than blend them. I no longer own that car, but you're not wrong that, for a vehicle that costs so damn much, the experience of owning it was pretty frustrating, and not particularly "premium."

[@FinnishArmy]

I found that if you shove something between the fabric grill and the window closest to the pillar on both sides, completely removed the sound. Use something black to and preferably fabric to make it unnoticeable.

[@jakesta11]

Then the window defrosters don't work

[@jaspal2370]

thank you so much for this video! I have the same rattle on the passenger side too. Do you know how to fix? I haven't opened and checked yet.

[@AaronAverett]

The passenger side is the same design. My car didn't rattle on that side, but if yours does, this same procedure should fix it.

[@daveromanyshyn1170]

Damn impressive. I think for my skill level there is too much chance of me breaking a part!

[@ram5572]

After paying 50k premium for this car ..we have DIY to fix. I have the same issue... thanks for taking the effort to educate us! Have M3 LR, this issue, Bluetooth mic issue and only gives 50-60% range ...and service appointments are 30-45 day out. what BS is this.

[@sunnysidedown]

What a fantastic video, followed the steps as shown and elimitated the problem 95%, but I suspect the remaining 5% is coming from elsewhere within the vehicle. Funnily enough, the hardest part for me was disassembling, not reassembly. Using a screw driver, as recommended from the comment section, to guide the clips into place worked wonders.

[@yourfaceistube]

What do you mean- don’t push the clips in?

[@marcusbiller867]

I couldn't reassemble it, these damn clips kept falling off and now I have a screw driver there somewhere. Do you know if the screw drivier is still ontop or did it fall through, do you have any idea where the defroster goes and how big the holes to the car are? Thanks

[@AaronAverett]

Gah, that sucks! Did you try using a magnet on a wire or string to fish them out? I obviously haven't taken the dash all the way out to confirm this, but I don't think anything you drop in there can go very far, so you should be able to fish them all out with a magnet. I was able to, anyway. When you get them out, you obviously need to be very careful to get the tabs centered over the clips before you push them down, so they don't push through into the dash.

[@teronnezwek326]

I cut a 5 in long strip of nonslip rug grip. Encased it with black tape. Shoved it in the groove between the pillar and stereo grille. The rattling quit and you can't see the tape.

[@huskydogg7536]

So you did this without removing the trim parts? Thanks.

[@teronnezwek326]

@@huskydogg7536 Yes- you can use any foam material and shove it in the crevice. It will absorb the rattling sound

[@KyleJoshuaKing]

Is that white tab the VIN plate?

[@williamnilsson698]

To stop the vibration in my car I had to put foam pieces in between the windshield and the metal piece. So above the place the guy in the video did. Hope this helps someone :)

[@BMETFerg]

I have an annoying harmonic vibration while listening to podcasts coming from the same speaker area. I’m going to disassemble and trying to play different tones from a tone generator app this weekend. Wish me luck.

[@AaronAverett]

Before you do that, you might want to try playing the different tones with the grille in place, and see if you can get the undesirable vibration to stop by pressing with your hands. I can imagine the problem being the grille itself, and not just the underlying plastic dash, so if you remove the grille first, you may not be able to reproduce it.

[@miodice3]

do you have any footage posted (i quickly checked your channels thumbnails) of what the rattle sounded like? we have one that is super difficult to coordinate with tesla and if it sounds the same i may try what you did here, excellent video by the way. i can also post a video of our rattle if you'd be kind enough to check it

[@AaronAverett]

I couldn't get a faithful recording of it with the car driving, but I demonstrated what's going on around the 4:45 mark in this video. If you can post a recording of it, I'll be happy to weigh in. Maybe just reply here when you do, so I don't miss it.

[@miodice3]

@@AaronAverett thats awesome thanks for being so generous with your time - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6m0d2qJp9OnmZY

[@AaronAverett]

@@miodice3 That sounds a little different from mine, but it's pretty close. Try pressing down on the speaker grille part while it's making the noise, and see if it stops or changes. If it does, you probably need to do a fix similar to what I did.

[@miodice3]

@@AaronAverett definitely will give it a try, car is pretty quiet except for that haha, thanks for your video!!

[@android04]

@@miodice3 have you tried pushing on the plastic shroud below the steering wheel (it's the plastic around the steering column)? Mine make noise at one point and pushing on it while driving made it quiet again. So I stuffed foam in there and it got rid of the noise.

[@babyspidey9627]

Do you have a video on the sound of the rattle so we can identify if it’s a similar sound in our vehicles?

[@AaronAverett]

Short answer is no; I couldn't get a recording of it that stood out from the road noise with the car in motion, but I demonstrated it about halfway through the video, once I got the speaker grille off. The sound you hear in the video is pretty faithful to what it sounded like in my car. Yours may obviously be a bit different, since this is a defect related to Tesla shabby quality control, and every car is thus unique.

[@oldyoungnotold]

Thanks for the view, can you be more specific about the last "one more piece" fix, where to put those?.. I am little confused... is that between the Vin plate, and the dash?

[@AaronAverett]

It's been a while, but I'm pretty that what I meant is to put one more piece on top of the speaker grille, between it and the the windshield.

[@oldyoungnotold]

@@AaronAverett thanks! I also tapped the air vent under passenger seat… it gets a lot better now…

[@oldyoungnotold]

@@AaronAverett thanks, I now understand. Very impressive video with details explaination. I now have another issue where... the floor in front of the back seat will make noise when you step on it (the middle). it feels like the metal cap under the carpet is not flat... so when you press it, it will bend in, and when you release, it will pop out....

[@AaronAverett]

@@oldyoungnotold You mean you get kind of a popping noise when you press down on the floor, sort of like the tamper proof caps on food jars? I've never heard of that happening before, but it sounds like either a symptom of major crash damage that didn't get repaired perfectly or a manufacturing defect in the body itself. If the car drives OK, I'm not sure you really need to worry about it, but it sure doesn't speak well for Tesla's manufacturing quality. Did you buy this car new?

[@oldyoungnotold]

@@AaronAverett yes, exactly like what you said. Yes, this is a new car delivery on June 30. I even have a paint 💧 on one side of vehicle and mirror cap. It does feel they rush it for Q2 results…

[@22tbond]

I hope by now Tesla knows this is an issue and can easily fix it. I see so many comments with people having the same issue. I have it and it’s driving me crazy. Going to try an have Tesla fix it. We shouldn’t have to go through all this trouble to fix it.

[@AaronAverett]

I've been told that some of the mobile service techs seem to know about this, but given that I helped a viewer do this fix on a '22 or '23 model recently, fixing it at the factory clearly isn't a high priority. Puzzling, since it would be super easy to apply a little foam or felt tape, which they use elsewhere, to the dash before installing it. I agree with you that it shouldn't be on owners to fix this problem, but as car issues go, this is a pretty minor one, and it's not that hard to fix yourself, if you have to.

[@22tbond]

@@AaronAverett I do appreciate that you made this video. It was driving me crazy that I couldn’t figure out exactly where it was coming from. I just put in a request for mobile so we will see what they say. I’m not paying a dime to have it fixed. By now it seems to be very common and seems to be a design flaw. I had the issue of water coming in the car under the passenger footwell that also seems to be a know issue. They did fix that under warranty. I completely understand rattles can happen in cars for different reasons. But again this seems to be a design flaw. Anyways thanks again for the video and reply.

[@viennarosephotography7784]

Don’t let it defeat you

[@jaspal2370]

Also do you recommend softly pressing on the grill in order to not push in the metal clips into the dash?

[@AaronAverett]

The trick with the metal clips is to get the tabs on the grille lined up just right before you press down on them.

[@JamesBond-qv2ht]

Interesting video and well presented. One suggestion is to wait until the full moon passes before filming with your arms exposed.

[@michaelkim6286]

Hi, I am having the same issue with my model s. However, the service center mentioned they needed to take take apart the entire dash. Any ideas if the layout is similar between the 3 and the S? Thank you.

[@AaronAverett]

Are we talking about a new "Plaid" Model S or the OG version?

[@michaelkim6286]

@@AaronAverett I have a 2017

[@AaronAverett]

@@michaelkim6286 I'm not that familiar with the Model S, but the photos of the dash in them do appear to be different from the 3. I doubt the service center would recommend pulling the dash out if they didn't think they need to. Does your rattle go away if you press down on the dashboard with your hand?

[@olivier8180]

Thanks a lot. Problem solved on a 2021 from France (ok... from California made actually) 😁

[@kingkoolkata]

What about just bending the litte metalpiece a bit upwards so the gap will be too wide and the materials aren’t touching anymore?

[@AaronAverett]

You could try that, but I don't think it would necessarily stop the rattling.

[@davidreidenberg9941]

Stuffing a rag into the space accomplished the same thing for me without removing anything.

[@Stone815]

I'm literally here with a Tesla service tech. he replaced the right rear door and the brand new one rattles too.

[@jakesta11]

I still need to do some work but I think you are close but the real vibration is under the plastic portion of the speaker dash and the body.... The foam is essentially wedging in and pushing the speaker dash against whatever it is hitting and vibrating off of. The reason is the foam has to wedge, expand and push the dash down using the metal tab as leverage. Im going to remove the speaker and look inside but I think the true culprit is under the speaker.

[@jakesta11]

My main reasoning is if you put double sided tape between and it doesn't take up the space the vibration is no different.... Also, like you said, jamming something in from the top between the windshield and the speaker grill works as well (essentially this is also just pushing down the speaker dash enough to not cause a vibration) - but in this case you aren't doing anything between the speaker dash and tab What a complicated vibration....

[@AaronAverett]

In my case, I'm pretty sure the noise I was hearing is the plastic dashboard rattling against the metal body. There wasn't any secondary vibration, as far as I could tell. That out of the way, your car may be different, both in terms of the quality of manufacture, and in design. My car was a 2019, so we're three or four model years later now, and it's possible Tesla has changed some of the parts in question.

[@jakesta11]

@@AaronAverett they have not changed one bit except a crappy piece of low density foam on tab that doesn't even fill gap. My 2021 makes identical noise, but my point is the noise goes away by applying a force down on the speaker dash (under the speaker grill) - whether stuffing a towel between windshield and grill, pushing on grill, wedging foam between metal tab and speaker dash, etc. Any force pushing speaker dash down works. So then, logically it's a vibration from the speaker dash tapping metal underneath. Not saying you didn't solve it I just think it's an issue buried even deeper than it appears, lol. Smh.... I think it will be apparent after removing the speaker - I'll let you know tomorrow.

[@jakesta11]

@@AaronAverett I'm only saying this so that other people can maybe read it and get creative as well. When Tesla won't help us, we need to work together.

[@jakesta11]

@@AaronAverett confirmed and solved.... It's just past the speaker where the speaker dash (almost) touches the metal body (hence the rattle).... So you apply the foam wedge by putting your hand through the speaker hole and essentially wedging the foam just below where you did but opposite side of speaker dash. THEN for good measure apply foam where you did as well to apply force downward on speaker dash.

[@sinanariman1208]

I wish you had a video of before your repair so I know how it sounds like

[@AaronAverett]

Yeah, I couldn't find a good way to capture it with the car moving. If you watch around the 5:15-5:30 mark, you're actually hearing the audio from the camera I placed on the dash, and the sound in the video is pretty close to what it sounded like while driving. Also remember that it's possible for this to happen on the passenger side as well.

[@arjunprabhu]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqO8eIisgNJjmpo

[@arjunprabhu]

@@AaronAverett kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6SmfWN6eNmnhtk

[@arjunprabhu]

@@AaronAverett kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGSppWiFg9udiNk

[@alexp7362]

Man it’s really worked out no more noise unique problem that I’m dealing with it’s to put back that damn speaker cover/mash panel it won’t snap in central part if it you said you from Texas I’m from Austin

[@AaronAverett]

So, you got the foam in, but the grille won't snap back into place, just in the center? What model year is the car?

[@alexp7362]

@@AaronAverett yes exactly sides are snapped in but nut the center M3 2018 long range RWD

[@alexp7362]

@@AaronAverett watching your video it seems so easy

[@AaronAverett]

​@@alexp7362 The center tab is actually located a bit to one side - to the right, as I recall. You may need to lift the grille back up a hair to see it, and then gently press forward on the tab with a trim tool or flathead screwdriver to get the tab to align with the hole it goes in.

[@alexp7362]

@@AaronAverett so it’s all about of alignment those tabs with wholes like i understand thank you Aaron for your replay!

[@inachu]

4:32 good time once removed to chek for bugs as they like to run and hide and die in the front area.

[@Mascharlaquemakeup]

Omg my car is doing that same thing I’m so annoyed

[@JackMott]

Of course a Tesla owner would also have a Cervelo :D

[@AaronAverett]

Gotta watch out for guys who ride Trek or Specialized. They probably drive Polestars or Bolts, like filthy animals.

[@jasonwright3667]

Unfortunately, the original rattle is still there and I managed to push 3 clips thru and lost them all and they now rattle as well. Listen to the guy when he says be careful with the clips.

[@AaronAverett]

Gah, that sucks! Did you try the magnet on a wire thing I mentioned? If the rattle is still there, you might try doing the same thing on the other side. Since I posted this video, I found that I have a similar rattling noise coming from the passenger side, so I need to take it apart again and do that side.

[@jasonwright3667]

@@AaronAverett I was able to fish two of them out. Still trying to get to the third.

[@Hatchet898]

I think I have this too, but only when the cabin is warm. Anyone in SE Pennsylvania that can lend me a hand? I'm a little scared to try this on my own

[@dannyslea]

Why do you need to take the trim off to get to this spot. These trim pieces are annoying AF to put back on, Especially the speaker grill.

[@motivationinc6415]

i have 2 weeks old tesla its already makes noise thas so unacceptebl when you pay 60k

[@coooooool12342]

I’d probably break something doing this myself.

[@inachu]

Mine only rattles when the music bass is deep and loud.

[@MadmaxMusic93]

Sound deadening with dynamat will solve that completely an make the sound system even better not cheap but worth it

[@smartestdodo]

Anyone try this on a plaid?

[@AaronAverett]

Does the Plaid have the same grille across the front of the dash like the 3 and Y do? If it's similar, I'd imagine the process is the same, but given that the parts are probably different, you'd want to be sure this was your problem before you started taking the car apart. I've not had the pleasure of sitting in a Plaid, but I'd probably be a lot more willing to raise hell at the service center over rattles in a car that costly.

[@NorbertGanslmeier]

Thank you Aaron for this awesome Video and detailed Instructions. I have a rattle in the Dashboard area of my new Model 3 and I recorded it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYSpo3x8i6iVnq8 Is it this kind of rattle you experienced before doing your fix? Thanks in advance.

[@AaronAverett]

Your noise sounds a little higher pitched than mine, but maybe. Does it go away if you press down on the grille?

[@NorbertGanslmeier]

@@AaronAverett No it does not go away if I press down on the grill. But still I think it comes right from that area.

[@louml6233]

Why do the owners have to do this themselves? It's Tesla problems, they should fix it for the owners.

[@AaronAverett]

They don't have to do it themselves. There is nothing stopping someone from asking Tesla to fix this under warranty, but minor rattles are the lowest priority items for their service techs, so you'd likely end up waiting weeks to get it fixed, and they might not fix it on the first try anyway. I mentioned this in the video. Also, in the next year or so, we'll start seeing Model 3s go out of warranty. When that happens, having this fixed will cost the car's owner $150+ an hour.

[@arjunprabhu]

@@AaronAverett had this exact same rattle - july 2019 build. First noticed this after 2-3 months after taking delivery. ... After 6 different service visits, they managed to finally fix it in sep 2020., and then after about a year, the same rattle was back again. now, they want to charge me $290 to diagnose the issue (they say minor rattle are no longer covered under warranty).. as much as I like the car, the service sucks to the core. Thanks for this video, this would be a project that i would do on my own now.

[@jaspal2370]

Please report this to tesla!

[@AaronAverett]

Tesla didn't seem too interested in hearing about the problems I was having with their latest garbage software update, so I seriously doubt they want to hear from me about anything as trivial as an interior rattle. That said, I'm told that new Model 3s actually come from the factory with something like this already done.

[@jaspal2370]

@@AaronAverett interesting. What went wrong with the new update? I haven’t noticed any changes on my 2018 LR RWD.

[@JamesKirk1988]

@@AaronAverett My Model 3 was delivered in March 2021, and does have this rattle. I'm going to try the trick of just shoving some foam in between the windshield and the speaker grill before I do a full disassembly.

[@Garrison169]

@@JamesKirk1988 Were you successful with your repair attempt? I have a 2021 Model 3 with this rattle and I am not going to take the dash apart to attempt to fix it. If you fixed the rattle, what kind of foam did you use?

[@JamesKirk1988]

@@Garrison169 Actually, shoving two chunks of foam, one on either side of the VIN, pretty much fixed the rattle.

[@thomasjefferson2934]

Lol only tesla has these ridiculous quality issues

[@ericwilliams5917]

Right? The wheels on the Toyota bZ4x were falling off. I think I'd rather have a rattle!