I have experienced intermittant front door rattles since I purchased my Armada in December 2003. Dealer has been unable to cure. Anyone else experiencing rattles?

Boy...rattles galore.

Dash (still occasionally pops up), rear gate (still creaking- dealer can't fix) driver's side door (fixed), rear glass (fixed), console (fixed).

Boy...rattles galore.

Dash (still occasionally pops up), rear gate (still creaking- dealer can't fix) driver's side door (fixed), rear glass (fixed), console (fixed).


Wow...I have none of those (thank God!!). The only rattles I have are one from the overhead near the sunroof that I need to talk to the dealer about -- will address at first oil change -- and another rattle that I haven't figured out where it's coming from yet -- but it's pretty benign thus far.

Boy...rattles galore.

Dash (still occasionally pops up), rear gate (still creaking- dealer can't fix) driver's side door (fixed), rear glass (fixed), console (fixed).

What fixed the driver door rattle. I have that. BTW I'm new here.

Welcome Aboard!
I just purchased my Armada and I have quite a few rattles also. I think I may have found the origin of my drivers door rattle. While installing my Weathertech wind deflectors I accidently scraped/cut the drivers door outside weather sill.

When I checked on the damage I pushed the weather sill in and it made the exact same intermitent clicking noise I hear inside. I'm going to have to check further to make sure. You might want to check it out on your Armada. It's the path of least resistance. :D

I have experienced intermittant front door rattles since I purchased my Armada in December 2003. Dealer has been unable to cure. Anyone else experiencing rattles?

I like others have had the overhead booming fixed and once I did the other noises became much more evident. Mainly at the front doors. I would describe it as more of a shimmy or shaking. If I am driving on a rough road (missouri) and have my arm on the door arm rest it feels like the whole door panel is shaking. Out of curiosity KCDennis what dealership do you use? I am also in Kansas City and bought mine from Stateline Nissan.

Welcome Aboard!
I just purchased my Armada and I have quite a few rattles also. I think I may have found the origin of my drivers door rattle. While installing my Weathertech wind deflectors I accidently scraped/cut the drivers door outside weather sill.

When I checked on the damage I pushed the weather sill in and it made the exact same intermitent clicking noise I hear inside. I'm going to have to check further to make sure. You might want to check it out on your Armada. It's the path of least resistance. :D

I'll check it out, I see your in folsom I'm in ELDO Hills. Later

Brass,

I too have the weatherflectors, and had the same annoying rattle on my passenger side. I removed the weather strippping and dynamatted the door frame (inside where the weatherstripping goes) and the rattle is gone.

The rear creak was mostly coming from underneath the seat belt spools that are mounted to the roof. Dynamatted underneath them and the creaking is much better. There's a little bit left in the "d" pillar somewhere.

I've pretty much eliminated all of mine- been working on them since February. :)

Brass,

I too have the weatherflectors, and had the same annoying rattle on my passenger side. I removed the weather strippping and dynamatted the door frame (inside where the weatherstripping goes) and the rattle is gone.

The rear creak was mostly coming from underneath the seat belt spools that are mounted to the roof. Dynamatted underneath them and the creaking is much better. There's a little bit left in the "d" pillar somewhere.

I've pretty much eliminated all of mine- been working on them since February. :)


I'm going to have to buy some of that Dynomatt and get busy. I read about someone that used a vinyl based sound deadner called "Cascade." I may try to locate some of it.

It's a shame we have to chase rattles and spend the money on dynamatt for a vehicle in this price range. Nissan sales brochure for the 04 has the following bs:

Frame Design - "Whereas many SUVs began as full-size trucks, Pathfinder Armada was designed from the start as a fully boxed high-strength steel SUV frame using laser welding and structural bonding for higher torsional rigidity, to help ensure a smooth comfortable ride with fewer squeaks and rattles."

My Armada is a nice vehicle with lots of smooth power and it rides nice. But, it certainly has more quality control issues than any Datsun or Nissan product I've owned in the past.

Tim

I'll check it out, I see your in folsom I'm in ELDO Hills. Later

It's a small world after all.

What dealership do you use? I'm taking mine into Shingle Springs Nissan tomorrow for repairs. Good or Bad dealership? So far... fuel gauge no work, DVD shake, booming noise and lousy fm radio reception. I hope they are competent and neat.

Tim

Yeah, 1st year issues I guess. The engine and tranny are so damn sweet, though. Much better than all of the domestics I have owned over the years.

You can get 100 sq ft of b-quiet for like $100 on ebay. I have one and 1/3 rolls left and I've completely done all 4 doors, the roof, and various rattle chasing. Best deal out there that I've seen.

It's a small world after all.

What dealership do you use? I'm taking mine into Shingle Springs Nissan tomorrow for repairs. Good or Bad dealership? So far... fuel gauge no work, DVD shake, booming noise and lousy fm radio reception. I hope they are competent and neat.

Tim

I use Folsom Nissan, but haven't been in for anything yet so I dunno. I've never used SS Nissan either so let me know how ya like em' up there. :D

I'm in the same boat as everyone. Hate the rattles, but love everything else. So how does b-quiet and dynamatte?? do. Does this get applied to window or on the door? The rattling is driving me crazy. It's amazing that everyone talking about the rattles but my local Nissan dealer tells me I'm the first to bring this up! Yea right...




Yeah, 1st year issues I guess. The engine and tranny are so damn sweet, though. Much better than all of the domestics I have owned over the years.

You can get 100 sq ft of b-quiet for like $100 on ebay. I have one and 1/3 rolls left and I've completely done all 4 doors, the roof, and various rattle chasing. Best deal out there that I've seen.

Oh man that is the biggest crock I've heard. So far every issue I've had, I have been the first. A family member of mine told me that they get Armadas in for the same problems all the time :-/ .

There is a helpful rattle thread on titantalk.com about the Armada as well- you might do a search for "Armada rattles" or something.

If you guys would like, we can start a new thread here and track our rattles along with the fixes. I still have a bazillion of them, but most are just when I hit bumps. I wish I could get them all....for now I'll just crank the tunes.

The rattles are killing me! A new thread would be great. If anyone figures out how to get rid of all these little noises al over the car, maybe we can as a group start knocking them off one by one.
I've got 300 miles on a Armada LE. A $42,000 SUV that has stereo rattles. Got it on both left door and right door. I've got to turn up the stereo system to drown out the rattles.

I'm looking for a new exhaust system that will also take my attention off the rattles.

If anyone knows how to start up a new thread on rattle cures, that'd be great.

I just purchased my 2004 Armada on Dec 31 & it has been in the shop 4X for various issues. My most persistent issue is the rattling in the doors (front driver & passenger sides) as well as rear hatch. I also own a 99 Pathfinder with 130K that is as quiet as a mouse & still tight. I purchased the Armada because of that one simple fact that I like quiet tight cars...what a MISTAKE!

I am looking for the SPECIFIC fixes as my dealer has proved incapable of dealing with the situation. I believe the drivers door rattle is caused by something other than the passenger dooor which seems to be in the armrest itself. :confused:

I have experienced intermittant front door rattles since I purchased my Armada in December 2003. Dealer has been unable to cure. Anyone else experiencing rattles?

I just had my window switches replaced (windows don't always want to go up) and they insulated the door panels at the same time. I can happily say I no longer have rattling doors! :)

That's great. Could you give some details on exactly what they did by insulating? Foam or Dynamat? Where did they stick it?
My whole drivers door has so many creeks all over, it sounds like its raining on a tin roof when I drive. It's driving me crazy.
Which dealership did the work. Maybe I can call them or refer to them when my dealer**** claims they don't hear anything. :)

I take it back this week to have the radio replaced and when I do, I'll make sure to ask exactly how they insulated the door and then I'll post the info. I haven't heard a rattle since and I am so happy about it! BTW...I used Reed Nissan in Orlando, FL.

I take my armada in for the driver and passenger side rattles. It seems to be in the doors or the windows. The service guy was like "oh..we never had this before" I have 700 miles on this 05. Stupid plastic pieces!

Tien, that's the exact attitude I hate so much from Nissan. I went to 3 Nissan dealerships in the first month I got the Armada and all three told me I was the first one that complained about: gas gauge stuck on full, rattles in doors and moonroof, and braking issues.

I'm curious, you have a brand new 2005 and are having rattle problems?? I've heard mixed reviews on '05 owners on if Nissan got rid of the rattles.


I can't wait to hear how Nissan fixed greengoddess's rattle!!

Tien, that's the exact attitude I hate so much from Nissan. I went to 3 Nissan dealerships in the first month I got the Armada and all three told me I was the first one that complained about: gas gauge stuck on full, rattles in doors and moonroof, and braking issues.

I'm curious, you have a brand new 2005 and are having rattle problems?? I've heard mixed reviews on '05 owners on if Nissan got rid of the rattles.


I can't wait to hear how Nissan fixed greengoddess's rattle!!

I guess it's a hit or miss since my '05 LE with built date of 1/05 does not have any rattles at all. It's even quieter than my 04 infiniti fx 35.

Tien, that's the exact attitude I hate so much from Nissan. I went to 3 Nissan dealerships in the first month I got the Armada and all three told me I was the first one that complained about: gas gauge stuck on full, rattles in doors and moonroof, and braking issues.

I'm curious, you have a brand new 2005 and are having rattle problems?? I've heard mixed reviews on '05 owners on if Nissan got rid of the rattles.


I can't wait to hear how Nissan fixed greengoddess's rattle!!
Yeah, I have an O5 which I got 2 weeks ago. :( It started to rattle at 300miles on the drivers side then it got worse as i hit 700miles. It seems the window is not on right or the door or something. The passenger side rattles too. heh. I think my build date is around november because the inspection sticker is for 11/06.

I told the service guy about tons of people from the msg boards having this rattle problem and he looked at me if I was lying or something. heh. This isn't a major issue though. I just hope my brakes don't go out on me. That would be bad. Our brakes look small as hell for a car this size. I looked at my neighbor's Dodge Ram 1500 and his brakes are Gigantic compared to mine. 700 miles so far and it's only the rattles. If they don't fix the problem, i'll just dynomat the whole car when I do my stereo system.

It's a small world after all.

What dealership do you use? I'm taking mine into Shingle Springs Nissan tomorrow for repairs. Good or Bad dealership? So far... fuel gauge no work, DVD shake, booming noise and lousy fm radio reception. I hope they are competent and neat.

Tim

Hey, I'm from EDH too, with an office is in Folsom! maybe there are enough of us to group up for a meet?...anyways, pretty new to the forum and the armada...2K miles, purchased from Roseville...praying that i got a good one without the squeeks, so far so good.

I just got a few more fixes done yesterday. The driver door rattling I am told will have a new TSB soon. The dealer will install foam behind all the weatherstripping around both front doors. This is supposed to get rid of all the rattles and sqeaks. I'm not real sure about this though. Sounds a little fishy to me.

Got the gas gauge fixed. Replaced sender and pump?

Got the new brakes. I'll put more about this onthe other thread "brakes"

I just got a few more fixes done yesterday. The driver door rattling I am told will have a new TSB soon. The dealer will install foam behind all the weatherstripping around both front doors. This is supposed to get rid of all the rattles and sqeaks. I'm not real sure about this though. Sounds a little fishy to me.

Got the gas gauge fixed. Replaced sender and pump?

Got the new brakes. I'll put more about this onthe other thread "brakes"
I took the armada in today for the driver side rattle and I waited a FULL day for them to fix it. I drive off the lot and I hear the EXACT same rattling going on. I call back to the dealership and tell them if they even actually worked on my car. I was EXTREMELY mad. They told me technicians have worked on it all day and fixed it. They said they could not duplicate the rattling in the passenger side. They must be deaf or something because i can hear it from the driver's side.

I am damn sure it's the weatherstripping or the panel at the bottom of the window because when i was driving home today after the dealership, I pulled the panel towards me and guess what? The rattle goes away. That cheap piece of plastic is the thing that is rattling. That foam thing sounds like a good idea. I had actually thought of just wedging something between that plastic part and the window just so I could be less angry! STUPID DEALERSHIP. I will be calling that 1-800 number to voice my displeasure on my experience today at the dealership. :mad:

I hope they do issue a TSB. My doors are rattling, but it's not the panel- it's the doors themselves. I put some dynamat behind the weatherstripping on my passenger side door and the rattle went away. I've read another thread where they replaced a guy's weatherstripping and it solved a rattle problem as well. I think the stripping eventually flattens out enough to allow the door to rattle against the body.

If you hear any more about the upcoming TSB please post. Thanks!

Okay, I'm really getting aggravated - the rattle has returned! It got better for a few weeks, but it's back (though I have to say not as loud) and now the drivers door and back passenger door is also rattling (and driving me nuts) :mad:

For the record, they put installed insulation tape - I talked with the service advisor today and he said they will put more in on Monday when I take it in. At least they are trying to help and he said that all the dealers know about the rattles and they all should be installing the tape.

My front passenger door and both rear doors are rattling like hell now. My front passenger door seems to be coming from the arm rest. I push down with some light pressure on the back of it and it stops. So I put some tape under the back (I couldn't get the front clip to release) and it still did it. I left the back pulled up out of the clip and it still did it....I'm getting frickin' tired of this crap. You get one shut down and two more pop up. I feel like I've been riding around in a box of packing peanuts for a year now :mad:

I hear ya llajumpvid. I'm pretty sick of the whole situation myself. I feel like I'm between two styrafoam coffee cups. To make it even worse, I'm uncomfortable while I endure the stereo creaks and rattles due to the crappy drivers seat bottom cushion. I feel ripped off by Nissan.

I'm going to schedule another dealer visit for the "Brake Judder." This will be my second time for brakes in a little over 1K miles. I wish I wouldn't have bought this turd. This poor quality vehicle and crappy customer service from Nissan and their dealerships is really starting to get on my nerves.

Oh, here is another problem that has started. I've used my A/C two times since I bought the Armada last October 2004. After I turned it on the other day(second time) a very pungent foul odor, you know kind of like a stagnant pond, came out of the vents. It's way too early for this kind of stuff to start.

I know I sound negative and that's how I feel about this vehicle. I expected a much higher level of quality from Nissan. Both in build and customer service. I don't want to broad-brush the vehicle because I know that many of you are extremely satisfied with your vehicles. I respect that and I'm happy that you are satified. I just like to grumble every once in a while.

The arm rest sound in my Armada was eliminated by taking the door finishers off(panels) and peeling off all the dark gray foam pieces that were stuck on to the plastic. The noise was from the foam pieces sticking and unsticking while driving.

The odor from A/C is mildew that has developed inside the condensor or compressor or whatever is inside the A/C. The dealer told me to crank the heater on and always use fresh air setrting and not recirc.
It seems to have worked in getting the smell out.

Well guys,

I certainly can empathize with you on the rattles. I let Nissan have it on this past 2nd JD Power survey I sent in. We should be getting much more for a $40k vehicle.

Hang in there. Maybe the '06 models will have all this worked out. It's really a shame because the powertrain is the bomb- just these little problems can ruin an ownership experience.

Have the dealer replace the door hinges, I work at a dealer, and they had my truck in the shop every chance they got to try to fix the rattles. Finally they found it was the hinges w/play, that was causing the popping/rattle sound. After replacing, WALA no more. I have had all the "known" fixes done, and none of these worked. That is why mine would pop even when taking corners.

Man, I can't even get the dealers around LA to admit there's any rattles or even a brake problem.
Any suggestions how I can get my dealer to replace hinges?
How can I show/prove that the hinges need replacing??

My door rattle went away a little after velcro and felt, but they are back twice as loud now. I just can not fiure out where the flexing/creaking noises are coming from.

I had one come back yesterday, and put some felt tape between the weatherstripping that is on the door and the body (the flat, rounded set that meets the body, but is on the door itself). That killed it.

This is a little different than the other stripping fix- you might try it.

Where do you get the felt tape at?

It's just the felt side of a velcro strip.

I've now velcro'd every possible metal where it touches weatherstripping and it didn't change the rattle at all! Frustrating.
Then I decided to spray armour all all over the place to see if it was friction causing the noise. BAD MOVE!
Now the weather stripping that runs on the body side keeps falling off. The rubber doesn't grip the metal strip any more and the weatherstripping just drops off.
So I spent 2 hours with windex and mineral spirits cleaning off all the armour all. Now it stays on again.
DON'T put armour all anywhere that the weather stripping needs to hold on to. You will be sorry. I guess I win the dumba$$ award.

So anyone else have any luck with rattle identification?
Again, it only happens when the window is closed tight. Makes a creaking rattling noise that has given me a permanent headache.

Maybe the window rails holding on from the bottom?
Somebody help! :moon: to the rattles

I might have found the source of your rattle. My passenger side rattle came back (front) the other day. I pulled off the door panel, and if you roll the window down a little bit toward the back bottom of the glass you'll see where there's a clamp. I pushed a little bit on the clamp and sure enough, mine had some play. I popped some very small pieces of the felt (velcro) where the play was, and the rattle is gone again.

Also there's a TSB out for the rattle that goes away when you roll the window down a bit.

Try it out and see.

im experiencing rattles in the front dashboard and the stereo speakers from the front make a weird noise also, sounds like when wood is burning

Then I decided to spray armour all all over the place to see if it was friction causing the noise. BAD MOVE!
Now the weather stripping that runs on the body side keeps falling off. The rubber doesn't grip the metal strip any more and the weatherstripping just drops off.
So I spent 2 hours with windex and mineral spirits cleaning off all the armour all. Now it stays on again.
DON'T put armour all anywhere that the weather stripping needs to hold on to. You will be sorry. I guess I win the dumba$$ award.



Sorry to laugh but that's funny....only because you were able to fix it:)

A while back I grabbed a couple armour all window cleaners and wipped the inside of the wifes car front and side windows....then I realized it was not the window wipes that I grabbed....2 hours later I could see out the windows again.

I am also experiencing front door rattles...on both sides that are very annoying. Has anyone had any luck getting fixed? For the money spent on this vehicle, I expect a quite ride! I also have a DVD player that won't work, a fuel gauge that is always on full, a back windshield wiper that has been replaced once and needs to be again (wrong size...duh). I had a Ford Expedition and never had a problem. I bought this 2004 aramada le and have nothing but issues........anyone else feel this way?

ctarmada

I am also experiencing front door rattles...on both sides that are very annoying. Has anyone had any luck getting fixed? For the money spent on this vehicle, I expect a quite ride! I also have a DVD player that won't work, a fuel gauge that is always on full, a back windshield wiper that has been replaced once and needs to be again (wrong size...duh). I had a Ford Expedition and never had a problem. I bought this 2004 aramada le and have nothing but issues........anyone else feel this way?

ctarmada

Join the club....it taken almost an entire year to finally get to a point that the enjoyment out weighs the annoyance while driving. You need to felt line everything it seems like.

I might have found the source of your rattle. My passenger side rattle came back (front) the other day. I pulled off the door panel, and if you roll the window down a little bit toward the back bottom of the glass you'll see where there's a clamp. I pushed a little bit on the clamp and sure enough, mine had some play. I popped some very small pieces of the felt (velcro) where the play was, and the rattle is gone again.

Also there's a TSB out for the rattle that goes away when you roll the window down a bit.

Try it out and see.

Thanks, I'll give it a try. I thought I'd tried everything already but haven't messed with the window clamps and motor. This has got to be the fix! I'm being positive and optimistic here. I am expecting silence soon. I can't wait.
I'll let you all know if it works.

How about the first person who really figures out how to kill this rattle gets a couple dollars from all of us.

I too was disappointed with a rattle as referenced in the title to this post. Mentioned it at the first oil change, and the dealer took care of it. Apparently, the window regulator was loose, and they tightened it. This took care of the problem for now, and I am very pleased. Lets see how the repair holds up. Hope this post helps.

-Jesse

I believe the door rattle is coming from the front door panelS. I put a cap on the S because both front doors rattle. It is apparently due to the small plastic clips that hold (or rather don't hold) the panel tight to the frame.

If you pull the panel out and insert a wedge, it will stop rattling. I took black hockey tape and cut it at about 3 feet and folded it in half and did it again and again until I got a section that was about 2 inches long. I wedged it between the metal part of the door frame and the plastic panel towards the top. Fixed! Problem is that it looks goofy and it is NOT permanent.

This needs to be addressed to Nissan as they did NOT design the door panels very well.

I think you are right on the money. I've been chasing rattles on the door for 9 months. I've done every fix on this forum and even the dealer has been stumped. a week ago, I wedged some folded business cards between the door panel and the metal part along the edges, the rattles are gone. ALL of them!
So now I am finally really enjoying driving around.

Now that I am rattle free, time for CAI's and Exhaust!

My Qx's front doors rattled sent it to the dealer three times, first two attempts they couldnt fix it(because they didnt get the green light to replace the door from nissan) third time they replaced both front doors rattle was gone and all was quiete once again. :fantastic