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The infamous "B" post rattle that wasn't.


FirefighterGeek

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The infamous "B" post rattle that wasn't.
(2017 Escape Titanium w/ New England Cold Weather Package)
It's been driving me crazy for weeks. A small rattle that I would swear was passenger front door or b-post. Couldn't find it. Took the door panel off. No joy. Read someone's post about loose skid guards underneath and checked. No joy. Got back in at the post office and when I closed the driver's door I heard it. Discovering I could reliable make it rattle while stopped, I pulled into the garage and sat in the back seat and passenger seat to duplicate....and.... it wasn't a door or b-post rattle. The noise suddenly seemed to be on the driver's side.
After some trial and error, the FSCKING RATTLE was the pen in the pen-holder tray in the center console.
SMH.

Hope this helps someone.

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Well, this is why I posted what I did -- not just to look like an idiot.

I've been doing my own car work for decades. I've rebuilt cars. I've removed and replaced dash assemblies down to the carpet. I should know how to find a rattle.

And it fooled me.

I would have bet a steak dinner that the rattle was in the b-post or the passenger front door. It wasn't at all. Not even remotely close.

Sounds in the cab of these cars travel strange ways because there is different insulation in different places. The rattle was literally coming from a box next to my right elbow but I absolutely "heard" it as if it were all the way across the car and down low.

Before getting too mad at the dealer, I would really encourage you (or anyone) to have someone else drive the car while you sit in the passenger seat, the backseats, etc. Everywhere else you can until you can truly isolate the sound. If I hadn't done that, I'd still be removing door panels and body trim looking for it.

-- Just some advice from someone who's been down this road.

We're giving up on it. Before the 3/36 is up were getting rid of it. Might go Jeep this time.

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Well, this is why I posted what I did -- not just to look like an idiot.

 

I've been doing my own car work for decades. I've rebuilt cars. I've removed and replaced dash assemblies down to the carpet. I should know how to find a rattle.

 

And it fooled me.

I would have bet a steak dinner that the rattle was in the b-post or the passenger front door. It wasn't at all. Not even remotely close.

 

Sounds in the cab of these cars travel strange ways because there is different insulation in different places. The rattle was literally coming from a box next to my right elbow but I absolutely "heard" it as if it were all the way across the car and down low.

 

Before getting too mad at the dealer, I would really encourage you (or anyone) to have someone else drive the car while you sit in the passenger seat, the backseats, etc. Everywhere else you can until you can truly isolate the sound. If I hadn't done that, I'd still be removing door panels and body trim looking for it.

 

-- Just some advice from someone who's been down this road.

 

 

We've had techs, service writers and general managers in mine. We've had the glove box replaced, windshield resealed twice, headliner dropped twice for Vista roof rattles and now the whole dash rattles whenever you hit a bump. This is on top of two pieces of exterior trim falling off, the SYNC 3 replaced twice and we've had the doors and hood realigned numerous times and I'm still not happy.

 

Worst vehicle I've ever owned. Should have kept the 2011.

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Wow. I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad experience. This is the first Ford I've bought new. I used to buy Chrysler and I've bought from Honda and Subaru new before. We got a used Focus for my daughter that was really nice and it's held up well and that led me to look at this one. I couldn't be happier with the Escape Titanium for what I've paid. Sure, it's not a Landrover Evoque but I didn't pay that kind of money either.

I've had the panel off under the glove box, and the raised center panel that sits on the dash and the panel in front of the video console -- all so I could route wires for my first-responder red light and my dashcam. I didn't see anything there that should easily come loose to rattle. In the passenger door panel area there's some wire bundles that I don't think are fastened down terribly well, but I don't see that causing the issues you describe.

Unfortunately, it's absolutely true with these things that the more you pull this stuff apart the more likely you are to introduce rattles and squeaks if you don't know how to do the job carefully.

I wonder if you're getting the whole story here. The first new car my wife and I bought together when we were just married was a 1991 Olds Bravada. At the time, younger me didn't notice it but I later noticed evidence that it had originally had damage. The windshield had been replaced and the top of the passenger side A post showed signs of repair as well. By the time I noticed, it was really far too late to complain but I never went back to that dealer.

Edited by FirefighterGeek
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We've had techs, service writers and general managers in mine. We've had the glove box replaced, windshield resealed twice, headliner dropped twice for Vista roof rattles and now the whole dash rattles whenever you hit a bump. This is on top of two pieces of exterior trim falling off, the SYNC 3 replaced twice and we've had the doors and hood realigned numerous times and I'm still not happy.

 

Worst vehicle I've ever owned. Should have kept the 2011.

 

Man that sucks...my wife's 2017 SE doesn't have any of those issues and we got rearended in it within the first 30 days of owning it.

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My 2015 hasnt had much rattle noise. Some wind noise. Even after I replaced the headliner for a water stain. Worse thing on mine is the transmission shifts. I wish I got an edge instead. However, the escape does drive well and goes good in snow. The 2.0 is zippy too.

Zippy is an understatement. That 2.0-L engine is incredible. It really is. This thing has better 0-60 time than my old 1972 Camaro had stock, and that was a 350 v8 (5.7 liters). I went with that motor because I wanted the pulling package. 3500 pound towing on a 2.0 engine is nuts but it does the job.

 

It also handles the ride from Bangor to Houlton at the Canadian border -- 85 miles an hour on cruise control for two hours -- without even breathing hard. Literally. 2300 RPM and 24mpg at that speed.

 

My round trip to Washington DC was 800 miles. I took a photo of the computer trip meter showing 800 miles at 28.0 miles per gallon.

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.

Thought you would've wanted to get a rattle free car...seriously though, rattles suck and I am bummed that they can't seem to fix yours...

Rattles can be tough to fix. Not to mention the owner drives the car every day and the tech drives it for an hour or two. trying to eliminate noises not even sure its the same noise the customer is complaining about unless its completely obvious.
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Rattles can be tough to fix. Not to mention the owner drives the car every day and the tech drives it for an hour or two. trying to eliminate noises not even sure its the same noise the customer is complaining about unless its completely obvious.

Especially when the noise only happens intermittently on a road that's two hours away. Having the customer ride with the tech really helps if the noise is easily reproducible.

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