Passenger Seat Rattle

[HeliPilot]

Can you mimic the sound just by shaking/moving the passenger seat? I ask because I’ve had this high pitched squeek/rattle that only seems to happen when Im the only one in the Bronco driving.

It would be easier for you to grab the headrest and hold the seat still the next time you hear it. If it goes away…bingo

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[Sadams27]

Thank you for digging into this! I’ll test the seat position tomorrow.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

Can you mimic the sound just by shaking/moving the passenger seat? I ask because I’ve had this high pitched squeek/rattle that only seems to happen when Im the only one in the Bronco driving.

This particular rattle, yes. If you bang on the seat about where your shoulders are you'll hear it. Same for if you bang on the seat from the side (like shoulder height above the center console)

I was bored, so here's my temporary fix. I tried a piece of foam underneath, but turns out it's primarily the sides of the rails that are making contact.

Ordinary tacklebox tray divider -

Trimmed off the protrusions that lock it into the tray because they were too thick, and wedged the damn thing into the back of the seat rail.

About as ghetto a fix I've ever seen but I just tested and it eliminated the sound.

Now, since this thing is just kinda stuck in there and not attached to anything, if you move your seat around a lot it will almost certainly work its way out after a bit.

And remember kids shoving bits of plastic into your seat rails should only be done at your own risk.

Hopefully someone can come up with a more elegant solution eventually.

 

[BuckBronco]

This particular rattle, yes. If you bang on the seat about where your shoulders are you'll hear it. Same for if you bang on the seat from the side (like shoulder height above the center console)

I was bored, so here's my temporary fix. I tried a piece of foam underneath, but turns out it's primarily the sides of the rails that are making contact.

Ordinary tacklebox tray divider -

Trimmed off the protrusions that lock it into the tray because they were too thick, and wedged the damn thing into the back of the seat rail.

About as ghetto a fix I've ever seen but I just tested and it eliminated the sound.

Now, since this thing is just kinda stuck in there and not attached to anything, if you move your seat around a lot it will almost certainly work its way out after a bit.

And remember kids shoving bits of plastic into your seat rails should only be done at your own risk.

Hopefully someone can come up with a more elegant solution eventually.

This particular rattle, yes. If you bang on the seat about where your shoulders are you'll hear it. Same for if you bang on the seat from the side (like shoulder height above the center console)

I was bored, so here's my temporary fix. I tried a piece of foam underneath, but turns out it's primarily the sides of the rails that are making contact.

Ordinary tacklebox tray divider -

Trimmed off the protrusions that lock it into the tray because they were too thick, and wedged the damn thing into the back of the seat rail.

About as ghetto a fix I've ever seen but I just tested and it eliminated the sound.

Now, since this thing is just kinda stuck in there and not attached to anything, if you move your seat around a lot it will almost certainly work its way out after a bit.

And remember kids shoving bits of plastic into your seat rails should only be done at your own risk.

Hopefully someone can come up with a more elegant solution eventually.

Nice work! It’s not pretty but I’d take that over the noise any day. I’ll take a look this week. Thanks for all the help and the pics. Much appreciated!

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

Nice work! It’s not pretty but I’d take that over the noise any day. I’ll take a look this week. Thanks for all the help and the pics. Much appreciated!

Report back if you come up with something more elegant haha

 

[VDPHB]

Thanks @BuckBronco and @AK SNO RIDER ! I've been experiencing this from almost new and have had two different friends in the passenger seat trying to troubleshoot, along with a dealer visit. In all three situations, we couldn't hear it with a passenger.

I'll have to take a look down below, but am sure it's the same issue. Looking forward to seeing what can be done here, but the fix above would work for me for now.

 

[smiths65]

There was a seat TSB, not fully engaging the slide lock??? Had problem w/ mine not gliding forward for back seat access/egress...sorry, 2dr Dealer replaced rails and other hardware, preforms better...but, I still have to push seat towards the console to latch to rails

 

[Ford Motor Company]

For the past few weeks I’ve heard a mild rattle coming from what I thought was the passenger door especially when hitting bumps or rough road. I tried the window rattle adjustment as a last resort, removed the sill plate cover, tried placing a small towel (flat) in different places between the frame and door, tried loosing the door latch, etc… all thinking there was a slight contact between the body and the frame of the door. It was driving me nuts and would have to turn music on to help. I figured I’d have to take it into the dealer.

I asked my wife to drive it so I could try to isolate the sound. Oddly, when I was in the passenger seat the sound ceased. I had her stop and I moved to the back seat and the sound returned.

I haven’t isolated the location of the rattle from the passenger seat yet. It’s not the seat belt. I’ve fastened that and the sound is still there. I searched the forum and found maybe two other people mentioning it but haven’t found the fix. Anyone else have this problem? How’d ya fix it if you did. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I’m well aware that some Bronco owners have lots of creaks and rattles and if you like that, awesome! I’ve got pretty sensitive hearing and it drives me crazy. Anyone else deal with misophonia? Lol

Hey there. I can look into your Bronco’s rattle concerns on my end if you’d like. Will you send us a private message with your VIN and dealership info?

 

[roddyrides]

I have the same thing. If I move the seat up, it is worst. If I put it as low as it goes, it rattles less, but still rattles. If someone is sitting in the seat, it does not do it at all. I have had it for 4k miles and almost 4 months. If the Ford thing works for you, sending your details to that dealer, let me know. I'm watching this. It's only really annoying when it gets bumpy, which it will be soon, with nice weather around the corner.

 

[jnew71]

For the past few weeks I’ve heard a mild rattle coming from what I thought was the passenger door especially when hitting bumps or rough road. I tried the window rattle adjustment as a last resort, removed the sill plate cover, tried placing a small towel (flat) in different places between the frame and door, tried loosing the door latch, etc… all thinking there was a slight contact between the body and the frame of the door. It was driving me nuts and would have to turn music on to help. I figured I’d have to take it into the dealer.

I asked my wife to drive it so I could try to isolate the sound. Oddly, when I was in the passenger seat the sound ceased. I had her stop and I moved to the back seat and the sound returned.

I haven’t isolated the location of the rattle from the passenger seat yet. It’s not the seat belt. I’ve fastened that and the sound is still there. I searched the forum and found maybe two other people mentioning it but haven’t found the fix. Anyone else have this problem? How’d ya fix it if you did. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I’m well aware that some Bronco owners have lots of creaks and rattles and if you like that, awesome! I’ve got pretty sensitive hearing and it drives me crazy. Anyone else deal with misophonia? Lol

Def have this - I have the radio most of the time but when I don’t, it’s there.

 

[BuckBronco]

Def have this - I have the radio most of the time but when I don’t, it’s there.

….ok so I spent an hour or so today driving around trying to figure this out and isolate the noise. I tried @AK SNO RIDER ’s method but sadly it didn’t work for me despite the location I placed the “tackle box” piece. It also made no difference for me if the seats were forward or back. I finally gave up and decided that when I had the time I’d take it to a dealership.

I started doing some Google searches and unfortunately because of the “window rattle” issue and various other rattle issues it was a perpetual black hole of threads with no answers…

As I was reading through one of the threads over on Bronco Nation I believe it was, a few people said that they found that it was their seat buckle receptor… (I don’t know the name)… and that they tucked the seatbelt receptor between the console and the seat and the noise was gone. I thought to myself… this is not me, I’m not lucky enough to have it be something that simple. I almost thought it was too simple after all those hours of messing around with the rails and what not. Well, I tried it and sure thing, the noise was gone.

I still don’t like the idea that I have to tuck that thing in to remedy a rattle but for me, that’s one step closer to isolating the noise. I didn’t have time to mess with it after I tucked it in but the next time I have the energy to mess with it, Im going to figure out where and how it’s rattling.

I guess that’s all for now but for some of us that have this issue, try this and maybe that will temporarily remedy the issue.

 

[Area51BS]

Has anyone loosened the seat track bolts and tried tweaking it to one side and retighten. Just to apply some pressure on the track assembly. Might require one too pull on seat and one to tighten it.

 

[AceGoliath]

TSB 2104 was just posted over on sister site Maverick Truck Club that includes Broncos. May be a fix?
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...-passenger-side-seat-noise-tsb-22-2104.30079/

 

[BuckBronco]

Has anyone loosened the seat track bolts and tried tweaking it to one side and retighten. Just to apply some pressure on the track assembly. Might require one too pull on seat and one to tighten it.

I saw that some folks did this on other forums. I recall one saying they did and that it resolved the problem for like 2 months and came back.
If you have the patience to read through endless threads of unhelpful comments there are a lot of different “attempts at solutions.” I’m thinking we all have different rattles though so every attempt is a possible solution.

 

[Herbie]

Dude, I've been chasing this rattle forever! It's been to the dealer twice. I thought it was the door. They tightened everything down, did the window guide adjustment, and just couldn't find it. This weekend I finally dug into it myself and after disassembling the door, going through everything, and driving around with the door panel off I finally figured out it was the seat.

Specifically, its the seat rails. You'll find if you move the seat all the way forward it doesn't do it. There's the rail that's attached to the seat, and the rail that's attached to the floor. The seat rail slides inside the floor rail as you move the seat back and forth. These two rails are banging against each other over bumps.

If you look in there with a flashlight, there's a strip of blue plastic towards the front, that kinda acts as a "guide" for the inner rail, and stops excessive movement. Ford, in their infinite wisdom, decided this guide didn't need to extend the full length of the rail. So when the seat is about halfway or more back, there's no support and the rails start rattling together.

It's fuckin infuriating, and I can't believe you're the ONLY other person I've seen mention it.

Unfortunately I have no idea how it can be fixed.

Thank God I found this thread. I have had my Bronco for 13 months and to the best of my recollection, never noticed this rattle. A couple weeks ago I was screwing around in the passenger side and had to adjust my seat to get something installed. Must have left the seat in the midway position as it has rattled ever since. Just now I went over there and moved it back about an inch or so and the rattle is gone. So somehow for the past year plus either my seat has been all the way back, all the way forward (not likely) or I have had a passenger.

It is dumb that I have to make sure it is forward or back because of Ford's short comings, but at least it is an easy remedy.

Thanks @AK SNO RIDER and @BuckBronco

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