the saga:

i noticed an interior "rattle" located over the rear passenger tire. it sounds like a plastic electrical connector hitting metal. doesn't happen on smooth blacktop roads but mostly on uneven concrete roads. i rode in the hatch area with the hatch up and the interior body panels off to pinpoint the noise so i am totally confident it is not the hatchback.

dealership #1: tightened an electrical connector. noise came back after about 30 minutes of driving. took it back. they have to order a part. took it back when the part came in. wrong part. took it back when the right part came in. they replaced the rear passenger strut. improvement but noise came back after a few days.

dealership #2: tightened and lubed things (they weren't specific). improvement but noise came back after about 30 minutes of driving.

dealership #3: tightened and lubed things (they weren't specific). no improvement.

a virtual six pack and a huge KUDOS to anyone who can solve the noise mystery.

incidentally, there is another noise that i'm not even bothering with right now. it's more of a squeak like a squeaky mattress. it happens when i go over speed bumps, up onto curb for my driveway, when i take quick right hand turns like on an interstate on ramp or when i accelerate more than slowly.

other than that, love the car.

 

I have the same rattle! Comes with warmer weather and gone when it's cold.

 

are you 100% sure its not the hatch or just "confident"

i would still start here:https://my350z.com/forum/search.php?searchid=7618662

https://my350z.com/forum/search.php?searchid=7618629

 

i beleive the squeak has something to do with the sway bar bushing is i remember correctly. try lubing them up extra well. as fr the rattle..no idea what that could be

 

as usual, thanks for the feedback

 

the clips holding your interior panels get loose and squeeke..just tape up the holes they clip into to make them smaller with a velcro style tape.

 

1. Put your favorite CD into the radio.
2. Turn up the volume.

problem solved.

squeaks and rattle comes with a car with stiff suspension.

 

i agree that no car is completely noiseless but this is a constant, noticeable rattle and you can't ride with the stereo volume up 100% of the time. the noise is coming from something that is clearly not right with the car

 

dealership #3 has now told me they not only can't fix the problem, they can't even find it. they suggested that i take it to a body shop. btw, that will be $300.

i'm 39 and i've never heard of a dealership telling a customer "we give up" on their own car. i just called nissan consumer relations to tell them of my displeasure with the situation.

 

i've ridden in the car with the interior panels off and the noise still occurs. because of that, i don't think the clips are the problem but i could be wrong. great suggestion by the way.

the dealership and myself agree that the noise is coming from inside the "roll bar" (the "bar" the runs across the back of the hatch area; sway bar?) in the area above the passenger rear wheel. the problem is that the "roll bar" is a self contained tube of metal that is welded to the side body frame. there is no way to get to the noise from the interior without dismantling the bar from the body via welding.

what i don't know is if the dealership can get to the noise from the exterior. they are telling me they can't and i should go to a body shop. i haven't heard of a body shop troubleshooting a rattle.