Rattle

[MEZZA22]

Just started getting this rattle from the rear end of the car - sounds more from the offside - definitely outside the car,i.e. not a trim thing,it's a bit like the tailgate isn't shut properly,a bit metallic in nature -only on poor surfaces with a few bumps - car has done 56000 miles - any thoughts ? i'm thinking shock absorbers ? - exhaust isn't loose,
spare wheel isn't loose, - when you reach under the wheelarch and grab the shock absorber it does shake quite a bit but only the outer top sleeve bit - is that normal ? - also I have the ACC suspension - handling seems fine - anybody know the cost of a rear damper for ACC equiped cars ?

[mike.]

The rear shocks for ACC are about £200 inc vat each..

Have you tried the rear seat, mine was rattling and it seemed to be a common problem.

It was the mount at the top where it clips in on the passenger side.

I put some cloth tape round the mounting point and it stopped.

[MEZZA22]

Do you mean the mount that the split backrest clips into to fold the back seats down ? - checked that with
the backrest up and there doesn't seem to be any play/movement - by the way it's a 3 door GTi - will checkout
the back seat tomorrow anyway - it's possible it could be something inside the car like that I suppose.

[mavs]

I also had the same annoying knocking / rattle noise from the rear of my GTI. Turned out to be the rear seats on the metal clip. Easy way to check whether this is your problem, drop the seats and go for a quick 'run round the block', and see if the noise disappears. If it does, wrap some 'cloth' or 'insulation tape' (approx 40-50mm long) around the hoop on the body, and hey presto, rattle should be gone.

[RocketRossUK]

If its not the seat, have you checked your rear dust shields?

I have removed both of mine as they came loose and stated making a noise, look better with out and better cooling

[Cdrew9989]

Same issue I had by the sound of things, bolt head had sheared on the heat shield behind the brake rotor, give it a push back and forward and see if it moves easy, mine was loose so was rattling when I was driving, new bolt does the trick!!

[andygo]

Could it be the rear anti roll bar drop links? I have a slight knocking sound on bumpy surfaces at <20mph.

[MEZZA22]

Still sounds more like a rattle than a knocking noise - it's so similar to the rattle I had in a MK1 Focus I once owned, which was the tailgate -(it really needed the lock/striker plate adjusting but I cured it by wrapping insuation tape around the catch) - although there doesn't seem to be much movement in the tailgate now when you try to push down on it when it's shut,I can detect a little,so I need to get some tape and try it - the noise was louder when I went out with it today with the back seats folded flat and the parcel shelf taken out, which I suppose is expected.

[RocketRossUK]

^^^^^ did you check your rear dust shields?

[MEZZA22]

Will be checking them next - update tomorrow.