How to fix interior rattling on a Jeep Wrangler JK

Chris

Administrator
Staff Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2015
Messages
32,367
Location
Florence, AZ
Hearing rattling noises on the interior of your Jeep Wrangler can be not only bothersome but worrisome as well. While you might not be able to resolve all issues, you should be able to identify the most common culprits and fix them, or hire a certified mechanic or local Jeep dealership to do on your behalf for a reasonable fee. Here are the top fixes you'll want to know about.

infographic-rattle-116445.png


Materials Needed (depending on issue)
  • Grease lubricant
  • Electrical tape
  • Wiper assembly
  • Zip-ties
Step 1 – Grease the door latches
They might need lubrication.

Jeep put out a technical service bulletin (TSB) pertaining to noisy door latches. In that TSB, 2007-present Jeep Wrangler owners were advised to grease their door latches to eliminate "clunking noises."
  • If the noise sounds like it's coming from the door panel, lack of lubrication is not the issue.
  • In that case, you most likely are dealing with a loose door mechanism, which would need to be fixed to eliminate the noise.
  • Another DIY fix is to wrap the door latch (where the door catches) with electrical tape.
maxresdefault.jpg

Figure 1. Generally speaking, it's a great idea to grease all door latches.

Step 2 – Eliminate wind noise from loose factory wiring
Wiring might be moving in the wind.

Your factory satellite radio antenna wire may be producing bothersome noise by flapping around. If the wire comes out of the loom, it could be a source of noise. Use a zip-tie to hold it in place.
  • Loose air conditioning lines might also be the culprit.
  • Pop the hood of your Jeep and make adjustments to the lines via your engine bay, eliminating as much slack as possible.
zipties-116456.jpg

Figure 2. Here are some brake light wires secured by zip-ties during a mod.

Step 3 – Check the wiper assembly
It might be faulty.

As your wiper assembly ages, rattling noises can begin to appear.
  • Swap out an old wiper assembly for a new one.
  • Check the rear wiper assembly, as well as the front one.
  • A quality wiper assembly could cost you around $50.
  • Installation is pretty straightforward and worth doing yourself to save on costs.
DSC00019-116466.jpg

Figure 3. The wiper assembly may need replacement.

Step 4 – Have a professional check the door striker
It might be faulty.

It's not recommended that you modify or repair your door striker, which some Jeep Wrangler owners may say is as simple as moving it an 1/8 of an inch or so. The truth is, while the striker could be the reason for interior rattling noise, it is repair that could become costly if done wrong.
  • Leave this fix to the professionals.
  • If you do want to nose around, we suggest checking each door harness for looseness. A bad connection could lead to rattling noises.
  • The likely culprit is a weak or loose slide clip that connects directly to the frame of your jeep.
  • The panel could also be out of position.
doorlatch.jpg

Figure 4. This is a door striker.
 
my wife's Jeep tailgate rattled over every bump. I replaced the rear hinges and it went away. (actually, I replaced the hinge pins with re-greasable ones) That was the biggest source of rattling by far.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jpartridge1992
I just pilot along at high revs, my Magnaflow exhaust drowns out all those noises including my wife. All Good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bill92250
Sporadic, rattle/ ticking SOLVED: So I have a 2013 JK unlimited. It began rattling on me a while ago. It sounded like a rattle/rapid metallic ticking sound in the door or in the A pillar, somewhere near the passenger side sun visor. It was difficult to locate because it would come and go. I use to think it was the door window and I've taken the interior paneling off many times. In fact, it took me almost 6 months to figure this out but I believe I have finally done it. Up in the front corner, where the windshield frame is bolted to the rest of the roll cage is a spot where two pieced of metal are touching. Even when the bolts are tight (there are two two on either side of the sun visor and one on the A pillar), I saw that applying pressure to the hard top latch hook would kind of replicate the sound. I took the freedom panels off and applied a little bit of WD-40 in the crack where these two pieces of metal meet. Lone behold, no more rattle. I've test driven it for a while just to be sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp