# Why won't GM fix rear shock rattle?



## KSanders (Feb 7, 2014)

Farmington said:


> I was told by customer service that GM feels that this annoying rattle doesn't affect the use of the car and that they aren't going to do anything about it. Why? I am sure that after 3 years of complaints that GM knows what the problem is but doesn't want to pay for repairs. If so, at least tell us so we can fix it ourselves. It has turned a good car into an annoying one that I can't wait to get rid of.


I have been dealing with this for months now. I guess that they don't want to honor their warranty. However, I have been told at my dealership that I'm the only one with this problem that they have seen and are stumped at how to fix it. I have a whole thread on my sad story in the "service" section here.


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## Farmington (Mar 7, 2014)

Every dealer has been trained to tell everyone that they are the first one. They have seen hundreds if not thousands of these cars in the last three years. The dealers are lying to us as much as General Motors is.


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## KSanders (Feb 7, 2014)

Farmington said:


> Every dealer has been trained to tell everyone that they are the first one. They have seen hundreds if not thousands of these cars in the last three years. The dealers are lying to us as much as General Motors is.


How dumb do they think we are?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Farmington said:


> Every dealer has been trained to tell everyone that they are the first one. They have seen hundreds if not thousands of these cars in the last three years. The dealers are lying to us as much as General Motors is.


I have to disagree with this statement. My dealership will tell me if they've seen a problem or issue before.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

I want to know why my Dealer was so quick to diagnose and authorize or at least request a major repair by replacing the entire rear end? The part alone which was initially unavailable was instead sent overnight. We are speaking about a couple hundred pounds, very impressive! Darn though that it didn't fix my problem at all and I don't want to complain. I chock it up to a mistake in the purchase of a budget GM product, the horrible Semi accident that took away my favorite Car, and Norco what ever that is? Anyway the CRUZE is cute and does stuff I had never experienced but still...


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## KSanders (Feb 7, 2014)

Eddy Cruze said:


> I want to know why my Dealer was so quick to diagnose and authorize or at least request a major repair by replacing the entire rear end? The part alone which was initially unavailable was instead sent overnight. We are speaking about a couple hundred pounds, very impressive! Darn though that it didn't fix my problem at all and I don't want to complain. I chock it up to a mistake in the purchase of a budget GM product, the horrible Semi accident that took away my favorite Car, and Norco what ever that is? Anyway the CRUZE is cute and does stuff I had never experienced but still...


My dealer actually went after the noise with gusto at first, but as soon as changing the shock didn't work they started to get a bit of an attitude. As I said on another thread, when the service manager tells you that you won't hear it if you listen to the radio and keep the heater on......well...to me, that's a problem. Here's a quote I saw online the other day, it was discussing the Cobalt, but should be applied company wide--"What is important is taking care of our customers and showing that it really is a new day at GM." ---Mary Barra 3-4-14 Detroit Free Press.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Sure it is the shock, lots of parts back there that can rattle like a poor spring insulator, or a rubber bushing.










Also recall reading something about a recall with defective weld joints in the trunk area.

I like my little home town dealer, lives right in the neigborhood, but on some rare occasions, have to show him the problem. But do know of some Chevy dealers in my area that I wouldn't trust to check my tire air pressures. But if you do have problems, you go up the chain. This is why Chevy has service representatives.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

There's a real possibility this has nothing to do with the shocks. Rattles in general can be extremely hard to diagnose. I have a noise in the back of my car that I'm trying to figure out. My first thought was it was something in the suspension, but after listening intensely for a few weeks now I'm not so sure.


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## Farmington (Mar 7, 2014)

Bottom line is that GM has the facilities to determine what the problem is and I'm sure that they have. It's been 4 years since these problems have cropped up. Obviously the cost of repairs multiplied my over a million cars is more than they want to spend. It all comes down to the almighty dollar.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

I thought the CRUZE was a 'proven' Car as Chevrolet's best selling model? If I would have known about the rear vibration noise from this basic rear end configuration without upper and lower Control Arms, this would be a Car I would have never purchased. While I have had a few compliments in the 2014 CRUZE, I would not recommend this Car to anyone I know due to the propensity of problems it seems? I originally asked if this Car was similar to the Chevy Vega?


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

I too have had some rear suspension noise, however mine only occurs when its very cold outside(below 15F). Typically this noise will subside within a few miles of driving. This is not the first car i have had that makes cold weather strut noise.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

As of right now and 6500 miles later my 2014 eco has no noises whatsoever


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Wife sure commented about a rattle in the rear when I left my tool box in the trunk. Ha, you should of heard it when I had a steel tool box, this plastic one is much quieter.

But she wondered why I wrapped our broil pan in the motorhome with a towel so she removed the towel. With that thing rattling around in a steel oven was enough to wake the dead. Spare tire, if you have one, can be loose or that jack in the bag. Many possibilities.

Trunk has two torsion bars separated by a plastic clip that will rattle. No matter how tight I tightened the rear license plate, that rattled, so got a cheap plastic frame for it for a cure.

Oh, all those rubber bushings back there, should be sprayed with silicone each engine oil change, front ones too. Should be part of an engine oil change, but they won't do that.


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

spacedout said:


> I too have had some rear suspension noise, however mine only occurs when its very cold outside(below 15F). Typically this noise will subside within a few miles of driving. This is not the first car i have had that makes cold weather strut noise.



Same here.


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## Farmington (Mar 7, 2014)

Bought my car in July 2013. Noise has been there from day one. Hot and cold. Seems more noticeable when cold but it's still there in warm weather too.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

Any of you guys own a 2014?? Mine is a 2014 and is dead silent. I am curious if GM did something to fix the issue, non-bulletin type of redesign ?


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

My 2012 has gone back to being quiet with the recent warm temps. We're supposed to get a few sub-0F lows in the next week or so, let's see if the noise comes back.


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## prince_bigd (Jul 16, 2013)

Ive only encountered one noise or vibration. the plastic trim around the shock tower in the engine bay had worked loose slightly from its clip. I pushed it back in and all has been well. Even in the heart of the appalachain mountains on crappy rutted and potholed secondary roads I never hear any rattles or vibrations. My only noise is tire noise at highway speed and even that is much more subdued than some larger more expensive cars Ive driven. I have a 2012 2LT.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

I have a noise in my trunk/undercarriage area as well. It sounds like my invisible spare tire and jack are rattling around in the spare tire well if I had to pinpoint and exact sound. Same bump 3 different Cruze made identical sound when I hit it at 40 MPH 3 blocks from work. 


Sent from my iFail 5s


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## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

I have recently made a post on this same issue but found the cause in my regards. Part no. 6 in the part diagram becomes loose at very cold temperatures. The part of the strut assembly is the dust cover with bump stop on top. When it gets cold out it may ride freely along the strut rod instead of remaining stationary. This will cause a noise over various bumps. When it warmed up the covers started to sit stationary again on both sides and the noise was completely gone. Try to see if it's freely sliding up and down. There should be very little play in this part. It will have a yellow colored bushing on top which is the bump stop. That should be seated inside the strut mount with only about 1/4 of and inch of ot left showing.


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## Farmington (Mar 7, 2014)

Rather amazed that not a single GM customer service person has attempted to contribute to this topic. They seem to jump into almost every other one. Hmm. Hmmm.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Merc6 said:


> I have a noise in my trunk/undercarriage area as well. It sounds like my invisible spare tire and jack are rattling around in the spare tire well if I had to pinpoint and exact sound. Same bump 3 different Cruze made identical sound when I hit it at 40 MPH 3 blocks from work.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iFail 5s


Good morning Merc6,

I apologize for this. Have you considered taking it into the dealership for a diagnosis? I can certainly contact your preferred dealership on your behalf. I encourage everyone to reach out to us if there are any questions or vehicle concerns. Please PM me your VIN, mileage and contact info, and I will be happy to help as much as I can .

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I think I may have this issue also but I am at 39K so my warranty is up. Of course this is only after I made a statement about the end of B2B warranty!! LOL. I may just live with it for a while?


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## LizzieCruze (Feb 17, 2014)

I hear a rattle when I begin to drive my 2014 1LT and it goes away after a while. I am going to look into your suggestion, Snappa. Thanks! It sounds like it is coming from the right rear shock area.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Patman said:


> I think I may have this issue also but I am at 39K so my warranty is up. Of course this is only after I made a statement about the end of B2B warranty!! LOL. I may just live with it for a while?


Hey Patman,

If you need any assistance, you know where to find us! We would be happy to reach out to the dealership on your behalf to discuss this further for you. 

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care

P.S. Happy Belated Birthday!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Funny... the weather gets cold, my car's rear starts to rattle again, and this thread gets dragged out of the archives. I have been thinking about this for the last month or so.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Blue Angel said:


> Funny... the weather gets cold, my car's rear starts to rattle again, and this thread gets dragged out of the archives. I have been thinking about this for the last month or so.


Mines only noisy the first few blocks I drive(when cold), suspension must warm up after the minefield of potholes I have to drive though.


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

Very agrivating! I've had this problem with both my Cruze's. My dealer keeps telling me he cant hear it...Bull crap! You'd think GM would stand up and fix this. To many people with the same complaint to ignore it....


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

I wonder if s petition with a few thousand signatures would do any good.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

cruze01 said:


> Very agrivating! I've had this problem with both my Cruze's. My dealer keeps telling me he cant hear it...Bull crap! You'd think GM would stand up and fix this. To many people with the same complaint to ignore it....


I suspect the dealer does hear it, but since yours makes the same sound as every other one under the same circumstances it is percieved as the same as all of them.
Hence, 'Can't hear it'.........when in reality, the response would (should) be 'I hear it on every one I road test'

Might add....I hear it on mine too.....and saw the compression damper sliding about.
Looked at new cars (Cruze) on the dealer lot......same same.

As long as it goes away once the weather warms a bit.....and new ones display the same thing....well, nothins broke, just the way it is.
I'm not in the habit of redesigning a car and neither is the dealer, so.........Blue whale theory applies.....thats the way it farging is.

Rob


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

I had this noise too I think, but found out it wasn't the shocks or anything to do with the suspension. it was actually was behind the back seat on the passenger side. Pull down the seats and you will see a plastic trim piece. It was loose or anything but when the seat was up it would rattle. So I took some foam and put behind it to make it more snugged and the sound went a way. Because of where the sound is it could sound like a shock rattling because of the seat back resting on it.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

cruze2011white said:


> I had this noise too I think, but found out it wasn't the shocks or anything to do with the suspension. it was actually was behind the back seat on the passenger side. Pull down the seats and you will see a plastic trim piece. It was loose or anything but when the seat was up it would rattle. So I took some foam and put behind it to make it more snugged and the sound went a way. Because of where the sound is it could sound like a shock rattling because of the seat back resting on it.


Quite true.......amazing how just about anything in the back rattling about is amplified through the car.

Rob


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

cruze2011white said:


> I had this noise too I think, but found out it wasn't the shocks or anything to do with the suspension. it was actually was behind the back seat on the passenger side. Pull down the seats and you will see a plastic trim piece. It was loose or anything but when the seat was up it would rattle. So I took some foam and put behind it to make it more snugged and the sound went a way. Because of where the sound is it could sound like a shock rattling because of the seat back resting on it.


Wish it was that simple on mine. I let the back seats down, removed everything from the trunk and road around laying in the trunk cavity with my wife driving trying to figure it out. It's definitely coming from outside the truck on the passengers side, cant tell you its the shock but something out there is making the noise.


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## winks79 (Dec 20, 2013)

My wife's 2013 has been doing the same thing since we bought it. Smooth road it is quiet, get on a little bit of a rough road and you can hear it well. Sounds like it comes mostly from the passenger side rear on hers also. She has just learned to live with it. Have over 43,000 on it, and only other problem so far has been the broken lid on the driver vanity mirror/light. Just broke off in her hand one day. Have to buy the whole sunvisor for about $80. Not gonna do that. Still have to add a little coolant about ever 15,000 miles, not much though. Glad the water pump is covered for 10yr/150,000 now.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

If they replace the shocks and still doing it i'm wondering if something behind the trunk covering doing it. Also there are hose underneath that could do the same thing. Probably something not in the right location. Unfortunately probably very hard to find.


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## 2012LTZPRETTYLIGHTBLUE (Dec 13, 2011)

This article from the GM Tech site describes my rear rattle perfectly. Taking it in tomorrow. Here' the link:

Rattle or Clunk Noise from Rear of Vehicle When Traveling Over Bumps – 2011-2015 Chevrolet Cruze | gm.oemdtc.com


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

2012LTZPRETTYLIGHTBLUE said:


> Taking it in tomorrow. Here' the link:
> 
> Rattle or Clunk Noise from Rear of Vehicle When Traveling Over Bumps – 2011-2015 Chevrolet Cruze | gm.oemdtc.com


It's always simple - once you figure it out. If I'm understanding this right, the bumper is supposed to be press-fitted into the upper bracket - but it falls out and slides down the shaft where it bounces around on top of the shock.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

My 2014 is silent all over suspension wise, even after lowering and altering the stock setup.


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

I had a rattle in the back end of my Cruze when I had it ... Took forever to figure out what the he!! the noise was! Finally when cleaning out the car to trade it in, I discovered that It was LITERALLY a rattle! Apparently, one of my son's baby rattles had somehow gotten stuck in the crevice behind the back seat, just far enough down to evade detection. Hard to diagnose ... easy to fix.


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

anthonysmith93 said:


> even after lowering and altering the stock setup.


That's probably WHY it's silent


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

spaycace said:


> That's probably WHY it's silent


Lol it was def silent before, I made sure everything was safe sound and silent when I test drove it...and so did my mom.


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## winks79 (Dec 20, 2013)

Just an update on this. I finally know where the rattle is coming from on our 13' Cruze. It is the rear brake calipers. Ours is an LTZ/RS model that has 4 wheel disc. I can depress the brake pedal while going over the rough road or bumps and the noise goes away. Let off the pedal and it comes back. Got under car and can move the rear calipers around by hand and make the noise I am hearing. Does not bother me now than I know what it is. No real cure for this either, other than replacing pads way before they need it. The caliper bolts are tight, it is just a bad design that allows the caliper to jiggle around some as the pads wear over time. This is why it did not start until around 20k miles on our car. If some of you that have this noise have rear discs, then I bet this is the noise you are hearing.


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

Have not had this problem yet but thanks for letting me know it's coming.


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