Most people on this forum agree that the TL, at around $35K in price, should not rattle or buzz at all. I think this is a good point. I don't want my $35K car to rattle.

However, I was driving my wife's '02 VW Passat, which costs about $31K, and for the first time I noticed that it rattles like crazy on bumpy roads. The rattles don't bug me because, let's face it, it's a Passat. But it does come close in price to the TL. Is there a price cut-off in anyone's mind where there should be no rattles? Is it $32K??

 

Any car has the potential to rattle. It is built and designed by people. People F up. Take homes for example. I was all mad when I bought my brand new house - nail pos, this that etc. A family member bought a new house which cost 4-5 times more than mine - you know what? It had nail pops problems, this that etc. So I do not know what price. Do Ferraris have rattles?

 

IMO, how do you know "most ppl on this forum agree 35k 04TL should not rattle at all"?

 

IMO, how do you know "most ppl on this forum agree 35k 04TL should not rattle at all"?

Good point. I didn't do a survey. It seems like I've read many posts that talk about how a $35K should not rattle.

 

heck a 75K Mercedes shouldn't have a problem by that standard, but guess what, some of them go into service every other week for electrical problems!

 

awhile ago before I bought my NBP (<April) I test drove a 2004 Merc Benz S500 for kicks, ~$88,000 tested version. I counted 3 rattles or squeaks on the TEST drive....I don't think there IS any getting away from it, and I'm not sure if things ever will be perfect considering human error will always be present in our species.

 

Maybe it all comes down to luck whether one car has ratttles and one does not. I also wonder if it's really worth it to have the dealer try to fix rattles. Taking into account human error, there is a very good chance that the person "fixing" the rattle may create new rattles in the process.

I admit that I get obsessed about rattles in my car (especially when it was new). I'm planning on a new TL in a few weeks and I'll go nuts if it has noticeable rattles. However, it could be that obsessing about rattles is like banging your head against the wall.

 

Before I brought a 2003 Honda Accord coupe and than traded for a 2004 Acura TL, all the cars in my family were Nissans.
I had a 2001 Maxima, Uncle has a 2000 Xterra, another uncle had a 1995 Altima and now a 2004 Altima. None of these cars had rattles or squeaks. My uncle drives his Altima everyday. He got it in Feb. of 2004 and now has 13K miles already.
I never knew how annoying rattles were until I got my first Honda. This wont stop me from buying another Acura. I do miss my Maxima a lot though.

 

^^ good engines, bad bad interiors... I had a 94 altima before i got the TL

 

The 1st gen Altima interiors were pretty good though. Than the exterior went downhill for the 2nd gen.

 

Despite having had the 2k3 Accord and now having the new TL, you still miss the Max??

 

The space shuttles cost billions each and I'll bet they have rattles.

 

but it isnt a luxury shuttle

 

Yea, I still miss the Max. A lot of memories. It was a great car. I miss the 2k3 Accord but not as much as the Max.
I would've got another Maxima if the 6th gen was a lot nicer. The Max lost it's "4DSC" soul.
Now my 2004 TL is my "4DSC".

 

I dunno, it sure has one hell of a Navi.

 

No car is rattle free. My dad's 55k GS400 still has rattles, and is actually noisier on the freeway than the TL (most likely because of the tires). I'm starting to ignore the small squeaks in my TL, as it is actually less than any other car I have driven. I think after about 20-30k miles, any car is expected to have a few rattles.

 

All cars which have parts the are designed PROPERLY and fit together will NOT rattle...MY 4 year old TL does not rattle...only on the -35 Toronto days did it rattle a bit.


And guess what the M-B, BMW, Jags, VW etc are not as designed properly as the Japenese...and probably never will.

 

Sometimes when a car becomes so quiet by reducing wind and drivetrain noise, every little leather creek, rattle and click becomes very noticable. The automobile companies are creating monsters by constantly making cars quiet. Get loud mufflers, go back to single door seals, let the air noise in, and everyone will quit complaining about rattles. We do this to ourselves.

 

i think any car company that tries to uphold its image of a quality manufacturer should have no rattles in all but their lowest price segment. Honestly how hard can it be to fasten every bolt, get the seals in correctly, and put the parts together with quality.

Then I keep forgetting.. union employees.

 

I agree to an extent, I traded away an '01 Mustang with an O/R exhaust which was noisy as hell, and i don't seem to notice any rattles / noises at all on the TL. Maybe i am just a bit deaf?


EZ

 

I didn't start worrying about rattles until I started going on this forum. Now it's starting to annoy me.

I do agree about the 04 TL's quiteness bring out the rattles though.