My new at the time Toyota Prius V rattled like a baby's toy. Horrible interior plastics. Part of the reason I dumped that car at a huge financial loss.
Its replacement was a $50,000 BMW. That car too rattles. It's been to the shop FIVE times and they still haven't fixed the issue. When this car goes back at the end of the month at lease end, I will give them a real piece of my mind.
Funnily enough, brand new BMW loaner cars provided while my i3 has been in the shop, sometimes also exhibited rattles.
I'm very sensitive to rattles and squeaks, and they raise my blood pressure and cause elevated cortisol levels when I drive.
My Acura TL Type S, purchased for two lease payments worth of money on the POS brand new BMW, has only very occasional rattles and they are not irritating to me. Funny how an American-made Honda product with over 200,000 miles, bought at auction, and is 15 years old, has better interior build quality than the new cars I've owned. And I know for certain that newer model Hondas and Acuras would disappoint me again if I wanted to buy one, so I won't even try!!!
No more new cars for me, ever again.
To go back to the original post, I think it bubbles down to the interior materials used. There are lots of plastics that are in close proximity to other plastics. Nominally, they shouldn't make noise. But they DO. Because they expand and contract with normal heat and cold cycles. And they will make noise, relentlessly. You can chase down one squeaking panel, and then another one will start to squeak.
Its replacement was a $50,000 BMW. That car too rattles. It's been to the shop FIVE times and they still haven't fixed the issue. When this car goes back at the end of the month at lease end, I will give them a real piece of my mind.
Funnily enough, brand new BMW loaner cars provided while my i3 has been in the shop, sometimes also exhibited rattles.
I'm very sensitive to rattles and squeaks, and they raise my blood pressure and cause elevated cortisol levels when I drive.
My Acura TL Type S, purchased for two lease payments worth of money on the POS brand new BMW, has only very occasional rattles and they are not irritating to me. Funny how an American-made Honda product with over 200,000 miles, bought at auction, and is 15 years old, has better interior build quality than the new cars I've owned. And I know for certain that newer model Hondas and Acuras would disappoint me again if I wanted to buy one, so I won't even try!!!
No more new cars for me, ever again.
To go back to the original post, I think it bubbles down to the interior materials used. There are lots of plastics that are in close proximity to other plastics. Nominally, they shouldn't make noise. But they DO. Because they expand and contract with normal heat and cold cycles. And they will make noise, relentlessly. You can chase down one squeaking panel, and then another one will start to squeak.
