2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6: Rattling Deck Panel

06 Civic SI with a similarly designed rear deck - It's a constant loud buzzing if I have my rear seats down, with them up, it's an occasional but frequent noise.

I've heard some owners report a fix involving shoving an old sock into some empty space to help damp things from moving around.... :)

Joe

Thought Hondas were perfect...I guess they are if you have some old socks laying around!

No, they definitely aren't perfect. But they have a long track record of making people happy, and that goes a long way.

Old socks, duct tape, and caulk will continue to be recipes for fixing 90% of lifes problems :)

Joe

"Old socks, duct tape, and caulk"

Isn't that what they make the Smart out of?

i would use new socks, is the smell really worth saving an extra $5?

Ive noticed in the past few years that consumers of newer vehicles are compaling of rattles more than older cars. Im not sure if its a build quality issue or the fact that a lot of maunfacturers use more "earth friendly" materials. Either was a new car shouldnt rattle Honda or otherwise.

"Ive noticed in the past few years that consumers of newer vehicles are compaling of rattles more than older cars"

Or, maybe consumers just expect a lot more nowadays?

According to Toyota4life's criteria this car now qualifies as a complete piece of crap. Oh wait it isn't made by an American company so therefore the problems don't matter.

HA4, one theory I heard is that as manufacturers get better at reducing road, wind, and engine noise, the small little noises that were probably always there are now a lot more noticeable. Makes sense to me.

"Ive noticed in the past few years that consumers of newer vehicles are compaling of rattles more than older cars."

I read one theory that said that the cars are now so much quieter overall that you can hear every little rattle. What you need is some good road noise to drowned out the sound :)

Ya. you should keep your windows open and get dual 12" subs back there.

Don't drive like you have a Lexus.

No such rattle in mine (i4 EX) though the wind/road noise is still a bit excessive.

That should make the Saturn guys happy.

while the accord may have a rattle this or any other issue isnt going to take away from it's overall appeal to the staffers. We all know problems are reported for all cars here. Its just that only the domestic vehicles lose their luster after experiencing problems.

I just noticed, too, that the back decklid is cheap plastic instead of the cheap-but-slightly-nicer "fuzz" most carmakers put back there. This generation Accord seems to have had a few more corners cut than the last one- things like cloth inserts on the door panels in lower trims, hard plastics, etc. Doesn't make it a bad car, just a disappointment.

The rattle is caused by the subwoofer.In my Accord I have the sub set to 0.

I've learned my lesson from having the bass up to high in my cl-s, which use to rattle also.

"No such rattle in mine (i4 EX) though the wind/road noise is still a bit excessive".

Do you have an ex-l or just an ex. That will explain the problem because the ex doesn't have subs.

It's just the ex lilaj. The more I read about the ex-l, the luckier I feel for getting the ex (crap seats, this noise, cost, etc).

My mom got a 2008 Accord LX in mid-August, and we haven't noticed any rattles inside the car. Luckily, because we wanted leather, the dealer included it in the purchase, and we got better leather than what comes in the EX-L/EX-L V6. (:

Tim.

"According to Toyota4life's criteria this car now qualifies as a complete piece of crap. Oh wait it isn't made by an American company so therefore the problems don't matter."

The gloves, as they say, are now off.

Most every car will develop some rattles every now and then. It pays to maintain your composure, tune your ears and have a healthy stock of Window Insulation foam and denser sticky-back door sealing foam to remedy such issues.

That plastic rear decklid looks like the same stuff GM puts in the Malibu now. The Aura got (gets still, I hope) the fabric-on-cardboard sorta stuff that has been on car decklids for ages. I at first thought it was cheap too, but now that I see just how much easier it is to clean (bugs'n'crap like to get all wound up in the mouse-fur like stuff), I don't mind it at all.

That, and plastic or not, the 'bu has a manual rear sunshade that the Aura doesn't. ;D

I do think the fabric lining looks a little better than all plastic behind the rear seats. I wasnt aware the Malibu had plastic there.

It seems a bit unfair to bash the Accord for a rattle in the sub alone whereas the (starting at) $34,000 Cadillac rattles or squeaks in at least 7 different places.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/08/2008-cadillac-cts-v6-di-noisy.html

???
So that logic means starting price:
Accord $21,425, x rattles/squeaks to bash.
CTS $34,420, 7 rattles/squeaks to bash.

x = 7 x (21,425 / 34,420) = 4.3572.

So one must point out 4 rattles/squeaks to bash the Accord.

hmmmmm......

Wait I have that switched around... a cheaper car should have a higher tolerance...
That's 7 x 34 / 21 = 11 rattles/squeaks to bash.

11! So then this Accord is a very solidly build car!

My wife's '07 Accord has more rattles and squeaks than my '00 Crown Vic.

The Accord's rear window regulator mechanism is the noisiest I have ever heard in any auto.

The driver's seat has an intermittent internal squeak, but only when I'm driving. I'm about forty pounds heavier than my wife. )In truth, I heard the squeak twice while driving the car all over the South East US.)

There is an intermittent rattle from somewhere in the rear. Thanks for the hint in this thread. I'll check it out.

Nevertheless, the perfect steering wheel, perfect steering and tracking, perfect automatic tranny, superb headlights and wipers, fine visibility and
dealer service all add up to a superior car-owning experience. I'd buy one for myself in a heartbeat. I still really respect my old Crown Vic, but that's a story for another time.

Congratulations, you have found 3 squeak/rattles!
You have 8 more squeak/rattles to point to completely trash the car!
I think you might be in the lead.

"It seems a bit unfair to bash the Accord for a rattle in the sub alone whereas the (starting at) $34,000 Cadillac rattles or squeaks in at least 7 different places. "

How many rattles have been mentioned on the Aura or other vehicles in the Accord's price range? Rattles are annoying regardless of price point.

had same problems on 2008 EX- rear deck plastic rattles were only stopped by shims between the rear deck and the rear window. also had a rattle from the seat belt attachment point at passenger's door and now that have my car to replace the metal stuff below the rear deck as a click click/knock occurs on turns and at start or stop.

they now had to keep it overnight to fix this

except for these annoying rattles etc love the car!!!

I have the same problems (2) on 2008 honda EX. I hear a rattle anytime the car is moving gets worse on rough pavement. In addition there is sometimes a loud click/metal like sound when I turn (right/left). This has been going on for a few months and is driving me crazy. I know it's coming from the back area of the car but not sure what it is and how to fix it. One of my problems sound like J to the K posted Sep-10 and my other problem sounds like melgottlieb posted on October-29. Can you help me out did you have this problems fixed and what was is?

2008 Accord EX door panel rattle. I have a new driver door panel rattle that can be heard frequently when light vibration occurs. I took the car to a Honda dealer in Frisco, Texas they said rattles are normal. This is not my 1st Accord and definitely not my first car! I have been driving for over 20 years and I know what is normal. I believe since my 2008 Accord is a new desing there are some flaws. Don't get me wrong this car is powerful and reliable, but there are many rattles coming from many areas of the vehicle. No I am not a Chevy or Ford fan, I would actually never buy an American car, but all these rattles in my 2008 Accord EX are driving me nuts and different Honda dealers in the Dallas Metroplex have not been able to help me. Thanks for reading my comments. I will keep you posted of any additional rattles, Sincerely The Snack-crackle&pop 2008 Honda Accord.

I have this exact problem in my 2008 EX-L 4cyl. At 10,000 miles the car was taken to the dealer where they tightened something (now I wish that I would have watched them). To my annoyance, the sound returned at 15,000 miles and is again annoying. However, in reflection - the reason I haven't gone back to have it fixed is because I have 20,000 miles on the car and haven't even needed my 3rd oil change. I wish it wasn't happening, but overall the car is great and this issue represents my only complaint.

I live in Canada and have the 4 cylinder with leather interior and the same stereo (with subwoofer) as the the 6 cylinder model. I too have been plagued by intermittent but frequent rattles which started a few months after I bought the car. The rattles usually only occur on bumpy pavement. My rattles, however, are primarily in the dashboard. The loudest is from the glovebox. If you press the glovebox door forward the rattles stop. There is also a buzz, almost like a small loose screw, that can be heard on the far left and right side of the dash. On the left side there is an cavity immediately adjacent to the VSA button. If I put my fingers in and pull down, the buzz stops. No luck getting any of these fixed because the one time I scheduled an appointment with the dealer they magically went away. Anyone else have these problems? Anyone got a solution?

In addition to the rattles in different areas in my 2008 Honda Accord EX I now have a constant rattle on the drivers side window and also I have difficulty opening the drivers side door both from inside and outside (it gets stuck). The Honda dealer has not been succesful in finding out what most of these rattles and problems are. I was told by them today that the rattles are normal!!!

Yes normal for a KIA SPECTRA!

By the way I also have minor rattles in the radio control panel. Consider this when shopping for a new Honda Accord Shoppers!

2008 Honda Accord driver side Door Handle is difficult to open both from inside and outside!

I found very useful information for the 2008 Honda Accord Sticky Door Handle in driveaccord.net

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=20214&highlight=door+handle+problem

There is a service bulletin (TSB)already x this problem:

Date of Bulletin: June 27, 2008
NHTSA #10025483
Service Bulletin #08-047
Summary: Driver's door intermittently won't open on Accord L4 and V6.

http://www.allworldauto.com/tsbs/NHTSA_2008_honda_accord_technical_service_bulletin_268189.html

I have an 08 Accord V6 with leather. For the last few weeks my drivers door has had a little rattle in it and the rear deck is driving me crazy with noise. It sounds like a screw may be loose and I only hear it on bumpy roads. I thought it was my sub but I hear the noise when my radio is off. My friend pressed down on one of the speakers one night and the noise stopped but I still cant find the problem. I paid around $30,000 for the car, if I wanted rattling I would have purchased an American car!

ATTENTION!!!
Had the same problem with the rear deck rattle. Was driving me crazy!
Took it to my dealer. They fixed it in 5 minutes. Turns out it was a service bulletin.

Simply open the trunk, remove the trunk light. There is a clip in there for the deck. Take a 1/4in thick x 1 inch long piece of window stripping and put it between the clip and the steel. This pulls the deck down enough so that it doesn't vibrate against the window.

Easy!

Ahhhh, nice quite accord again.

Thanks! I have a 2009 Accord EX which I bought about 3 weeks ago. I have also noticed a rattling from the rear deck. It is a bit disappointing because this is a brand new car! I'll have the dealer fix it.

Hello Jason Kavanagh,
Really a good post. I have been experiencing this noice in my Accord 08 v4 (approx miles @ 17,000) since a long time. I have taken this problem to the dealer more than trice. They fix it this for you with no cost but then again after a week of repair i get this rattle again. Till date i have been dealing with this issue with my dealer. This problem is not just with my Accord but also with other Accords & Acura TL 09 which i know. I just spoke to American Honda and they told me that a case has been opened on this issue and a regional manager will be in touch with me. This is really annoying, And also for people who are complaining about the noice from front passenger door, this might be a noice from your glove box.(i spoke to a lady @ dealership , she had some loose contact in her honda glove box which she came to fix and this seems to be a common problem). Appart form this rattle noice i see everything to be perfect with the car. I definately recommand this car and rate it as one if the best in its class.
Hope this info is useful.
---Anil

well, had some unfortunate rattles present themselves over the last week. i specifically made a point to live with them over the last 5-7 days to see if it was something that would go away... you know, new car, new fittings, etc... but these persisted, so i took back to the dealer this morning to get looked at:

1) in the rear deck above the rear seats near the subwoofer, was getting a gnarly vibration from the speaker when low, sharp base was hitting. could tell from the sound and some investigating that it wasn't the actual speakers vibrating/rattling but the sub causing something up in the deck to rattle. service manager & technician both deducted it was something loose from the dealer installed tint in the rear, and quarter panel windows. supposedly when getting the large rear window tinted, the whole window and subsequent housing & fitting needs to be removed, so they think it's something that wasn't tightened in the process... not to big of an issue, shouldnt be a problem to fix im told

2) in the dash above the board where the console meets the windshield the car has developed a consistent rattle when moving. doesnt happen initially when cold but by the time i get to work (15 minute drive) it's very apparent. can't quite hear at higher speeds because of road/tire nose, etc... but driving anywhere on surface streets < 40mph it rattles pretty well. this one im told is going to be a pain in the @ss, though hopefully not so. because of the location, im thinking they'll pop the windshield out and check around the fittings and the dash vent to see what's up.

either way, hopefully both will be resolved today. at first i thought i was being a little nit picky, and then i thought about it, and being a new car close to $30k i realized it shouldn't have these "issues". driving the loaner the svc manager was nice enough to provide only re-affirmed by thoughts as this 06' sedan thrasher was "quieter" than my 2 week old 08' as far as cabin rattles... like i said, hopefully won't be too much of an issue today

My dealer in Dallas, Texas solved the rear deck rattle a few months ago. The door handle problem which becomes a problem mostly during the summer was not fixes. Also there is a loud metal like sound that happens in different situations like when turning or when street is at a slope like when turning into a garage, alley or shopping strip mall.

The car also has a squeak in the steering wheel only during the winter months and it only lasts a minute each morning when the car is cold, again the dealer has not found a fix yet.

Concerning the rattle in the windows when they are partially open I had to live with it. What I do is I either do not open the windows or I have to live with the small rattle. The window rattles are nothing compared with the rear deck rattle that has already been fixed.

The Dallas dealer has at least been attentive and listen to me unlike Honda of Frisco, Texas they suck! they only care about volume!

The rear brakes in my 2008 Honda Accord had to be replaced at 24k miles, unbelievable!. I have owned other makes of cars and I have never replaced the brake pads at this mileage. I was told that it was normal but that is non sense. The dealer even charged me half price because they know there is a problem with rear disk brake pads in the 2008 Honda Acccord. Just gooogle it and you will see.

I just sent my 2009 Accord to dealership 2nd time for this rattle noise from rear panel. It is very annoying and they did not fix it last time. I talked to technician to show him the problem. Hopefully they know that the problem is and would fix it.

I purchased a new 08 Accord V6 EXL. Great car but a few issues. The glove box rattles when you hit small bumps and the rear deck rattles from low bass notes. Been to the dealer twice and the second trip fixed 90% for the deck rattle, but did not fix the box problem so this is how I FIXED THE RATTLE. Open the box and look very carefully in the upper right corner of the box frame. I found a small bump or mold mark on the frame and it looked like it had been rubbing the glove box. I put an adhesive felt pad over the bump and no more rattles. Hope this helps.

I started having crackling noise from 2010 Accord EX_V6's rear deck 5 months (8k miles) into driving. I had the Honda dealer diagnosed and fixed it today. It's a quite time consuming job. They had to take down the entire rare deck and added lube into a number of metal contacts. I took them about 5 hours. I play loud bassy music a lot so I suspect the problem may have been worsen/escalated by the strong vibration from the sub-woofer. It's covered by the warranty so I didn't have to pay a dime for it. I'm sure Honda will get a huge bill though. The problem is gone for now. But, I am afraid it will come back again when the lube dries up (hopefully before the warranty expires). Hope that helps.

I started having crackling noise from 2010 Accord EX_V6's rear deck 5 months (8k miles) into driving. I had the Honda dealer diagnosed and fixed it today. It's a quite time consuming job. They had to take down the entire rare deck and added lube into a number of metal contacts. I took them about 5 hours. I play loud bassy music a lot so I suspect the problem may have been worsen/escalated by the strong vibration from the sub-woofer. It's covered by the warranty so I didn't have to pay a dime for it. I'm sure Honda will get a huge bill though. The problem is gone for now. But, I am afraid it will come back again when the lube dries up (hopefully before the warranty expires). Hope that helps.

I fixed it!

I have 08 Accord with bad rear speaker deck that rattles. After trying to pad the middle brake light with .25" foam without success. I removed the truck light and found the problem. There is a plastic hook from the rear deck that holds the deck in place. There is/should be a small piece of black fabric pads the deck hook from the metal. This small piece of fabric or padding fell off due heat from the sun and driving. I placed it back using two screw drivers, one to lift the hook up and one to place (shove) the fabric padding back in place. NO MORE RATTLING! Reinstall the truck light. and done.

Hope this helps.

I am interested in buying a used 2008 Honda accord EX, but I see many threads/blogs about the rear deck rattles that were difficult to solve or never solved. Seems many people/dealers thought the problem was solved but it quickly returned. Is anyone aware of a lasting fix to the rattle that sounds like it is coming from the center of the rear deck?? If you are aware of a lasting fix can you describe it to me so I can convince the dealer to fix it before I but it? Anyone have the TSB on it? I was told there were two TSB's but I can only find 08-083, there should be another one something like 10-080 (rear shelf creaks and squeaks) but I can't find it.

Thanks sooooo much!