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Ford Mustang V6 and Mustang GT 1994-2004: Why is My Interior Rattling?

If you're tired of the rattles in your Ford Mustang, we offer a few suggestions as to at least find where the rattles are coming from.

By David Weitz - October 21, 2015

This article applies to the Ford Mustang V6 and GT (1994-2004).

Unfortunately, as cool as the Ford Mustang has been in years passed and is now, one of the problems that seems innate to all of them is the ever present rattle or shaking that you can obviously hear, which is incredibly annoying. One person says that the rattle gives you the excuse to put a louder exhaust system on your car. While that might be nice, others have reported that no matter how loud the exhaust system is, you can still hear the d*&$% rattle.

Part of the problem is finding where the annoying noise is coming from. Let's look at a couple of possibilities.

Materials Needed

  • Tape
  • Spray foam

Step 1 – Check your trunk

More often than not, there is a rattle or two in your trunk. Knowing what to do about it depends on your ability to pinpoint exactly where the noise is.

Figure 1. This may be your problem area.

Here's a thought: if a friend is willing, have them ride in the trunk while you drive around for a while. Undoubtedly they will be able to pinpoint exactly where the noises are coming from, which will give you an idea of what to do about it. Drive slowly around the block and have your handy assistant tap and knock on various components in the trunk until they find the rattle.

Step 2 – Check the side interior

Sometimes the noises are coming from wires rattling simply because the wiring harness is of poor quality or not functioning properly.

Remove the side interior. If this is the case, you can use some foam tape to better secure the wiring. That should bring you the quiet you're looking for.

Figure 2. Make sure everything inside your door is secured.

Step 3 – Check your seat belts

There are two places to look for this problem.

Look at the mechanism that the seat belts roll up into. This may be causing your rattle. If no one is sitting in the seat, tuck the buckles and belts into the seat crack as far as you can. Presto! The noise disappears.

Figure 3. One of the problems with Mustang seat belt noise.

A second place to look is the seat belt housing inside the panel. Sometimes the unit does not fit in place properly. Some duct tape will take care of this and you'll begin to appreciate the quiet.

Step 4 – Check your gear shift lever

Again, there are two possible issues here.

If your automatic transmission is equipped with an OD button, that will often rattle and annoy you.

Figure 4. An OD switch might rattle.

If you have a manual transmission and shifter, sometimes the boot around the shifter will cause noise. A way to know for sure is to touch it while driving. If the noise quiets, there's your noise.

Figure 5. Cheap material will sometimes cause the boot to make noise.

Step 5 – Check dash and console for annoying noise

If you discover that there is a rattle in your dash, you can take care of it easily with some spray foam.

There is a piece of the console that you can take out and then spray foam up into the dash. Often that will take care of the rattle and you will be able to ride in quiet peace.

Figure 6. Find the magic spot, remove the piece, and spray some foam into the opening to quiet your dash.

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