Front door panel / window creaking / rattling (Updated w/ Fix)

[apMechorse]

As I put more miles on my truck (about 525 miles now), the door rattles started to get worse. I think it's less about miles and more about warmer weather in California. While driving I applied pressure to various parts of the door panel assembly and isolated the noise to the front triangular panel. It was hard for me to test the passenger side, but it sounded similar to what I was hearing from the drivers side.

I went ahead and removed both panels (they just pull off, start at the top. The bottom clips can be a little finicky but it just requires a little tweaking of your technique. Once removed I did three things:

1. Behind the triangular panel is a 7mm screw which holds the top of the door panel to the door itself. On both sides of my truck, that screw wasn't really snug. I noticed when applying pressure to that area, I could get a rattle/squeaking noise to occur. Don't go crazy, but tighten it a bit if it's loose. After doing that, I couldn't reproduce the noise.
2. I used some thin felt tape to isolate the triangular trim piece from the door panel and door frame. This stuff is cheap and available from Amazon. I always keep some on hand for covering wires or sorting out rattles. I applied small pieces around each panel and also into the holes where the lower clips engage.
3. Tightened both 10mm mirror nuts. One was barely snug on the driver's side.

After reassembly and a test drive, no more noises were coming from either door panel. YMMV for obvious reasons, but on my truck that's where the rattling was coming from.

I just had this issue start after taking my truck in for having the moonroof seal replaced. My service manager told me that unlike previous generations they have to drop the headliner to replace it in the '21s.

Fun fact, if the passenger side trim panel makes this noise, acoustically from the driver's seat it sounds like the noise is coming from above the passenger side sun visor. And considering the headliner had just been dropped, I just assumed they didn't put it back up properly. I tried removing the visor, checking the moonroof mounting, checking between the headliner and the roof, oddly enough nothing in there fixed it. I found this post and pulled the trim panel off and sure enough, the noise went away.

Thank you for this post. As I'm sure you're aware there is NOTHING more irritating than a mystery noise!

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[Pooty]

So I have a 21 Lariat. Since day one I had a creak I could not locate. Been working on the issue for about 5 hours and nothing until today. Not the issue related to this post. But I am sure this one creak is not just with mine. So if you have a creak that you simply can’t find try the below. I had people sit in the back and front and swore up and down they heard it all around… this bad creak would happen when the body flexes side to side. So when going over a bump let’s say by at a angle. So the body flexes side to side. Found today that it’s the headliner! I have the sunroof as well. So the headliner is held in spots my magnets. You can pull it down and it will snap back in place. But the plastic around the inner part of the headliner will rub on the roof itself. I put some foam tape on the border and at the same time did a little adjusting of the clothing hook. Zero creak now. I have a feeling it is the headliner rubbing. But adjust that clothing hook a little for movement and check that also. No joke, I will sleep better tonight!

 

[Hans solo]

My squeak was in the passenger door panel. Thanks for all the pictures. Worked perfectly!

 

[PB2021]

I want to thank unixadm as well for this info. The nuts securing the mirrors were not in any way lose but I gave them a slight snugging anyway. This didn't fix it for me. After pulling the covers a second time I used fabric tape on all contact areas both between the clips and door as well as between the cover and top part of the main door trim panel. Absolute glorious silence now. Can't say thanks enough. No new vehicle should have rattles. Hopefully this is it.

 

[Stubblejumper]

My truck goes in for thesecond oil change Monday, they are going to check out the slight rattle over my drivers side door. If they don't resolve it, I will be pulling off those panels.

 

[f150powerboost]

I noticed on my platinum that I have what appears to be some rattling or creaking coming from both front doors. At first I thought it was the door sales, so I put some Krytox on them, but that didn't change anything. Today I pulled off the triangular trim pieces at the front of each door and cleaned the window seal, along with those parts. It seems to be coming from the top of the door panel or the area around that trim piece. I'll have to road test later today to see if it helped or hindered. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed some noises coming from the front doors on their F150. My 2018 was pretty darn quiet and squeak/rattle free for the two years I owned it.

Drivers side rattles in multiple spots, slight passenger side rattle on my 2021 XLT.

My first stop will be the dealership.

Why Ford can't build a truck door is beyond me. I had the same issues on my 2016.

 

[Pedaldude]

Why Ford can't build a truck door is beyond me. I had the same issues on my 2016.

It's because truck doors don't sell trucks. Towing figures, payload, HP and images of trucks driving through mud puddles or dudes cutting boards on tailgates sell trucks!

Mine's been making the noise for the last three hundred miles, I should probably be fixing it now instead of posting :/

 

[bosro]

So I just picked up my 21 on Wednesday....got it out on the highway today.
And I do have a rattle coming from the passenger area.
Only does this at highway speed tho...
I don't have any rattles other than this at 60mph +.
Is this when other people are hearing it?

 

[unixadm]

So I just picked up my 21 on Wednesday....got it out on the highway today.
And I do have a rattle coming from the passenger area.
Only does this at highway speed tho...
I don't have any rattles other than this at 60mph +.
Is this when other people are hearing it?

It's one possible cause of a rattling noise, but you have to your own detective work to hone in on the root cause. Each vehicle is hand built and it could be a variety of things causing rattles. Take a passenger with you and have them do nothing at first. Does the rattle still occur? If not, check the passenger seat and seatbelt assembly. If the rattle still occurs, have them apply pressure to various parts of the dash and door panel to see if you can isolate it. If you can't isolate it by pushing on the various bits and pieces, it may be something deeper than the trim causing it.

Based on the number of positive responses to this post, there's a good chance this is what it is though. I will also say I follow the Motorcraft Service site looking for SSMs and TSBs for the 21 F150. I have not seen any specific to these rattles yet.

 

[bosro]

It's one possible cause of a rattling noise, but you have to your own detective work to hone in on the root cause. Each vehicle is hand built and it could be a variety of things causing rattles. Take a passenger with you and have them do nothing at first. Does the rattle still occur? If not, check the passenger seat and seatbelt assembly. If the rattle still occurs, have them apply pressure to various parts of the dash and door panel to see if you can isolate it. If you can't isolate it by pushing on the various bits and pieces, it may be something deeper than the trim causing it.

Based on the number of positive responses to this post, there's a good chance this is what it is though. I will also say I follow the Motorcraft Service site looking for SSMs and TSBs for the 21 F150. I have not seen any specific to these rattles yet.

I pulled the trim off... bolts were snug enough.
Noise is still there.
Definitely wind/speed related.
Besides passenger area....I can't tell much more from drivers seat.

 

[PB2021]

I took this pic when I did the rattle fix to both front door pillars. Only noticed this on driver side but appears the trim piece does rub a little on the weatherstrip so I coated the weatherstrip well with silicone spray and it seems to have helped some as well.

 

[bosro]

There's another thread about wind noise... which is more of what I have.
I'm gonna try driving with the passenger mirror folded in.
Some guys have deduced it was coming from there.

 

[PB2021]

There's another thread about wind noise... which is more of what I have.
I'm gonna try driving with the passenger mirror folded in.
Some guys have deduced it was coming from there.

Your door alignment seems ok though generally?

 

[bosro]

Your door alignment seems ok though generally?

Door alignment looks ok.
I just did a rip with the passenger mirror folded in on same road as before and the wind just as bad.
The slight rattle and wind sound is gone.
Interesting.

 

[fayby]

Thanks! I have rattles from the exact same trim piece , driver side

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