Rattling Second Row Seat

[Dexmon]

Good afternoon everyone. So I have a 2024 Escalade Esv I bought brand new in October 24. And ever since I bought it, the second row seats would rattle over bumps and rough roads. The dealer changed both seat frames, but the one on the driver's side continues to rattle. Has anyone on here ever had this issue? Please I need help. This rattling is just driving me up the wall. I paid too much money for this truck to be dealing with this nonsense. The first photo is when it rattles. No rattles with the next two photos. I hope I make sense lol. Thanks guys and all the best.

 

[Big Mama]

Most likely the seat up provides enough dude to side motion to where it rattles.It needs to go back to them. Never assume the dealer took the time to diagnose the problem, like a faulty nut underneath that the bracket bolts too. Otherwise you’re stuck putting duct tape around the offending bracket. Like you said, you paid too much for a poor repair.

 

[jfoj]

I have a similar problem I have yet to get time to address. It is just the Passenger side 2nd row seat, it rattles if the back is up and nobody is sitting in it. Not a problem if folded down or if someone is sitting in it. GM has some special spacer washers/shims that go on the pivot point, but when I investigate if on my truck needed them or had them they were already installed and this did not seem to be where the noise was coming from. I am going to try and put a few washers under the mounting point and see if this helps, I believe I had seen something about this somewhere during a search. Possibly something with the bottom seat frame twisted or something may be loose.

My vehicle has never been back the dealer and I am not going to waste my time driving 2 hours round trip for this to be looked at. I will find a solution at some point, I just have not had time to look at the seat, been spending time changing oil and upgrading the valve body, the seat problem will not leave me stranded, it is just starting to drive my wife crazy so I will likely spend some time on the problem as it is starting to warm up.

Will try to update if I find a real solution.

 

[cmatt]

I'm in the same boat as @jfoj . It's just my 2nd row passenger captain's chair. I push, pulled & tugged both of them and the passenger side definitely has more play. The driver side has very little. I need to pull some trim off and see if I can find and differences when I can find time lol.

 

[jfoj]

What I need to do is climb in the back and have my son or wife drive the car and try and narrow in on the problem. I bet there are far more folks with the 2nd row captain chair rattle, but have either ignored it or just not gotten around to resolving the problem. Not sure if the problem is with seat base, the rear upright hinge points or the rear upright seat portion.

TSB for the hinge shims, but I looked at my seats and they are already installed and I do not think this is where the noise is coming from, but may solve some on the problems out there?

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10247542-0001.pdf

I am leaning more to this sort of solution below for my vehicle that the YouTube videos outline. Rather than washers, U shaped shims may be a better option, something like the old rear wheel drive GM vehicles needed for the front upper control arms.

Here is someone that posted a video about their 2021, some ideas in the comments.

This video shows that a problem can be from under the body and not inside the vehicle

This video shows that the plastic trim can rattle

These are for the prior model, but may work with our generation??

 

[jjobev]

I had the rattle under the rear passenger side captains chair. I couldn’t pinpoint it. I went under the car this weekend and the heat shield was missing 2 bolts and a third was very loose. The vibration made it sound like it was inside and why it would sound like it was from 2nd and 3rd row. I didn’t have the type of bolt so but some gorilla tape on it and no rattles. Will get dealer to fix along with drivers side wind noise TSB and a second row seat that isn’t secure in the tracks but only noticeable when someone sits in the seat.

 

[jfoj]

@jjobev,

Did the noise go away is someone was sitting in the seat or if the seat was folded?

My situation is likely the seat or something inside based on the sound and the fact that if someone sits in the seat or the seat is folded there is no noise.

 

[Dexmon]

What I need to do is climb in the back and have my son or wife drive the car and try and narrow in on the problem. I bet there are far more folks with the 2nd row captain chair rattle, but have either ignored it or just not gotten around to resolving the problem. Not sure if the problem is with seat base, the rear upright hinge points or the rear upright seat portion.

TSB for the hinge shims, but I looked at my seats and they are already installed and I do not think this is where the noise is coming from, but may solve some on the problems out there?

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10247542-0001.pdf

I am leaning more to this sort of solution below for my vehicle that the YouTube videos outline. Rather than washers, U shaped shims may be a better option, something like the old rear wheel drive GM vehicles needed for the front upper control arms.

Here is someone that posted a video about their 2021, some ideas in the comments.

This video shows that a problem can be from under the body and not inside the vehicle

This video shows that the plastic trim can rattle

These are for the prior model, but may work with our generation??

Non of these work for me. The rattling is definitely coming from the seat. And I think it's coming from where the seat locks unto the floor. I don't know if maybe there's something missing, but it's coming from that area.

 

[Dexmon]

@jjobev,

Did the noise go away is someone was sitting in the seat or if the seat was folded?

My situation is likely the seat or something inside based on the sound and the fact that if someone sits in the seat or the seat is folded there is no noise.

Yes the noise goes away when someone is sitting in the seat and when it's folded.

 

[Dexmon]

I had the rattle under the rear passenger side captains chair. I couldn’t pinpoint it. I went under the car this weekend and the heat shield was missing 2 bolts and a third was very loose. The vibration made it sound like it was inside and why it would sound like it was from 2nd and 3rd row. I didn’t have the type of bolt so but some gorilla tape on it and no rattles. Will get dealer to fix along with drivers side wind noise TSB and a second row seat that isn’t secure in the tracks but only noticeable when someone sits in the seat.

Ohh that's nice to hear that you got your problem solved. Mines is definitely the seat. It only rattles when the seat is locked to the floor and no one is sitting on it.

 

[jfoj]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check the heat shield because it's easy but the sound clearly sounds like it's from the seat seat in the cabin when the seat's not locked in the upright position and nobody sitting in. But stranger things have happened!

 

[jjobev]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check the heat shield because it's easy but the sound clearly sounds like it's from the seat seat in the cabin when the seat's not locked in the upright position and nobody sitting in. But stranger things have happened!

My drivers side second row seat issue is a clanking sound over bumps vs a rattle. If you take two hands and shake the top of the seat you can replicate it. And if sit sideways on it and do that you can see the back part is loose in the tracks. It is significantly worse when someone is in the seat vs not. The issue on the other side was a rattle that I couldn’t pinpoint inside which ended up being the heat shield. I’m just glad I’ve figured out the causes and now just need them to fix vs needing them to be able to replicate.

 

[cmatt]

I picked up a couple of the shims noted in the service bulletin. For those curious, here’s what they look like.

 

[jfoj]

@cmatt

Thanks for posting the pictures of the shims. I originally thought this may be my problem, but when I looked at my seats, some of these shims were installed during the seat frame assembly and what I found was there did not seem to be play in the hinge area, so I skipped this as a possible problem.

I will try to slide under the truck to look at the heat shield because it is probably easiest thing to check and rule in or out, then I will move on to the frame to body/cross mount which takes a bit more effort to inspect.

Seems that these 2nd row seat noise problems are probably fairly common. I have lived with mine making noise since day 1, almost 18 months, but a solution is if nobody is sitting in the seat it to just fold it flat. Just annoying and I need to get around to solving the problem. Not going to the dealer for this issue.

 

[maximusmeridius]

I have a ‘25 Suburban with a rattle that has been worsening and driving me absolutely insane. Tired of drowning it out with a loud radio. I thought it was the 2nd row seat so I wrapped the latches with electrical tape. Had my wife sit in the 3rd row and it’s coming from inside the wall panel on the driver’s side. If she applied pressure to the panel, the rattle stopped. Not sure how we go about fixing that one. Might give the dealer a try under warranty…

 

[Protect1989]

I have a ‘25 Suburban with a rattle that has been worsening and driving me absolutely insane. Tired of drowning it out with a loud radio. I thought it was the 2nd row seat so I wrapped the latches with electrical tape. Had my wife sit in the 3rd row and it’s coming from inside the wall panel on the driver’s side. If she applied pressure to the panel, the rattle stopped. Not sure how we go about fixing that one. Might give the dealer a try under warranty…

Is it on the door itself??

I’m having something very similar except on the passenger side. When pushing on the door armrest, it seems to stop. Of course the dealer couldn’t recreate it even with very explicit instructions

 

[jfoj]

Have not dove in head first yet, but after hitting the top of the seat with my fist the noise appears to be at the right rear seat track area. Maybe at the catch, bit really seems like there is sloop in the right rear portion of the sliding seat track.

Need some dedicated time to dive into finding and solving the noise.

 

[maximusmeridius]

Is it on the door itself??

I’m having something very similar except on the passenger side. When pushing on the door armrest, it seems to stop. Of course the dealer couldn’t recreate it even with very explicit instructions

No, it’s not the door. If you push outward on the third row armrest or above the armrest on the wall panel, the rattle stops. I can recreate the rattle by slamming the driver’s side rear passenger door to shake the car instead of driving, to hear the rattle. I just want to drill a hole and fill the gaps with spray foam to make it STOP!

 

[2024 White Tahoe]

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11019377-0001.pdf

 

[jjobev]

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11019377-0001.pdf

Thanks for sharing. That sounds like my exact issue. I was already taking it in this week for the seat, the loose heat shield and window seal, so will make sure to share this.