I have a very loud rattle that is coming from down in the steering column area. It is not a vibration but only a rattling. It occurs at any speed but is worse at <20 mph and unbearable at >65 mph. It almost sounds like a rod of some sort has come loose at the slower speeds and is just bouncing around. At higher speeds it sounds like a piece of heavy guage aluminum caught in a spinning fan blade. I checked the CV Axel and that is not it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Year of car?

What does the rattle coming down the steering column mean?

Is the noise any worse when going over a bump or pot hole?

 

2012 SE

From inside the vehicle, the sound is loudest the closer to the firewall you get directly beneath the steering wheel.

Yes. Gravel or washboard dirt roads are very bad. These are the slow speed areas.. High speeds,, such as interstate travel, are even worse.

I have a video but it won't allow me to upload mp4 files.

 

Check the following for rattles.

The area around the odometer.

If the rattle changes with heat blower speed.

If the rattle changes with A/C operation.

The area plastic engine intake manifold may have a plastic valve inside that can start to rattle.

 

Did anyone got this issue fixed? My wife’s car has the same issue, I’m going to replaced the small plastic damper on the electric power steering today and hopefully that will fix this rattling noise.

 

We are also have the same issue on a 2012 "LE".

Anyone ever identify the root cause of theirs?

EDIT - I found this solution.

 

Thanks for posting this video! Very informative and clearly, this guy has done this before.
Like he says, doesn't look hard but does look time consuming.