Leaderboard

The black rod has the Citroen part name of (believe or not) a bar and part number 5081Q4. It is probably to give a bit of stiffness to the suspension. You could probably just bend it back to shape to clear the exhaust and rear engine mounting. However, it may be best to get a new one from your dealer so that it has the correct dimensions for the suspension. If getting a new one, check the part number is correct against your car vin (on the V5C registration document and at the lower right of the windscreen when looking from the front of the car). The Citroen procedures also call it a spacer bar and a stabiliser bar. The bolts should be tightened to 75 Nm. I do not think it would be covered under warranty since it is possible it has been damaged through use of the car, maybe driving over a bump or kerb, unless the rattling noise was already there when you got the car.

Welcome to the forum. If your car is under 3 years old it will still be covered by the 3 year Citroen warranty so your Citroen dealer should fix the problem. Also, if you have had the car for less than 12 months and it was from a Citroen dealer again it would be covered by the 12 month Citroen used car warranty. Many other garages provide a 3 month warranty so it should again be covered. The rattling noise could be something simple such as a loose heat shield, anywhere along the exhaust from the engine manifold to the back of the car. If you know which area of the car the noise is coming from, have a look for something loose. If it makes the noise when stationary, get somebody to listen for the noise outside of the car, with the bonnet up, whilst you let the clutch up to the biting point. Unless the car has done a highish mileage, it is probably not something to do with the clutch or on some models of the 1.6 hdi its duel mass flywheel.