So for the last couple of years I have been putting up with a noise on the driver side front that I would have sworn was the strut mount. The noise was a rattle, particularly going over bumps. Well, upon close inspection this afternoon, I found out that it is the hood. On either side of the hood near the fire wall there is a foam bumper that the hood sits on and the one on the driver side was cut down to metal, so the hood rested right on the chassis. That is where the rattling noise came from. I have a temporary rubber hose there doing the job, but will either replace the part or come up with a fix, as there is clearly a sharp edge to the hood there that may very well just do a number on the new part, unless Nissan has improved it. It really needs a hard rubber stop, rather than the foam that is there.

Good tip!