2017 Journey with basic manual HVAC controls. On random occasions there is a faint but audible "scuffing" or "scratching" sound coming from the dash. Sounds like a squirrel or a couple of chipmunks but see no other signs of a critter invasion. I don't live in a rural area or keep open bags of dog food or bird seed inside it.

It's not the failed vent actuator stripped gear noise. I know what that sounds like. It's fainter than that and I seem to hear it most often when the engine and HVAC functions are turned off. And the heater and A/C functions like I'd expect it to. Very erratic and random and seems to stop after a short time. I thought it might be vacuum bleeding off from some kind of a vacuum actuator but I get the impression that all the blend, vent, temp and mode control is done with gears and motors.

Any ideas of anything else in the dash that might act up like this?