The passengers side air bag is easy to remove. I had a rattle in the
same area on my 99, and it turned out to be a flexible vent hose that
was rattling against the frame.
To remove the airbag, use caution. Make sure you disconnect the battery
and make sure you are discharged of any static electricity. And do not
work directly in front of the airbag.
Open the glove box and squeeze the sides inward to allow the glovebox
to drop fully to allow access to the bottom of the airbag. If I
remember there were 2 or 3 bolts holding the airbag plus the electrical
connector.