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Front Suspension Noise

123K views 86 replies 26 participants last post by  Silver LTZ 
#1 ·
I have a 2009 LT2 that has minor but clearly audible knocking sound coming from the front suspension strut area. The noise is very noticable at slow speeds on washboard type roads. I took it to the dealer and they said they couldn't replicate the problem. Does anyone else have similar problems. I plan on taking the service tech for a ride to demo the problem!
 
#2 ·
yes i have the same problem, it's be very cold here and it seems to be worse when it gets colder. I'm taking mine back to the dealer monday to have it looked at. It seems that Aura's have the same problem and also the g6's. you can find out more by checking out their respective forums for this problem.
I've got just under 10,000 on mine. Also my ESC comes on sometimes when i turn right at slow speeds, regardless of road conditions.
 
#3 ·
I had the same problem with my HHR. I took it back to the dealer and they replaced the sway bar bushings and changed out the sway bar links. So far, the noise has gone away. They did say that on the HHR, this is a problem that they blame on the suspension design. :confused:
 
#4 ·
On the Epsilon platform cars, it seems to be a strut thing...and very much so, some do, some don't, though those that do are most often reported when it's cold. The Aura guys have discussed it in much detail, to varied degrees of results.

Our '08 refuses to make any noise (struts or elsewhere) after 12k miles and a year, but sometimes--not always--when it is really cold I hear the light clunking from the front end of my '09 over bumps. Not really even noticeable to bother with, as cold does a lot of things to a car, but still. The '07 Malibu rental I had for a month had a nasty clunk-clunk-clunk over bumps from the driver's side that was, again, the strut pretty clearly.

Here's some pretty recent Aura threads, including the first where one just had parts replaced...but still has an issue:

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132707
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132835
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122605

And others...just search their forum for clunk/strut/rattle, etc. They have some more time under their belt with the Aura than we do, so often they have a little more detail on common issues.
 
#5 ·
that is exactly what i have been experiencing, im reading what beach has posted, and im taking it in on Wednesday to have it looked at. at first, i thought it was the steering column, but now im thinking it might be the strut... ill have to do some investigating.
 
#7 ·
Ok for the front end noise they installed a lube kit and repositioned the i shaft.(This is what they have been doing for some of the Saturn owners with this problem) For the ESC coming on during a right hand turn, they reflashed the EBCM and for the brake pedal noise they replaced the master cylinder reservoir and replaced the brake fluid. All good now.
 
#8 ·
This is a top mount problem...it has been replicated at Milford Proving Grounds and the engineers at VEC are working on it without a proven fix yet. This is occurring on my 09 LTZ - apparently the only "solution" at this point is to have the top mounts swapped out. (the top mount is the large rubber circular piece at the top of the strut tower) Engineering knows of the problem - happens at low speed / cold temperatures.
 
#23 ·
I'm new here... I have an 09 Aura XR-4 and I've always thought the struts were kinda loud when going over bigger bumps at any temperature, but I figured maybe I was expecting too much... before this I was driving cars quite a bit more $$ so I figured maybe the refinement level dropped a bit with price tag.

But then a couple days ago the lows got below 10 here in the Memphis area and as I was driving through some not so smooth parking lots I noticed the struts sounded like they were loose or rattling, almost like what a strut sounds like at 100-150k miles when it has given up on life. The noise seemed to go away after only 5-10 minutes of driving... I guess they warmed up or something.

That's when I decided to search on google for Malibu and Aura strut noises and this thread was the first result.

What frustrates me is that so many people on here seem to have completely different things that fixed it for them which means the local Chevy dealer is probably going to have to hear it happen on my car and since for the time being this appears to be a fairly rare symptom (sub 20 degree temps, only when car has been sitting for a while and isn't warmed up) it will be pretty hard to demostrate it for them. If this was a known specific issue and fix I'd say they wouldn't even have to hear it, they'd just have to perform the known fix... which is why this post really interests me:



Did this result in a TSB of any sort?
 
#9 ·
GM has been plagued by this for years. This was a common problem on the Grand Am's and Alero's. I believe it's the strut mount bushings (Bearings?) causing the issue. You would think after 10 years GM would figure something out.
 
#12 ·
My is really bad when pulling in and out of parking spots and making hard turns. It also did it in the cold but now it's warm here so I'm sure the dealer will not find anything wrong.
 
#14 ·
Sorry to bring this back, but does anyone have a TSB # for this issue? Mine seems to be making a clunking sound at low speeds over some wavy roads, but I don't want to take it in if theres no fix for it (or if they're just going to have to keep replacing mounts). Its coming from the left front.

Thanks
 
#16 ·
I brought my 09 LTZ in a couple of weeks ago. Of course, dealer says "could not duplicate", so I took him for a ride in his back lot. Replicated the noise, he says "I will investigate and call you"....still waiting for that call. I need to contact the GM ride engineer that I know.....I will post with the latest news.
 
#17 ·
I have the same problem and you can hear it clearly below 20 m/h almost all the time I hit an imperfection or joint. It is like the car have 200,000 miles on the clock. The car will be at the dealer Thursday for this specific problem and also for the heater (noisy at low speed), a rattle from the rear dome light and for the rear valence (not flush with the bumper at both ends with more than half inch gap).
 
#19 ·
The funny thing is that it makes the noise on the way out of my driveway but not on return. I wouldn't think that there would be that much heat transferred to the suspension that it would make the noise go away.
 
#20 ·
Went to the dealer this morning and they changed both front struts and did a new alignment. The noise is not there anymore.
 
#21 ·
I'm getting a rattling noise from my front end. Sounds like the typical strut mount issue that I've seen in numerous GM vehicles.
 
#24 ·
I brought my 09 LTZ in again for this problem just after xmas - dealer replaced drop links (stab bar to shock tower loose - or so they claimed). Still have the strut noise on low speed/cold temp. I don't even need to hit a bump, can just be uneven blacktop - every undulation in the pavement and the struts rattle. I am just going to keep bringing it in when I have time - it's crazy!. I will have to take the tech for a ride to demonstrate the issue I guess. I still am trying to get to the engineer again to see if they found a fix - haven't had a chance to get over to GM Tech center lately. Stay tuned........
 
#25 ·
I've had my upper mount replaced. Still making the clunking noise, just like you over uneven blacktop or hitting a bump. Same year, 09 LTZ. Out of curiosity, where was yours built? You can tell whoever you talk to that there are other 09 LTZs with the same problem you're having, and would like an answer.

Out of curiosity, what is the GM tech center?

If you get an engineer to look at it, please keep us informed, I would like to go back to the dealer with some information, as they seem to be running out of ideas, and instead of them holding onto my car for 2 weeks changing misc. parts to hope to fix it, it would be nice if i can say look up a certain tsb or something.

By chance, do you also have an issue where the steering wheel doesn't return to center smoothly? Like you can feel a slight pulsation as you come out of a turn? I've had new tires, new steer gear, new steering rack, new axles put on and its still a problem. I swear i think its the tires, but the dealer refuses to believe so, since they put new ones on, but they said they'd look at it. Last time my car was there 2 weeks and it wasn't fixed, and I want to drive my $30k car and not a base model G6.

good luck!
 
#26 ·
I'm having the exact same problem with my '09 G6. It doesn't happen over every bump, but close enough. It's like a light knock.

I took it to the dealer, but they couldn't find the issue. They told me that if I came back with the issue again, they were planning on ripping out the dash, as they thought that's where the noise was coming from. :confused: They also said that it would likely make the noise even worse..yeah, I think they were just trying to get me to not come back. I'm tempted to try another dealer and see what they say.
 
#27 ·
I own a 2008 LT2 with 18K miles and have the same clunk coming from the front of the car. One month ago, my dealer changed my 2 front shocks and the clunk disappeared to reappeared 30 miles later! I clearly hear the clunk below 30 m/hr at every pavement imperfections which is really annoying in city driving. It seems more related to steering area as it is more audible from the driver seat than the passenger seat.

I will return to the dealer again and let you all know what parts they will change this time.
 
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