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Steering/front suspension noises/clunks thread.

404K views 553 replies 153 participants last post by  Dawnaelmarie 
#1 · (Edited)
Since we keep getting multiple threads on this topic, thought it would be best to make a sticky so we can get all information in one place. So any of the "common" steering/front suspension issues you may have should be discussed in here.

These issues can be front end clunks, rattles, odd noises, weird steering sensations etc.

For reference, here is the old thread on the topic.
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1748
 
#412 ·
So is it still ok?

I just got a call tonight frome the BBB that said they are going to do the lemon replacement for us. We have had problems since day 1 off the lot brand new with 4 miles on it. I hope they will be flexible with mileage because by my calculations we may have to pay GM anywhere from $1100-$3700 for "use'. This has been one of the worst experiences ever with a car. This is our first NEW American made vehicle by the way. It has really soured our first experience with a car made in America.
 
#414 · (Edited)
I'm new here and joined after spending several hours reading this thread. Our '09 2LT BU @ 63,000 miles has been making the infamous front end rattle on not-so perfect road surfaces for a year or more. It's much more noticeable now that it's below zero here. It sounds like there are a whole bunch of front end components that are getting loose or wearing out and rattling around when driving under about 30mph.
In some ways I wish I hadn't found this thread cuz we were pretty happy with the car. But now we're reading so many horror stories about multiple problems...
Anyway, we DON'T have the STEERING PROBLEMS / NOISES...yet.
From what I've read it would seem that there is no real consensus as to what the fix is for the rattle other than MAYBE it's the struts/mounts/bushings or MAYBE it's the lower control arms/ball joint assemblies or MAYBE it's the sway bar/bushings/bar-end links. Or MAYBE it's one of at least a half dozen more suggested fixes.
Most of which are not cheap.
My car is out of warranty so any repairs it needs I get to do and pay for as well. Very sad for what should be a quality product. And I've had to fix some things already.
How is it possible such a common problem/complaint has not been definitively addressed by GM?
Thanks for listening.
 
#415 ·
I forgot to mention that it occurred to me that even though this thread is 2 or 3 years old that no one ever took a video of the various components in question while in motion. A small helmet cam and L.E.D. light source pointed at suspect components while driving could be very revealing.
 
#416 ·
So for the famous rattle in the right front. At this ytime there seems to be NO FIX. My dealer service said this is normal for this Malibu. Also told( It is only a cheap Chev)
There is a design flaw were the top strut mount sits. ( not even) causing the strut to be pulled at an angle. Founf tis when trying to replace the strout mount. When fastened at the top (seat) strut needs to be pulled(forced ) to line up with the spindle. Plus cheap china components. A new mount was installed, great for about 100 miles. Back to the rattles. So much for GM Quality.
 
#417 ·
OK, I just got done crawling around under the car for a couple hours. Anyone recall several comments about how the symptoms sometimes seemed to disappear after the car warmed up a bit? More on that later. I jacked up the front, grabbed the tires top and bottom and tried to find any play in the ball joints or bearings but it was nice and tight. I pulled the wheels off and I took several pry bars and tried to find any play at all in any of the suspension or steering components or joints but basically found none. The only exception was where the bottom u-joint control arm pivots. It looks like there are rubber bushings where the control arm is bolted to the car and if I tried hard enough I could get just a wee bit of play there but maybe that is normal.
I remembered a comment here about the catalytic converter hanger so I took a look and found there was lots of play. I could easily move everything side to side and up/down and make noise doing it. The hanger is designed with an 'L' shaped rod on each side supporting a heavy rubber damper. I found that by squeezing the rubber parts towards each other I could nearly eliminate the play in the system.
To make a permanent fix I made two straps out of some scrap steel about 1 1/4" wide by 3" long. I bored a 17mm hole towards one end of each (to slip over the bottom leg of the 'L' rod) and a 1/4" hole toward the other end of each strap. I hung one strap on each side of the cat. Then I took a long 1/4" bolt and put it thru the 1/4" holes in the straps and used some nuts and washers to draw it all tight, squeezing the rubber hangers parts together.
It took 90% of the play out of the system. I took the car for a ride not really expecting a free fix to work but it did. I'll know for sure when I go home but so far so good. So maybe the comments about less noise as the car warmed up were because the exhaust heated up the rubber exhaust hangers making them just a little tighter and reducing the noise???
Fingers crossed.
 
#418 ·
Sounds like an interesting fix! Got pics?

And yes, stop back and update, please.
 
#419 ·
Never mind. Tightening the exhaust hanger assembly didn't change a thing. I figured it was too good to be true. When we got close to home on the gravel wash board road it was just as bad as before and the car had been running for an hour. I think I'm going to order some Monroe Quick-strut assemblies at about $190 each and install them and see if the rattling stops. Hopefully it's a project I can handle.
 
#420 ·
I have been having the same clunk in cold weather as you since the day I got my 2010 2LT with 18" wheels. Frontend wise, the struts have been changed 4 times, steering rack, and intermediate shaft to no avail. Dealer and I have concluded it is an inherent design/component problem. Here in Toronto temps have been around -12C for 4 days. My ears are being assaulted by a cacophony of clunks. On a sidenote my car has been in the shop 20 times mostly for the frontend and other gremlins such as 2 door strikers, blower motor, wiper switch, seat sticthing separating, a rear shock, etc. I am anxious to hear if moving to another brand of struts will solve this issue. I know for sure I will be moving to another brand of vehicle.
 
#421 ·
Struts 4 times?? OEM parts each time? I ordered Monroe Quick struts from fleabay at $136.24 each (left# 172200, rt #172199) and will report back after I install them.
Since this seems to be a problem that few have been able to fix, I'm also wondering if maybe we need to think outside the box a little bit. For example, is it possible there are wire harnesses, cables, brake lines, etc that run from the engine compartment through enclosed spaces between inner and outer body panels that have come loose from their fasteners and are rattling around hidden from sight?
Maybe someone who builds these cars or a body shop guy can shed some light on that.
 
#422 · (Edited by Moderator)
Look into using MOOG Mounts also. After yoy secure the top of the unit to the body, see if the strut lines up to were you bolt the strut to the spindle.
Had to pull hard to get mine into place to bolt it. Only on the right side.
GM said this noise is normal on this body style and nothing they can or will do to help. This has been going on since 2008 to2012 models. I will not try another Malibu, maybe no more GM. Best of luck to you.
 
#425 ·
The Monroe Quick Struts I mentioned previously arrived and I installed them today. They appear very well built and of better quality than the stockers. They are a complete assembly including a new coil spring. No special tools required. If I were to do the job again tomorrow it would take an hour but today it took about 2 hours.
The easiest way to do it is to jack up one side of the car, do that side and then move to the other side. The only tricky part is removing the 18mm nut on the tie-rod end (ball joint) of the upper control arm link. There are 3, 18mm nuts on the strut and this would be the upper one. On our '09 with 62,600 miles there was rust/corrosion on each which required a wire brush, plenty of spray lube and a few shots of air to blow away debris. The 'bolt' portion of the ball joint has an 8mm hex end on it that can be held with an 8mm 6-point socket while you loosen the nut with an 18mm wrench. It's important to hold that stud while the nut is loosened to prevent damage to the tie rod end. The bottom 2 bolts need to be driven out as they are pressed in so be sure to leave the nuts on and tap on the nut so the bolt threads aren't damaged. You may have to smack them harder than you think- I use a brass hammer. Spray lube them prior to driving them back in. Also, protecting the CV boot with cardboard or something is a good idea in case Murphy shows up. Remove all the nuts/bolts on the bottom before removing the top 3 nuts under the hood while holding the strut to keep it from falling. The torque specs for everything are listed on the included instruction sheet.
With the new struts installed, everything torqued to spec and the tires set to 44# each we went for a ride. The car is smoother and much quieter. The only time we can hear a thump now is on a big bump. All the small, washboard, stutter bumps are nice and quiet. We drove all over (it was 5 below zero) and I kept expecting an upcoming series of icy bumps to rattle my teeth but was pleasantly surprised. We are very pleased with the results.
In our opinion it's $273 well spent.
 
#427 ·
It's been several days and a couple hundred miles since I installed the Monroe Quick struts and we are happier with the results every day. It's like being in a different car. Initially I could hear/feel a thump on bigger bumps but have since determined the noise is just from cold tires rolling over pavement seams. We're fairly certain it's just a normal noise you'd expect when the tires hit a crack in the road. Wash-board and stutter bumps are silent now.
I should mention that the ride height of our car was raised 3/8" with the new struts. I like them so much I'm thinking about doing the rears for the hell of it.
 
#428 ·
I called the dealership and told him that I was still having the frontend noise and I ask him about the struts he it could be and he asked if I would bring it back in to change them under warranty.. I don't know if I want stock struts put back in if the don't have a upgraded strut.. anyone know if the do have one yet?
 
#431 ·
OE parts under warranty will almost 100% of the time be replaced with an OE part, no upgrade, unless the mfr. approves the change.

Imagine if the B2B covers it and it fails at 10K miles. If they install a Monroe strut to replace an OE part and the Monroe fails in 20K miles (now at 30K and still under B2B) who pays the labor this time? Well, since they set the precedent they will have to do it under warranty again and it's not even their part that failed - they were just "doing you a favor". They would rather stick their heads in a hornet's nest!

If you really just gotta have the best parts or think the OE parts are just so much junk then maybe you should sell the car and go buy the right one to start with. I'm not defending the OE's use of "junk" but we all know going in that they subcontract the parts out to the lowest bidders and then have to work with those suppliers if/when parts fail or become problematic. Neither the OE nor the parts supplier want to have to make a design change to the original design of the part, but if that's what it takes for the supplier to keep the contract then that's what will happen. (I'm sure I'm leaving all sorts of legal and other details out, but you get the drift.)

When my stuff finally wears out, or if I become dissatisfied with the performance, I'll replace the parts with ones I like and hope they work better and/or longer. I'll even complain about the build quality or idiotic design, but I'm keeping the car nonetheless.
 
#432 ·
My dealer and the Factory field rep said this problem is normal and refused to try anything. Another dealer replaced the r/f strut mount and it lasted about 100 miles. I made the mistake of leasing this car. I have months left and it goes back. I'll not put $300 plus if it can't be fixed. GM calls this noise normal. The factory rep told me while on a test drive, !!remember this is only a chevrolet not a cadillac.
 
#433 ·
I cant believe that a field rep. would say that. I dont know about you but that noises is not normal at all. Ive drove cars with WAY more miles than what mine has and don't sound or feel like that.. I hope that GM comes up with something soon.. thats just my opinion. and I am thinking about buying something different if there isnt a fix .
 
#434 ·
A little background on this and me. I bought my 1st GM in 1947. I am a Auto technician by trade. Cadillac pontiac Service Manager for 15 years ( I treated my customers like Sutliff Chevrolet treated me i would have been fired.)
Tis noise came at about 200 miles on the speedo. Also had a bad engine surge in 5t/6th gear at 2000 RPM. They didn't want to fix either item. After leaving the car for two days the said theu couldn't duplicate the problem. No I guess not. The car wasn't moved in those two days. The #2 trip milage was still at (0). Neve move from the spot it was parked in. When I confronted the write up man his response was, I had 125 cars tuesday and 100 that day( 2nd day) what did I expect. I providded he tech bulletien for the PCM Update to correct the surge. Never anything done for the rattle R/Front. They continued to tell me that noise is normal on this line of GM line of car.. You can look through Malibu forum and find this is a problem back to 2008 models including Saturn and Olds. When I contacted GM Tech support, I get a Foriegn Tec support person, they contact the dealer service Dept, they tell him cars is ok, nothing to fix. Two times with this. I finally got an appointment with the Field rep, Met him inside the show room, Before he got in the car he said, the noise you hear is normal for this model. (again he hasen't hear the noise yet) While on the road test he keep saying see this is normal. He then told me about Cadillac hacing a noise but said now because it is a Cadillac we fix it (but remember this is only a Chevrolet) Initials of the rep. B W. I know when something is normal and I can assure any ne this rattle trap is not normal. Thank you for replying. You have more interest in this than GM has shown.
 
#438 ·
Finally success! After changing my OEM struts to Monore Sensatrac and Monroe mounts all frontend clunks have been eliminated. Not a sound! Just the way the car should have been from new. The new struts have improved the ride and impact noise from bumps, but most of all regardless of the temperature all clunking has now disappeared. I didn't go with Monroe Quick Struts but bought separate struts and mounts.
 
#439 ·
My dull thunking (like an empty milk jug) on the driver's side on washboard roads at 25 or so mph, ended up being a strut, which the dealer replaced for free yesterday. The noise is gone. They had replaced a control arm bushing on that side 10K miles ago, but the noise never really went away.

A 66-year old mechanic friend of mine is appalled that they only changed the one side's strut (and control arm bushing, for that matter). I swear, when I picked the car up it did seem like it was listing to the right a bit. Maybe that will go away.
 
#440 ·
Struts or shocks should always be replaced as a pair. The OEM struts are crap so your pleasure may be temporary. Park your car on a level surface, make sure the tires have the same PSI, and measure from the ground to the bottom of the fender just above the tires to see if one side is higher than the other.
 
#441 ·
I have a 2010 Malibu LT1. 4 cyl ecotec. nice car but lately i have been noticing a little knocking when i make left turns. its coming from the front right side, kind of near the tire area. the faster I am taking the turn, the faster the clocking, like it is my tire. The sound isnt a lour sharp knock but rather a quite "thump" if you will. I believe you can just barely feel it or that part may be my imagination. it is very subtle but has just recently started within these past few days and am unsure what to do about it. the car has 60k miles on it.
 
#444 ·
Hi kaydennicholson,
We recommend getting your vehicle into your local Chevy dealership. I can't provide any technical assistance to you, however if you'd like me to research your VIN to see if you have any recalls or warranty coverage information, I'd be more than happy to.

Please keep us up to date on your vehicle's diagnosis.

Thank you,
Sara
Chevrolet Customer Service
 
#442 ·
Check for a nail/screw in the tread of the tire. Wouldn't be the first time!

Also, turning left making noise on right is a pretty good definition of a failed or failing CV joint. See if the boots (inner & outer) are slinging any grease.

Could possibly also be a hub/wheel bearing just starting to go bad.

Most important is to do what you've already done - keep paying attention and listening.
 
#443 · (Edited)
It doesn't quite sound like something in the tire and haven't been able to see anything but cant really get a good look into the treads. however i had it up on the rhino ramps today to change the oil and looked around the hub but didn't see anything that looked out of the ordinary (However, I'm no mechanic). I do not believe i can FEEL anything, as i paid closer attention on the way to work, but I can definitely hear it and can hear it a little bit when i slow down to stop. I know I have a sharp left on the way to work everyday on the highway that i take kind of hard, just as i am so used to it after 3 years (posted suggested is 45 mph, i usually go around 60) could this have anything to do with my issue?:eek:
 
#445 ·
This just might be weird, but have you checked for stones or debris in your wheel covers? There have been some really odd noises reported and they were corrected by dislodging the debris or putting foam tape between the wheel covers and the wheels.
 
#446 ·
I don't think this generation or at least LT and up have hubcaps?

Also with the axles on this generation the protocol is to replace the axles with essentially the same axle with a different type of grease because of type of pressure they are under? "type 2 axle' I think is what my dealer said and they said the only difference was the type of grease. It made no difference anyway.

So we pursued this and won finally as of 02/2013 and upgraded to a 2013 Equinox, so much better and not a single issue. We had issues the day we drove the 2012 Malibu off the lot!
 
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