Steering/front suspension noises/clunks thread.

[TylerJames]

Originally Posted by hjlint

Sounds like Sutliff Chev.in Harrisburg. Even if they replace the Strut and mount, the noise will return in about 100 miles.My strut and mount was replaced (at another dealer) and the noise returned in about 100 miles. You will read the same from others on this Forum.

An auto instructor who has been working on cars for 30+ years and who also has trained many of the techs in my town suggested a sway bar causing the noise.

Has anyone had that looked at for the cause of the noises?

T

[3pt1lumina]

Originally Posted by TylerJames

An auto instructor who has been working on cars for 30+ years and who also has trained many of the techs in my town suggested a sway bar causing the noise.

Has anyone had that looked at for the cause of the noises?

T

That has been some people's problems, yes.


Michelle, here is my update:

I had to call the dealership at 11am this morning for an update. The writer that I have been working with told me that it WAS the right front strut as I figured. He told me they were fixing it and he'd call when done.

1:30 pm calls, tells me the car is done. He tells me there is a $100 charge for the warranty. I told him that I was not paying it because it was an issue that was never fixed, and on top of that I had to diagnose the car for them! When I picked up, there was no charge.

The car is quiet again and life is good with that. One thing that I noticed after picking it up, it's smooth as silk and straight as an arrow. After the last time it was in for the RF Control arm, I looked at the RO and it never was aligned. The car had a wobble in the front, but I thought it was because I rotated the tires and one was slightly out of balance. That is now gone that the car has been aligned after today's visit.

I am upset with how the dealership handled my vehicle coming back. I'm upset that I had to diagnose it, and literally fight them for having the car fixed. I'm annoyed with the fact that the car wasn't fixed right the first time when I told them this was the problem from the beginning. I know warranty work isn't fun for a dealership, and I know comeback warranty work is worse. However, I did pay $1050 for this warranty up front, plus $100 every time it rolls in the door. It may be warranty work, but certainly isn't free for me by any means.

For this reason, I am going to call the dealership and talk to the service manager tomorrow and explain exactly what happened. I am not looking for anything free, just to let him be aware that his original tech on this car and the writer I was dealing with did not give me a good experience.

Thank you Michelle for taking the time to field this. If anything else happens with the dealership or the vehicle I'll be sure to post.

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

Thank you for the updates, 3pt1lumina! Don’t hesitate to contact me any time.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

[CJOliver90]

Originally Posted by TylerJames

An auto instructor who has been working on cars for 30+ years and who also has trained many of the techs in my town suggested a sway bar causing the noise.

Has anyone had that looked at for the cause of the noises?

T

I have come across the possibility through research and videos online of the issue being worn sway bar bushings and/or sway bar end links, i will be visiting a mechanic to check it out next week, and post my results. Since i have no posted to my issue i will state it now for reference. In the colder temps i get a clunking sound coming from what sounds like the front right wheel well area, the clunk occurs while on rough road, and almost seems to cause a slight amount of wheel hop as well, felt by the steering wheel being slightly shakey when the clunking noise is happening. once the ambient temps warm up, it dissapears. but then i hear a slight squeak.

[TylerJames]

Originally Posted by CJOliver90

I have come across the possibility through research and videos online of the issue being worn sway bar bushings and/or sway bar end links, i will be visiting a mechanic to check it out next week, and post my results. Since i have no posted to my issue i will state it now for reference. In the colder temps i get a clunking sound coming from what sounds like the front right wheel well area, the clunk occurs while on rough road, and almost seems to cause a slight amount of wheel hop as well, felt by the steering wheel being slightly shakey when the clunking noise is happening. once the ambient temps warm up, it dissapears. but then i hear a slight squeak.

Please let us know. I would like to know if this is the issue. I need to get my vent selection thingy (currently stuck on Defrost only) fixed, so I would like to get this issue fixed at the same time.



Someone in this thread mentioned that a "rippled" road will create the noise. Every morning, I travel down 1 specific road and I can recreate the noise on such a "rippled" road. By rippled, I mean the road is uneven in several spots all the way down the road. However, I can hear it any temp. Although you are right, the colder it gets the louder it gets.

When do you take it in?

Thanks,

T

[AuditorBill]

My '11 makes the 'empty plastic milk jug dropped three inches onto a cement floor' muted sound from the LF on low-speed bumps. Annoying. At 14K miles had it in for that and they replaced a 'worn' control arm bushing on that side. My wife drives the car 95% of the time, but last night (at 22K miles) I'm hearing the same noise, same side of the car, so it's either another control-arm bushing or something else entirely. Grrrrrrr. At 8,269 miles the trans was removed from the car and several new internal parts installed, so who knows if they got it put back together correctly up front. Very frustrating for a 2011 model automobile.

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

@TylerJames, I’m sorry to read about your concerns with your 2011 Malibu. Please, let me know how the visit to the dealership goes. Under normal circumstances this would be covered under the Bumper to Bumper warranty.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

@AuditorBill, I’m sorry to read about the concerns you’ve had and are currently go through with your 2011 Malibu. I apologize on behalf of Chevrolet as we realize you don’t expect to have things happen when you purchase a new vehicle.

When are you planning to take the car back to the dealership? If you would like assistance with setting an appointment please, let me know.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

[Lck82]

Wow. I didn't know this was such an epidemic with these cars. My wife use to drive a Pontiac that had this issue when it was cold, so I just wrote it off last year when my Malibu started doing the same thing. My 2010 Malibu LT1 will make the clunking noise from the suspension after being exposed to cold temps for at least 4-8 hours. After I drive it for 20 or so minutes, the noise goes away. I guess I'll be contacting my dealer/Chevrolet to see what can be done about this. Does anyone know if this poses any safety issues or if it's just an annoyance issue?

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

@Lck82, I’ve exhausted my resources and I haven’t seen documentation of this being a safety issue. I hope things go smoothly with the dealership and this gets taken care of for you in a timely manner. Please, let me know any updates.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service