Clunking noise when turning at low speeds
 

My 2017 Brz recently started to make this clunking noise when I turn the steering wheel at low speeds only. It only has 30k miles and it’s all stock. I’ve already taken it to the mechanic 3 times, even tried the dealer and they all say everything is fine. Drives fine the noise is just annoying & sounds nasty, I Can provide a video if anyone can help me out with what it might be ???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes

Just going what little information you provided, I can only mention what I experienced with my 2017 BRZ. After repeated visits to Subaru, I had to walk them to the problem. The bearing at the top of the right strut was defective. It would clunk when making hard turns. The car had low mileage, but the original factory warranty was about to time out. I was still covered by the extended warranty, but I ended up paying a bit anyway for some exclusions. That sort of pissed me off, but I was glad to get that out of the way. The intermittent and found OK problems are a nuisance for the owner.

https://youtube.com/shorts/LsC20iu2q-g?feature=share
Thanks for the reply ! Here’s the video, it sounds like the creaking is coming from the front passenger side.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Heard no creaking but lots of thunking.
If it is all stock like you say and the mechanics say it's fine.
Either I'd return it or sell it.

The way I found the problem was to put the front tires on pieces of carpet with the pile down on the garage floor which is very smooth. Or, find a way to get something under the tires to lessen the friction with the pavement. With an assistant at the steering wheel with the engine off, have the steering wheel slowly turned from lock to lock. Place your hand carefully on the top of the strut tower. Fingers are more sensitive to vibrations, but do be careful and have an assistant who can follow instructions. For a long time I suspected the sway bar and the linkage. If in fact that the bearing is bad, this is a relatively easy fix and no cause for ditching the car. I had read somewhere that quite a few cars with McPherson struts have had this problem right out of the factory or with low mileage. I know some people who own Honda cars with this same problem. I had to explain to the service manager at Subaru how I found the problem. It would have been repaired the first time, but the service advisors Havel little or experience actually working on cars, so they don't always pass on relevant information. Lots of times it is what the owner does not say are some of the best clues. When I took on the job of service writer and assistant service manager at a dealership, I had already had been working as a line mechanic. That gave me the tools I needed to convey what the customer wanted and needed to the mechanic so there was no guessing. The customer appreciates getting the job done the first time even if it cost more than they expected and the mechanic is able to be more efficient by having as much relevant information up front. When I was a mechanic, I would often call the customer on some scheduled jobs before the car came into the shop. It paid off as what the customer told me was nothing like what was written down on the service order. Being on flat-rate labor pay every second chasing ghosts cuts into my beer money.

Does the noise occur when the engine is off? The electric power steering unit is part of the steering column and not the rack. Turn the steering with the engine off to hear the noise better.