2009 Toyota Matrix ... Clunk Pulling Out of Driveway

[PeterZarolli]

Title says it all really but I will provide more info.

Link to video!

Car (2009 Toyota Matrix) recently has had most of the front end replaced lol. Subframe, control arms, ball joints, struts, axles, rack and pinion, wheel bearings, sway end links. The only untouched items are the tie rod ends and the sway bar / sway bar bushings. As well the brakes were done about 1 1/2 years ago, just the pads though and they still work fine. The most recent repair was the end links and I was getting a pop noise over curbs and turning but since replacing those it seems to be gone.

Now the only issue I have at all with the car is pulling in and out of my driveway, I get a metal clunk. It happens when the wheel is turned and I hit the bump / curb of my driveway, the noise happens when one of the wheels / struts extends / retracts. So basically going over a bump with the wheels turned causes the noise. It happens on both sides of the car and can feel the vibration in my feet, and have felt it on the drivers side, passenger side and more to the centre of the car. It happens with or without the brakes engaged. Happens also when the front hits the driveway or the when the rear evens out if that makes sense.

Recently turning left had caused the car to also make this same noise and feeling however after tightening the passenger side strut (which was lose) it went away while turning but still persists while going over my driveway. Additionally it has happened in other locations when I am turning on an incline, for example descending a parking garage or turning into a parking lot over a curb. Also my local mechanic who has been very nice to me is unable to locate the noise and has inspected everything to be in working order and besides the driveway issue the car seems and drives great. Just daily I get this noise.

I am truly stumped here, it’s not impossible one of the many parts installed is defective but also there are a few more untouched areas. I am hesitant about getting rid of the car as it has minimal rust on the body and the engine is in great shape with less KM on it than the rest of the car (long story) Anyway any help is appreciated. Video attached.

 

[PeterZarolli]

My current leading theory is it is something with the sub-frame as I have felt the clunk both under my feet on the drivers side, in the middle and far off to the right on the passenger side. However I am not a mechanic I am just learning as I go. Thanks for any help!

 

[spasm3]

I'm wondering why someone replaced the sway bar end links, but not the sway bar bushings ?

 

[PeterZarolli]

I'm wondering why someone replaced the sway bar end links, but not the sway bar bushings ?

We initially wanted to however, the bolts for the brackets holding on the bushings for the sway bar were siezed, would have had to drop the sub-frame to drill them out, or at least that is what the mechanic told me. After doingthe links the noise was lessoned to only happen on my driveway where it used to happen on almost every curb, when the back would even out off the curb it would make a clunk / pop noise, similar to now however now it is much louder and I can feel it in my feet more.

 

[Nick1994]

Motor mounts? Could be making the engine shift around and bottom out on the mount brackets.

 

[PeterZarolli]

Motor mounts? Could be making the engine shift around and bottom out on the mount brackets.

The shop stated they checked them out and it was all good and while i don’t usually have any vibrations now that it is summer i did notice that when i turn my AC on i get vibrations for a little bit until it heats up or rather cools down. Is there a good way for me to check the mounts myself? I should note in about a week i’m taking it to said shop for a drive to show them the noise.

 

[Nick1994]

Look closely at each mount, then put a block of wood on a floor jack and lift from the oil pan gently. See how much play each one has. There could be one really close to bottoming out on the metal mounts.

 

[PeterZarolli]

Look closely at each mount, then put a block of wood on a floor jack and lift from the oil pan gently. See how much play each one has. There could be one really close to bottoming out on the metal mounts.

Great! Thank you, will try this tomorrow and update the tread!

 

[eljefino]

You didn't mention anything about your struts or upper strut mounts.

 

[PeterZarolli]

You didn't mention anything about your struts or upper strut mounts.

Oh sorry I thought I mentioned it, just replaced both struts and the new ones had upper mounts.

 

[PeterZarolli]

Great! Thank you, will try this tomorrow and update the tread!

Ok turns out it was another set of bad end links! Will try to look for OEM ones lol, thanks for the help!

 

[Nukeman7]

Ok turns out it was another set of bad end links! Will try to look for OEM ones lol, thanks for the help!

Get the sway bar links from Sankei 555 at Partsgeek. They are the OEM parts for Toyota at less than half the dealership price (even with shipping costs).

Sankei 555 Sway Bar Links for Matrix

 

[PeterZarolli]

Little update on the thread here, replaced the links, which had torn rubber only 2 weeks after install hmmm. Regardless the noise going on my driveway is still there although its more of a pop noise now and will happen while driving too, sometimes randomly sometimes hitting a small bump or tuning. Additionally, after backing out of my driveway the other day my alignment pulls to either side seemingly at random while I am driving and braking, it almost sent me flying into oncoming traffic. And on top of that occasionally after pulling in / out of the driveway, my car makes a grinding noise coming from under my feet when turning the wheel. Goes away after the car moves again. Left it with the shop as it does not seem safe to drive. Welcoming any and all theories lol. I am at a total loss

 

[D60]

I'm almost wondering if you have a failing steering rack but I'm struggling to make that fit ALL your symptoms. Plus usually they just leak.

So I'm no help but please keep updating

 

[Nukeman7]

Little update on the thread here, replaced the links, which had torn rubber only 2 weeks after install hmmm. Regardless the noise going on my driveway is still there although its more of a pop noise now and will happen while driving too, sometimes randomly sometimes hitting a small bump or tuning. Additionally, after backing out of my driveway the other day my alignment pulls to either side seemingly at random while I am driving and braking, it almost sent me flying into oncoming traffic. And on top of that occasionally after pulling in / out of the driveway, my car makes a grinding noise coming from under my feet when turning the wheel. Goes away after the car moves again. Left it with the shop as it does not seem safe to drive. Welcoming any and all theories lol. I am at a total loss

I'm almost wondering if you have a failing steering rack but I'm struggling to make that fit ALL your symptoms. Plus usually they just leak.

So I'm no help but please keep updating

It may be a severely worn out INNER tie rod ends instead of the steering rack itself. The latest symptoms described by the OP, especially the grinding noise under the feet, suggests the issue is emanating from the steering rack assembly.

 

[paulo57509]

Do you know if there's a brace across the rear wheel wells?

The Highlander has a weird body clunk/knock that appears in random locations and conditions. Someone suggested I check the brace under/in front of the rear seat. No, I haven't checked this; it's not easy getting to it. I also highly doubt that this is the problem but body noises are difficult to diagnose.

 

[Kurtatron]

Little update on the thread here, replaced the links, which had torn rubber only 2 weeks after install hmmm. Regardless the noise going on my driveway is still there although it’s more of a pop noise now and will happen while driving too, sometimes randomly sometimes hitting a small bump or tuning. Additionally, after backing out of my driveway the other day my alignment pulls to either side seemingly at random while I am driving and braking, it almost sent me flying into oncoming traffic. And on top of that occasionally after pulling in / out of the driveway, my car makes a grinding noise coming from under my feet when turning the wheel. Goes away after the car moves again. Left it with the shop as it does not seem safe to drive. Welcoming any and all theories lol. I am at a total loss

I had a 1999 Toyota Solara that had something exactly as you describe. It had a CLUNK when I pulled out of my garage. No other suspension components were bad. You know what it turned out to be? Exactly what you don’t want to hear.

Sway bar bushings.

I replaced those after trying everything else, and the clunk was completely solved. Sorry to hear it might be a major headache to replace those cheap parts

Also, the sway bar showed no signs of movement or noise when I tried moving it by hand.

 

[GR_CoB]

I'm 99% positive that it's the sway bar bushings. All symptoms explained match what I've experienced with dozens of cars, and sway bar bushings took care of it everytime. I always went with Siberian Bushings when available, or OEM.

 

[michaelluscher]

Intermediate shaft clunking when telescoping?

Or does the matrix/vibe not suffer that defect that I swear every Camry has

 

[PeterZarolli]

OK big update on the thread, just want to say thank you so much to anyone who has given ideas.

So on Friday, it was at the shop for a diag and they came back to me with a ball joint with play, making the pop and spring bind, making the metal noise. So while the new endlinks that lasted two weeks had torn rubber and did need replacing Im guessing my issue for the clunk has always been with the ball joint. Used some cheap but effective chassis ears and confirmed the ball joint was making noise. So I chalk it up to bad luck on the endlinks.

Spring bind is another story however, after taking it down my driveway, which is insanely steep and I fear the cause of a lot of my suspension problems, the metal noise returned. I looked in the wheel well and noticed that the clip that attached to the strut and hold the brake cable in place was bent and hitting a body panel or some other bolt, bent it back to place, got the brake line in the clip and it is all good.

Now, I suspect my 'alignment' issues were either from this ball joint, or since it mainly happened while braking, I assume the brake line that was just hanging there got twisted / snagged and prevented braking on my passenger side causing me to nearly veer into the opposite lane. The brake line is in good shape still.

So I believe I have my answer, a bad ball joint, which in fairness when I got done last year I was tight on cash and kinda cheaped out on the economy option, additionally I put a lot of KMs on those ball joints, maybe 40k km? So it makes sense they would go.

Everything else on the car seems great! Albeit when I was testing pulling in and out of the driveway I noticed the rear suspension would also make a little click when one end went over the curb before the other. Honestly this just sounds like my old rear suspension compressing and is not that much of a concern as it doesn't happen on any other large or otherwise bumps beside my driveway going forward, I also used the chassis ears on the rear, on the end link and upper and lower control arm (basically that's all the components really back there) and when the noise happened it did not really register on the ears. I assume its either the old struts or some exhaust etc bouncing around or just some inner body panels or something old. I only mention it here incase others have had this issue.

Also today I was looking at getting some rubber driveway curb ramps so hopefully avoid any stress on my vehicle in the future!
Thanks again!