Metallic clunking from the suspension on both sides of the car

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Brett., Jun 29, 2012.

  1. Brett.

    Brett. Junior Member

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    Every bump, slow or fast from left or right side of the car there is an obvious metallic clunk or rattling sound.

    Anybody with a Gen 3 have problems with premature suspension failures? My car is OEM stock, no mods, no added weight, etc.
     
  2. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    Food for thought, when I added my middle 4 bolt brace I noticed it was easy to unscrew/remove the 4 bolts.

    Check all visible bolts to see they are snug and tight under the car.

    my2cents.
     
  3. nwprius

    nwprius Member

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    Had that sound until I discovered the back seat backs not secured. Had to slam them hard to lock. Do not have the sound anymore.
     
  4. 50324prius

    50324prius Junior Member

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    Have that same thing from the front of my car. I can hear it better with the windows open. The car is going in next week to dealer. Will keep you posted.
     
  5. Brett.

    Brett. Junior Member

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    Thanks gang, I'm not sure if my noise is front / rear or both but when I rolled through the taco bell drive through last night at less than 1 mph, the clunking still happened I figured I better find out fast what is loose before it gets worse. I'll check the rear seats also because I often do put them down for cargo space. I work 12 hrs the next 2 days so I won't have time to look but if I figure anything out on my break I'll post.
     
  6. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Have the Dealer check the Calipers and brake hardware. Drive over lane "DOTS" and/or known repeatable terrain. Request a Mechanic ride along to save time and frustration.
     
  7. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Had a 97 camry with klunks in the front... had a shop completely replace the struts and tighten everything else. Made no difference. Checked the brakes, nothing. Traded the car in for the Prius. lol
     
  8. zebelkhan

    zebelkhan Member in good standing

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    When going over bumps and window open i can hear a metallic sound similar to the rattling noise from a loose backing plate. I plan to have it checked out at 10k service coming up soon.
     
  9. jjPrius

    jjPrius Junior Member

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    My bet is on the front brake pads / shims rattling in the bracket. There is a TSB for the Front Brake Rattle that your dealer may perform that will (hopefully) quiet the noise. When I did the 40k service on my 2011, I disassembled and cleaned the pads and hardware all around and reassembled with dedicated Toyota "Rubber Grease" for the rubber-bushed sliding pins and Toyota "Disc Brake Grease" for the shims and ears on the pads. The brakes have been silent since. I was experiencing a metallic rattle while driving over reflectors from the front and a "pop" noise when applying the brakes while in reverse from the rear.

    Jeff
     
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  10. zebelkhan

    zebelkhan Member in good standing

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    That makes sense. Thanks for the info.
     
  11. 50324prius

    50324prius Junior Member

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    Three days of checking out the noise and it is returned with the same noise. I do not know if they even drove it with the windows open or not.
    Same noise, still no clue as to what is causing it. I am going to take it to another dealer and have them drive it.
     
  12. Brett.

    Brett. Junior Member

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    I can't find the sound either, but it's a pretty good clunk, so I'll check the brake shims to be sure thanks for the tip
     
  13. Fore

    Fore Don't look back!

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    Took mine in for the 15,000 mile service and also to have them check the same situation when going over small bumps or highway dividers. Took the mechanic for a ride and he said he could hear it, also told him there's a TSB on it. Apparently there’s no solution for this problem because they told me everything checked out, breaks, calipers etc., he said he tighten up everything he could find. I don't hear it as much on the right side tho, but still hear it on every bump on the left side. No big deal I didn't buy this car for luxury or comfort, just the best mileage I can get from point A to point B and back again.
     
  14. Brett.

    Brett. Junior Member

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    /\/\ that's what I was thinking when I first noticed it, I kinda laughed and thought to myself, all my other cars were much louder than this so a little unsolved mystery rattling is still acceptable as long as it isn't a safety concern. The whole interior rattles too lol.
     
  15. wick1ert

    wick1ert Senior Member

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    I had a knocking sound, and according to my dealer it's the spoiler mounting wearing inside the hatch. I originally thought it was outside the car, then towards the hatch. Supposedly they adjusted something, but the knock is still there. I was 2 days past warranty when they finally figure out what it was, so I'm waiting to see if Toyota will cover it since I had the car in 2 weeks before that for the issue and they couldn't find it.

    Did you check where the hatch closes and those stoppers come together? Try putting a cloth in there and see if it helps. Otherwise, you may want to also check your spoiler and make sure it's tight, too.
     
  16. Fore

    Fore Don't look back!

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    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This is not a knocking sound it’s more like a loose rattle that only happens when you quickly go over a large crack in the road, highway divider or railroad crossings. It’s definitely coming from the front wheels, and it’s obviously in the front braking system that they can’t replicate sitting standstill in a shop. Something is allowing the calipers, pads or whatever to shift while going over a bump or highway divider.
     
  17. 2010CTPrius

    2010CTPrius New Member

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    I just took my CPO, 2010 prius into the dealer yesterday for an oil change with 18,000 miles on it. I have experienced the same noise and called in advance with the Toyota Brake Fix TSBs. They researched them and had a pile of paper ready for my appointment. They took the car out and actually recreated the noise many times but, ultimately, after checking the brakes, told me that the issue is the rear suspension. They claim that Toyota has told them on quick, abrupt bumps the suspension has some kind of air release and makes this noise. It is normal operation according to Toyota of America. I find it kind of odd but in a way it makes sense because the noise doesn't happen on large bumps, just small, manhole coverish bumps. Anyways, I was impressed they did their homework. At the end of the day I took out the 100,000 mile Platinum warranty when I bought the car and it is good until 2016 so if something goes bad I'll just have it replaced F.O.C.

    Have them check your rear suspension. I think that is your culprit.
     
  18. tach18k

    tach18k Member

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    Loose wheel covers, mine clatter when I drive over the reflectors in the street
     
  19. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    The caliper brackets have a green coating on them. If you remove a caliper, you can see a shiny spot where the caliper wore through the green and hits the bracket. That's your clacking. I put some grease on the spot to see and the noise stopped until the caliper started hitting again.
     
  20. SimiPrius

    SimiPrius Member

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    Interesting....I have a 2012 PIP and have noticed the same thing. I typically drive with the windows down in the early morning. When you go over a slight iregularity in the road, there is a loose rattle coming from the front wheels. When I hit 5K I am going to take it in and have them look at it.