Soft thumps when coming to a halt: first problem in 50k miles

Some questions:

1) At what speed do you hear the thump?

2) Does it happen with both hard and soft braking?

3) How about coasting to a stop?

4) Do you get the thump if you switch to N and then brake to a stop?

Tom

 

Since it happens at low speed, it is probably a friction brake issue. The sound coming from the back suggests the drum brakes. I would look at the adjuster assemblies in the rear drum brakes. I imagine the brake shoes are shifting.

Tom

 

I would hope the dealer's not just blowing you off. Since you have the extended warranty, I would insist on them digging deeper until they find the problem. If they're able to replicate it, they should be able to fix it, IMHO.

 

First thing I thought of was a bad front strut as I had the same problem on another car but you seem sure its in the back. Try this dopey test. Maybe get someone to drive the car and you standing there at a quiet place have them come to a stop right next to you. That way you can at least make sure its really out back. If out back not much there. Brakes...bearing..shock. Maybe lightly lubricate the brake shoe pivot points and the self adjuster mech. with some grease. I'd throw a new set of high quality shocks out back as a start if it turns into a real head scratcher. Or at least take that side shock off and test it for proper compression. Good luck.

 

I've had that problem for a year + now, and went through all
kinds of diagnostic hell trying to find it. It's definitely
in the back, definitely only happens when you come out of
regen braking onto the physical binders, and often *doesn't*
happen when you're trying to force physical braking in both
directions by scooting back and forth, moving to Neutral, and
stopping. I've had the car up in the air, with the suspension
both weighted and not weighted, pounded on everything with a
rubber mallet trying to find something lose, and I'll be buggr'd
if I could ever find the problem. I wouldn't rule out struts
or bushings or whatever, but so far there's been nothing
obvious that I could find even with the number of times I've
been all over the brakes in the past.
.
Lately, or at least over the winter, it seems to have diminished,
so it may be temperature related. Since I mostly hear it through
the body of the car, that's not due to windows being closed
or open.
.
Just last night I was driving someone else's '05 briefly, and
heard a hint of the same thing going on.
.
This is, in fact, what gave rise to a minor addition to one of
the training slides to try and get the reader thinking about
diagnosing hybrid braking systems the right way --
.
_ Customer: I hear a klunk when I'm braking.
_ Tech: during regen or physical?
_ Customer: Huh?
.
_H*

 

I had this problem with my 2007 since it was new. The symptoms occurred as the car went from about 5 mph down to zero. Thump, thump, thump. Recently I upgraded my Integrity tires for Triple Treads and the problem went away. Don't know what was causing the problem. Maybe the Spare was loose.