nypatrick

Recently I have been hearing a "clunk" or "click" at the left rear. I can sometimes achieve the noise by rocking the car ('02 WRX) at the left rear. The first dealer visit found 0.0. Next time, a week later, the service writer and the 1st tech both heard the noise. A new strut and mount were installed. It still makes the same noise. I then took the car to a neighbor's auto shop (where I have had other cars serviced for years) and he found the left brake caliper to be the culprit, and advised me to get back to the dealer, as the car is still warranted. Has anyone else had a like problem? Is there any danger involved? Should the right rear caliper also be replaced?

I will appreciate your thoughts.

Lorry

If the caliper is at fault, then you should probably have the other one checked over as well. Does the clunk happen while you are rolling, cornering, or just when you are doing any sort of braking?

My car makes a 'clock' noise from all of the brakes if you reverse, brake hard, drive forward and then hit the brakes. It did it with the original calipers/pads and it still does it with new pads. I've always assumed that this is just fractional slop of the pads in the pad holder (whatever it is called). My ex-housemate's Corolla used to do it as well. It only does it on forward/reverse transitions.

nypatrick

Thanks for the suggestions. I have e-mailed the dealer with a detailed "how to" find the noise. It happens, and is best heard, at low speeds. Just 1/2 hour ago, as I started to roll out of my driveway, I heard it. It did it several more times as I began to go forward. It happens over light bumps. If the caliper is engaged, by putting on a bit of brake pressure, nothing is heard. I am about to call the dealer, again. I am getting p/o about the amount of time this is taking.

BigC

Check the rear sway bar bolts and make sure their tight at the links. I replaced the RSB in our Forester with a 17mm and about a month later this evil clunk developed whenever the suspension was taxed... Like backing out of our driveway.. :\

lateapex

I have an '02 WRX with a rubbing sound that comes from the left rear during right-hand turns. The car has 80k but has never been hit. It sounds like a tire rub or a drive shaft rubbing on something, but I can't find any sign of ware on any of the components.

Tire ware is the same on both sides and gas mileage seems to be the same so I don't think the rear has shifted.

The other thought I had is that it is the brake shoes inside the left rotor, I'll adjust the hand brake and let you know.

nypatrick

But wait! There's more! I have now been back to the dealer 4x with the "clunk" in the left rear. After a stern letter to SOA I met with a regional service rep. He placed mikes at various points in the left rear and he, too, heard the noise. Neither he nor a tech in the shop could locate the noise (after about and hour with me driving around, etc.). I now have another appointment with him next week to try again. Stay Tuned!

scarface

iTrader: (3)

Hey i had this exact same problem with my 05 sti six months after i bought it. I went through a lot of sh#t with it and finally figured out that it was the left rear strut. I had the dealer replace it and it went away. I did another post on it in this forum. Check it out.

nypatrick

I guess this belongs in the Ripley Believe it or Not folder: My left rear cluncky noise was fixed yesterday, after a second session with a Subaru Regional Service Manager (a very nice and knowledgeable guy) who, with a tech.....are you sitting down...found the noise in the RIGHT REAR seat back! It seems something simply needed tightening. When the seat back was folded down- no noise. Put the seat back up again- same old noise. He and I and the tech took turns trying to make the noise come and go, and we all did it, independently.

Who knew?

Thanks for the reply! ps: I had the left rear strut replace earlier but that did not fix it.

yzercyber

Oh, man... who would have thought it was that? Thanks for following up on this saga because there's nothing worse than wondering what's going on in these "baffling problem" threads and then never find out what it was. Glad it worked out so well!

henryleeatwork

Wiithin six month after I bought my Sti 2005 I had to replace all rear srut mounts in order to remove the noise. Recently, my left rear strut mount broke. I parked my car uphill and I drove backwards down the hill out of my praking space and there must been some pressure on the strut mount and it broke.

So Istarted doing some research because I have no problem with other parts except the rear strut mounts and I found these links

http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/p...oducts_id=5087

https://www.i-club.com/forums/suspension-handling-brakes-195/04-sti-strut-mount-noise-issues-chapter-one-82974/

They all talk about weak strut mount. Not sure why this is so. Can anyone confirm or relate to this experience I would appreciate it. Right now I put formal complaint to Subaru CUstomer Service and working on this and any input would be a great help.

Thanks in advance...

nypatrick

Sorry that you have had such trouble! Mine turned out to be simply a loose "something" in the back seat, which was cured when the tech took the seat out of the car (02 WRX wagon) and put it back together again. Weird! In the meantime, one strut was replaced (LR) but the problem stayed on. When the passenger rear seat back was folded down, the noise stopped. Upright, the noise happened! It took 5 visits to the dealer over two months, two times with the Subaru Regional Service Manager, before it was fixed. I have no idea how much $$$ that cost, as my car was still warranted.
Good luck on your woes!

nypatrick

Sorry that you have had such trouble! Mine turned out to be simply a loose "something" in the back seat, which was cured when the tech took the seat out of the car (02 WRX wagon) and put it back together again. Weird! In the meantime, one strut was replaced (LR) but the problem stayed on. When the passenger rear seat back was folded down, the noise stopped. Upright, the noise happened! It took 5 visits to the dealer over two months, two times with the Subaru Regional Service Manager, before it was fixed. I have no idea how much $$$ that cost, as my car was still warranted.
Good luck on your woes!