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Strange thumping/vibration feedback coming from left strut/suspension area into steering wheel
As I was reading this thread I realized this sounds EXACTLY like the issue my parents had with their brand new, and very expensive, Toyota. I helped them with the purchase. When I first heard and felt the “clunk” I immediately thought it was the transmission. I worried that one day my vulnerable , petite, elderly mom would be driving down the road all alone and that friggin transmission would drop out. Naturally I would feel responsible so I kept following up. I questioned mom about that “clunk” many times. She blamed my dad for having the transmission fluid changed shortly after they bought it. Dad was extremely diligent when it came to his vehicles and especially diligent when it came to the one my mom drove (they have both since passed away).
I’ll cut to the chase. That car always had that clunk. That is until a few months ago. I inherited my parents 2005, Sierra XLE Limited van that now has about 140,000 miles on it. That clunk never caused a problem, other than making me extremely nervous. Due to the high miles, a few months I spent a couple thousand dollars on recommended repairs and maintenance. Unbelievable, but there is no clunk now. I lived with that friggin clunk making me nervous for 20 years!
The mechanic who I consider a friend and very trustworthy said he noticed a little fluid and suggested I bite the bullet and spend the money. Give me a second and I’ll go out to the van and get the invoice with the precise information. I have every piece of information, from the original sticker, recalls, and all maintenance performed for the past 20 years. I need to take a pic of the invoice and remove my identifying info. I’ll post the pic as a reply to my post. I hope it will help someone out there. If not you, someone else.
I’ll cut to the chase. That car always had that clunk. That is until a few months ago. I inherited my parents 2005, Sierra XLE Limited van that now has about 140,000 miles on it. That clunk never caused a problem, other than making me extremely nervous. Due to the high miles, a few months I spent a couple thousand dollars on recommended repairs and maintenance. Unbelievable, but there is no clunk now. I lived with that friggin clunk making me nervous for 20 years!
The mechanic who I consider a friend and very trustworthy said he noticed a little fluid and suggested I bite the bullet and spend the money. Give me a second and I’ll go out to the van and get the invoice with the precise information. I have every piece of information, from the original sticker, recalls, and all maintenance performed for the past 20 years. I need to take a pic of the invoice and remove my identifying info. I’ll post the pic as a reply to my post. I hope it will help someone out there. If not you, someone else.
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- Everest 2025 4Runner ORP Hybrid
The issue is with the steering shaft on the 4Runner. Nothing to do with the issue on your 2005 Sienna.
I have no idea why this was related to the clump noise, or why I could first hear and feel it as a passenger in a new car. Obviously I’m not a mechanic, that isn’t my field of expertise.
It was consistent for 20 years and now it’s gone. Go figure? Without fail, while accelerating to get on the freeway I could hear and feel a very noticeable clump, both as my mom’s passenger and now as the driver. I learned to drive in a Pinto with a stick shift on S. CA freeways at 15 years old. As a former driver of a manual stick shift it appeared to consistently happen when shifting into 3rd. It didn’t happen at any other time. I wasn’t the driver when I first noticed it so if someone had told me it was related to steering I would have assumed they had been smoking way too much weed.
As I said I can’t begin to understand why, but I do know my cars; the sounds they make, how they feel, how they handle at any speed, that includes 140 mph, and I notice when something is a little off. I also notice when something suddenly disappears after 20 yrs. Maybe the mechanical experts can figure it out. I wouldn’t typically relate a story on a subject I don’t have solid knowledge of, such as a mechanical problem but I had a very strong feeling the information may help someone.
It was consistent for 20 years and now it’s gone. Go figure? Without fail, while accelerating to get on the freeway I could hear and feel a very noticeable clump, both as my mom’s passenger and now as the driver. I learned to drive in a Pinto with a stick shift on S. CA freeways at 15 years old. As a former driver of a manual stick shift it appeared to consistently happen when shifting into 3rd. It didn’t happen at any other time. I wasn’t the driver when I first noticed it so if someone had told me it was related to steering I would have assumed they had been smoking way too much weed.
As I said I can’t begin to understand why, but I do know my cars; the sounds they make, how they feel, how they handle at any speed, that includes 140 mph, and I notice when something is a little off. I also notice when something suddenly disappears after 20 yrs. Maybe the mechanical experts can figure it out. I wouldn’t typically relate a story on a subject I don’t have solid knowledge of, such as a mechanical problem but I had a very strong feeling the information may help someone.
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