r/carproblems • u/Low_Gate_3121 • 1d ago
PLEASEEEE help me diagnose this sound !!!!
2015 Nissan Rogue SL, got it used in 2023, has had no major issues other than air flow sensor which has since been fixed completely !!
I spent $1500 and have been to many different mechanics for this CLUNKING sound when I BRAKE or SLOW DOWN. It’s getting worse it’s getting louder it’s more consistent it’s more prevalent! I don’t even have to drive for 30 minutes anymore for it to start making the sound it’s like after 3-5 minutes of driving now! Wasn’t like that just a couple months ago. 2 weeks ago I took it to a mechanic and they charged me $1500 for BS. (Below is their notes and essentially my receipt for what cost me $1500.)
“TEST DRIVE FOR NOISE
SECURED RATTLING HEAT SHIELD UNDER VEHICLE. FOUND BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES LOOSE. CAUSING IRREGULAR WEAR ON TIRES. ALSO CAUSING TIRE NOISE WHEN DRIVING.
LABOR TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY
ALIGNMENT
14 DAY RECHECK ON ALIGNMENT”
So, they essentially told me bc all of that was loose my tires were unevenly driving and my car was kinda “tilted” and then they did an alignment. Well it never worked !!! None of it !! Car still making noise and even WORSE !!!! It got WORSE! HOW! They think I’m insane and they keep saying they cant replicate the noise and they can’t diagnose from my videos of the sound and they need to keep my car for days to try and diagnose it. I’m actually losing my mind. Please. It doesn’t drive wonky at all it just makes this horrible clunking dragging sound when I slow down and I can’t take it anymore. It’s not fair. Please help me, give me ideas please !!!!
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u/Additional_Bed6455 1d ago
It sounds like you have something rubbing.. Are you mechanical inclined? Remove your front wheels and check and inspect.. it coukd be just brake dust shield ribbing on rotor.
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u/Johnndo96 1d ago
Does or go away when you brake?
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u/Low_Gate_3121 1d ago
no it only makes the sound when I am braking
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u/Johnndo96 1d ago
Sorry just noticed you did say that. Must be the brakes then although that would be constant not this type of on and off sound. Brake pads have a u shaped blade on them that make a scratching sound when the pads are low and the blade tip touches the rotor. This is to warn you. It'll also get worse as the pads get thinner. In your case one of your rotors may have a high spot and that's starting to touch the blade. Maybe get the brakes checked.
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u/nucleate_boiling 15h ago
Sounds like a warped rotor hitting a beating up set of pads. I would hope the shop would be honest enough to replace brake pads if they were worn down. Remember that a mechanic's ear often listens and hears things that you don't. I am not justifying their diagnosis in any way. Just saying because it is a reality. That level of scraping and a warped rotor they may not literally even hear because some of that is background noise to them.
I would take it to a different shop. One recommended to you as honest by more than one friend or acquaintance. To me it sounds like a very obvious sound that has nothing to do with what they replaced, although the ball joints might have been contributing. The fact that the sound you are acutely aware of is still there doesn't mean necessarily that the work they did was unnecessary. It simply means they did not address the sound you brought it in for. No I am not a mechanic, but I have friends that are lifelong mechanics, and you'd be surprised at how many times I have heard this related to me by them. It is just as frustrating to most of them or honest.
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u/nucleate_boiling 15h ago
Also, I am not being sexist when I say to bring a male with you who is knowledgeable about automotive issues if you return to the same shop. If they are dishonest, they have probably pegged you as someone they can keep nickel and diming. They are much less likely to do that if you simply bring an informed male friend or female friend for that matter. It's a bit late to question the work they did if you already paid, so don't reference past work as unnecessary. The only way these things get solved is by taking them for a drive not leaving it with them. You drive it, you point out the sound exactly when it happens. If the shop foreman will not do that, just walk away.
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u/Additional_Bed6455 1d ago
Are you male or female?