Clunking, Squeaking Suspension

[Frances' Dad]

For those of you who haven't seen this it's worth a read: http://www.vwgolfmk7problems.uk/

My car only has 20K miles on it but the rear suspension sounds as if it is trying to separate from the rest of the car. It not only detracts from the perceived quality of the car, but it's irritating as hell. I've been doing some research and have seen a possible fix, but I'm waiting for the dealership test ride and what they're going to do about it (I expect it to be a drawn-out affair).

My question is this: Has anyone else experienced this and reported it to their dealership and if so was there any resolution? I was surprised to see that there was no chatter on it here.

 

[VWGALT]

For those of you who haven't seen this it's worth a read: http://www.vwgolfmk7problems.uk/

My car only has 20K miles on it but the rear suspension sounds as if it is trying to separate from the rest of the car. It not only detracts from the perceived quality of the car, but it's irritating as hell. I've been doing some research and have seen a possible fix, but I'm waiting for the dealership test ride and what they're going to do about it (I expect it to be a drawn-out affair).

My question is this: Has anyone else experienced this and reported it to their dealership and if so was there any resolution? I was surprised to see that there was no chatter on it here.

I don't have this issue (no issues in the 1300 miles I have on it so far). The car sounds solid, drives well and hopefully will continue to be that way. The OP of the link you provided cleared it all up with some new Bilstein's (he also has a regular Golf, not an AT), but that isn't an option (yet) for the AT. Folks have been doing various suspension mods, but there is nothing official from Bilstein for the AT.

 

[Sailby2]

I have a significant noise coming from the front end. It occurs at slow speeds and sounds like either a suspension, braking, or steering issue. I thought I'd isolated it as a suspension noise but after trying to diagnose it myself, I've gotten to the point that I just want the darn thing fixed. I've recorded the sound so it's bad enough to be picked up on a cell phone recording. The noise is best described as a clunk when traversing a bump and more of a squeak when just driving down the road under 15 MPH. Really, really annoying and the dealer so far has been of no help. The first visit to the dealer had the mechanic telling me it would "wear in" and go away! I'm actually going back to the dealer in about an hour to give them another chance to fix this and other problems before I switch dealers.

 

[WolfsburgAlltrack]

I think I know exactly what you're talking about and I've been trying to figure out as well. When I was doing my tire rotation, I tried to see if i could find anything but to no avail. I've avoided taking it to the dealer because I figured they would have told me what they told you... Or getting a new noise. Would love to know if they find anything on your car. Then I may take mine to the dealer to get looked at

 

[Sailby2]

Well..... Would love to tell you that everything was fixed and I'm exceedingly happy but that's not the case.

I was told last week by the service manager that she wanted her "master technician" to look at my problems. I took it in today and will never go back to this dealership ever. I am working with VWExperience to get some competent help with the problems. Here's the gist of my "experience" with the master:

1) I first pointed out the water stains on the rear headliner resulting from our sunroof leaking. His diagnosis is that “these roofs always leak in the front and unless I had parked the car on incline. After he said that, we told him that the car had been parked outside, level to ground and not driven for 1 month. No further comment but did finally admit that it was leaking.
2) I took the master mechanic on a brief ride and reproduced the sounds coming from the front driver’s side suspension. The mechanic at first said he could not hear the noise and remarked 2 things: that I must have really sensitive hearing, and that most people wouldn’t hear the noise if they had the AC and radio on. Once he did acknowledge that he could hear the noise, he said it was nothing more than the A arm bushing being compressed by going over bumps. I told him that the noise only emanates from one side and if it were truly a result of negotiating bumps and the resulting suspension noise it would not be isolated to one wheel. Frankly, he continued to deny that there could be anything wrong and made it sound as if I was being too finicky. He said the only thing they could do is check the suspension components and try to replicate the sound by compressing the suspension. Last comment was that the suspension needed to wear in and the sounds might disappear by 10K miles. I've heard that one at this dealership already. I got the distinct impression that he really wasn't interested in solving the problem at all.
3) Lastly, we started to point out the automatic AC and non-functional control of the Rear AC vents. After I explained what the problem was, the master mechanic’s comment was “I wish they wouldn’t call these AC systems automatic because they aren’t.” My issue is when we turn up the temperature in the car, the rear vents will not produce anything but cold air. We first found out about this when we had passengers in the back on a very cold day that kept telling us the vents were blowing nothing but cold air. We ended up giving them a blanket to keep them from freezing in a 4 month old car! The master mechanic's diagnosis was they do not put out hot air in the rear, only the front ones do and the air mixes between the two zones. Really?

I’ve had enough of this dealership’s buffoonery. At this point, VWExperience has to intervene and get my car looked at by competent, caring professionals. Anyone interested in buying a low mileage 2017 Alltrack with a few problems????

 

[VWGALT]

Well..... Would love to tell you that everything was fixed and I'm exceedingly happy but that's not the case.

I was told last week by the service manager that she wanted her "master technician" to look at my problems. I took it in today and will never go back to this dealership ever. I am working with VWExperience to get some competent help with the problems. Here's the gist of my "experience" with the master:

1) I first pointed out the water stains on the rear headliner resulting from our sunroof leaking. His diagnosis is that ?these roofs always leak in the front and unless I had parked the car on incline. After he said that, we told him that the car had been parked outside, level to ground and not driven for 1 month. No further comment but did finally admit that it was leaking.
2) I took the master mechanic on a brief ride and reproduced the sounds coming from the front driver?s side suspension. The mechanic at first said he could not hear the noise and remarked 2 things: that I must have really sensitive hearing, and that most people wouldn?t hear the noise if they had the AC and radio on. Once he did acknowledge that he could hear the noise, he said it was nothing more than the A arm bushing being compressed by going over bumps. I told him that the noise only emanates from one side and if it were truly a result of negotiating bumps and the resulting suspension noise it would not be isolated to one wheel. Frankly, he continued to deny that there could be anything wrong and made it sound as if I was being too finicky. He said the only thing they could do is check the suspension components and try to replicate the sound by compressing the suspension. Last comment was that the suspension needed to wear in and the sounds might disappear by 10K miles. I've heard that one at this dealership already. I got the distinct impression that he really wasn't interested in solving the problem at all.
3) Lastly, we started to point out the automatic AC and non-functional control of the Rear AC vents. After I explained what the problem was, the master mechanic?s comment was ?I wish they wouldn?t call these AC systems automatic because they aren?t.? My issue is when we turn up the temperature in the car, the rear vents will not produce anything but cold air. We first found out about this when we had passengers in the back on a very cold day that kept telling us the vents were blowing nothing but cold air. We ended up giving them a blanket to keep them from freezing in a 4 month old car! The master mechanic's diagnosis was they do not put out hot air in the rear, only the front ones do and the air mixes between the two zones. Really?

I?ve had enough of this dealership?s buffoonery. At this point, VWExperience has to intervene and get my car looked at by competent, caring professionals. Anyone interested in buying a low mileage 2017 Alltrack with a few problems????

Good grief...I would've never gone back to a dealer that treated a customer so poorly. They obviously don't want to help you. Give em' the boot and find a better shop. I've been getting my VWs serviced every 5k at the same dealer for 17 years. They always take care of me and usually will point out certain items and when things are due for service, and they are honest to a fault (even telling me of some things that are better done and specialty shops). Drop off your car to a reputable shop and even have one of the techs drive it home if needs be, and make them give you a loaner car or pay for a rental.

I had a truck that had some front wheel bearings going bad and I could hear it because I've driven it everyday for 100K miles, but the dealer said they could only hear tires/exhaust. I took it to another shop I trust and they could hear it straight away. I eventually sold the truck, but just like a doctor, it's good to get a second or third opinion. Good luck and let us know what they find. To me it sounds like a bad strut bearing or something in the suspension linkage gone bad or is loose. If you push up/down on the corners of the car while it's stationary, do you hear it or only when it's moving?

Good luck!

 

[tishpit]

Sailby2... I too have a noise coming from the front suspension. It appears to be mostly from the driver's side and occurs when driving on a any road imperfections, when turning, and over bumps. Mine sounds more like a rattling noise and sometimes at higher speeds I also feel a slight vibration in the steering wheel and sound like a stone in the tire. The tires checked out fine. I took it to the nearest VW dealer and after a few hours was told by the technician that it was the dirt shield inside the fender that came loose. He said he tightened it, but could still hear the noise a bit, but was the best he could do. Insisted the suspension was fine. I left and after driving around, the sound is no better. I plan to take it to a different VW dealer (where I purchased the car) and see if they can do something to remedy this, though it's an hour's drive. It is very annoying and sounds like the car is more like 10 years old than only a few months with under 4,000 miles on it. Also want to mention that the GPS system is the worst I've ever had on any car ever! Can't seem to locate much of anything, gives erroneous directions taking you from point A to B by way of X,Y,Z. The Bluetooth for phone also sucks; having to keep repeating or choosing names from the directory by numbered list and waiting for that blasted circle to turn red before you can speak! My 2010 Ford Escape with 146,000 miles on it and the old Ford Sync system was quieter and the electronics worked better. If not for needing a lower car so my 98-year-old mother could get in and out, I'd still be driving the Ford. The VW has an elegant interior and "feels" upscale, but in reality, I am not pleased so far with these issues in a brand new car.

 

[Sailby2]

Tishpit, I'm heading to another dealership this week as the first one was of no help at all. Your description of the noise is pretty close to the way I described it and the first dealership just pushed it off on my being too picky. Even told me to just turn up the AC and radio and I wouldn't hear it. The master mechanic that rode with me to identify the sound said "you have really sensitive hearing." I would highly recommend that you open up a complaint with VWExperience/customer care for the suspension noise before going much further. We have to document these for them to ever be encouraged to truly identify the problem and subsequent fix. I hope it's not something that could ultimately result in loss of control and a potential accident.

 

[VWGALT]

Tishpit, I'm heading to another dealership this week as the first one was of no help at all. Your description of the noise is pretty close to the way I described it and the first dealership just pushed it off on my being too picky. Even told me to just turn up the AC and radio and I wouldn't hear it. The master mechanic that rode with me to identify the sound said "you have really sensitive hearing." I would highly recommend that you open up a complaint with VWExperience/customer care for the suspension noise before going much further. We have to document these for them to ever be encouraged to truly identify the problem and subsequent fix. I hope it's not something that could ultimately result in loss of control and a potential accident.

After a search on Vortex, most possible culprits:

• bad strut mount and bearing
• Steering rack (entire rack was replaced on one customer's car)
• Loose steering module (wasn't screwed down properly and was sqeaking)

It seems QC at VW where these are assembled is hit/miss. Continue to push VWOA, and let them know that if you keep taking it and they can't repair it properly, you'll be pursuing additional options (Lemon Law). If you can't get traction, go back to the person that sold you the car and tell them to keep it until they diagnose it and properly repair it. I had a tech drive one of my cars for 3 days before they finally figured out the issue. Persistence is the key.

 

[Golfer11]

I had this same exact issue from the left-front of my 2017 SE which started at about 5,000 miles. The sound was intermittent and could only be heard at low speeds (15 mph or under). It was a low growling sound and thankfully I was able to capture a few audio recordings of the noise.

I had the sound investigated at my local dealership and it took a lot of persistence with three rides in the car for them to replicate the noise. After pinpointing the sound with a stethoscope (yes, like a Doctor!), they ended up finding a faulty upper strut mount bearing. They replaced the upper strut mount bearing under warranty, and I haven't heard the sound since.

 

[Sailby2]

Wow,

Thanks for writing this! Gives me hope that I can get this problem fixed and move on. I am going to another dealer TUE next week that was scheduled by VWoA so your experience is very timely.

Regards,

 

[VWGALT]

Is this a part quality issue and/or a design flaw? I've been seeing this more and more on the GSW/AT on this and other forums, but haven't ever seen this issue before on brand new cars. Maybe a TSB will be in the works at some point.

 

[KrAlltrack]

My Alltrack currently has 9600 miles and it has been back to the dealer 6 times for noise coming from the driver front suspension. A whooing, bearing like noise when turning the wheel at low speeds in parking lots and occasional clanking noise when going over bumps. They changed the strut mount twice and greased it the other few visits saying it needed time to settle. The problem went away for about 3 weeks and then came back. More recently they changed the entire strut and kept the same mount due to it not showing signs of unusual wear. The dealership technician said they ordered the strut according to VIN # and VW sent them a different strut from what was on my car. Apparently its an issue and there seems to be an updated strut part #. So far no noises yet. Ill be returning in a week to have my passenger side replaced with the updated design.

 

[moreles]

Another one here in Australia with the strange suspension noises. It's funny how we all experience something slightly different. But definitely only at slow speeds. My Alltrack has
15,000 miles and it hasn't got better or worse. The only thing I notice is that when I wash the car and hose under the wheel wells, it improves for a few days, as though dirt is a factor.
1st service the dealer said said they couldn't replicate the noise, surprise, surprise.

 

[Sailby2]

My car is in the shop right now for this and 2 other issues. Clearly, this seems to be a design/manufacturing flaw and you'd think VW would be issuing a worldwide service campaign to fix it.

 

[KrAlltrack]

Quick update: The dealership just changed my passenger side strut. This was just after changing the drivers side. Unfortunately the noise came back although not as bad as before. Rather then throw more parts at the car, theyll will be opening a special case with VW tech support and will be contacting me with further details.

 

[ncktdy]

I have a squeaking or rubbing noise in the left hand side of my 2017 vw alltrack. I bought the car new in December 2017 and started complaining in March 2018. Have been back to the dealership 210kms return at least 6 six times. On July 9 I was told that it was the bushes in the suspension. The were oiled. The noise abated for a few days. Now it's back. Is the same issue?

 

[KrAlltrack]

Yep, sounds similar. Noise coming from the left hand front. The noise you described happens to me when going over speed bumps. Along with that Ive got the rubing bearing noise when turning the steering wheel while parked or at low speeds.

 

[ncktdy]

clunking squeaking suspension

Yep, sounds similar. Noise coming from the left hand front. The noise you described happens to me when going over speed bumps. Along with that Ive got the rubing bearing noise when turning the steering wheel while parked or at low speeds.

I am going to my dealer today together with your information and my issue. Shall post what happens. Thank you very much for your response

 

[bpundit]

Had the same issue with my 2017 Alltrack - chirpy/creaky noise at low speed and rattle/clank over successive bumps at higher speeds. I visited dealer several times and they first blamed it on stuff in the car, to saying it was "normal" for the model to finally acknowledging the issue and fixing it. Ended up replacing strut mount and bearing on passenger side, and the issue is gone (for now). I sent them the links below (some good info and ammo for the dealer): I can also post my receipt if anyone wants to see it. Does seem like a model issue. I remained polite but kept on em.

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9020233-Front-Suspension-Chirping-Noisy&p=110956089
https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9029969-My-New-Alltrack-Issues
https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?8840778-Creaking-sound-from-front-suspension