Multiple suspension issues - clunks, creaks and pops

[EzekeiL]

Ezekiel. It is the links probably. Read previous posts on this thread.

ya think? hmm, it doesnt seem to have the same symptoms but I guess it could just be me mistranslating. I will have to get it out to a dealer as soon as I can then and see if they will fix it. I wanna lower the car really soon so it would be nice to finish up all these suspension issues before i void my warranty xD

Thanks!

Sorry to hear your having so many issues btw.

 

[Queenpezz]

2012 Sonic - Sway Bar came LOOSE??

I noticed a rattling sound in my car (under the driver seat / front driver wheel area) last Friday... Dealer came and got my car ... when they brought it back.. they said the front Sway Bar came loose...

I don't know about you, but my car has 11,000kms on it.. she's brand new essentially, are things supposed to be coming part yet? I DON'T THINK SO!

I have had 3 recalls on her so far... and I am a little fearful that this one hasn't been one of them...

Anyone else have this issue.. or are you aware of any more that I should have looked at ? I ask because there are no warning lights for things coming LOOSE...

Thanks!
QP

 

[steve333]

Man, my Cobalt has all sorts of suspension and steering issues as many Cobalts do. It sounds like GM is using the same suppliers and if so GM just doesn't learn from the past.

 

[Scott]

My creaking/clunking is back. Had the car worked on in July 2012 and the problem went away for a solid year, but almost like clockwork it came back last month.

The thing is now, the noises are more selective when they come out and vary a lot in prominence. Sometimes it isn't there, sometimes it is extremely loud. Had the car looked at recently and of course it was seen in the morning on a cool day and produced no sounds, so nothing was fixed. The car is a 2012 and still only has 6000 miles on it. My first American car and it's kind of killing my interest in considering another in the future. My other cars never sounded like a flipping school bus, especially when still hardly used with warranty on it, haha.

 

[wr_guy]

Man, my Cobalt has all sorts of suspension and steering issues as many Cobalts do. It sounds like GM is using the same suppliers and if so GM just doesn't learn from the past.

Yeah, but at least the Sonic doesn't seem to have the fabled "Cobalt rattling plastic steering column gear syndrom".

88k miles on a lower control arm is an improvement over the Cobalt.

On the other hand the Cobalt was a very reliable car besides the control arm and steering column.

 

[steve333]

The entire suspension on my Cobalt is a creaking moaning old man

 

[ahtoxa]

I wanted to post an update to this thread, considering that there have been repairs completed some time ago.

Problem 3 was the most serious. Please see first post in the tread for description. It has been remedied by subframe replacement. The problem has not come back in 20k miles.

Issue number 1 still remains open. I've heard the same on another new Sonic as well. It's not gotten worse or better and is prevalent only under certain conditions. I'm chalking it up to the noises the car makes, as unusual as they are.

Problem 2 has been resolved back then as well and hasn't come back.

 

[foxyroxy13]

I’ve had the same issue as ahtoxa. Replaced control arms, sway bar links and inner and outer tie rod ends. The sound continued so I check my struts, leaf springs, rack and pinion and I remove my cv axles to check them. I replaced my front passages side cv axle cause when I replace that side control arm it popped out and One of the boot was not cut but I could tell it was on it’s last leg. I check the transaxle housing and seal to see if the axle shaft was moving around but it was fine. The “clankish poping sound” happens less in colder temps to I believe ahtoxa diagnosis of the elongated horizontal bolt opening/bracket is correct. The control arm is moving, more specifically the horizontal bushing; the one in which the bolt is up in the subframe and the access point of said bolt is a hole in it. I have also backed out all subframe bolts and tightened them again check the sway bar bushing/brackets and tightened then as well as the rack and pinion bolts. The bolt I used for the control arm replacements where new from GM so I am going to remove the control arms and try welding some grade 8 washers to the elongated bracket thing which the horizontal bolt to the control arm goes. I have to go to the farm house as that’s where I can weld but I will let u know if this trick works. Oh and I check the strut tower bushing/bearing and it was fine. I believe GM should have recalled these subframes if the washer weld works.

 

[keenyoung]

Older thread here, but in case anyone needs it, my solution for a sound like creaking bed springs. 105K on my 2012 Sonic. For the last few months it's been making a creaking sound going over small bumps, dips, road inperfections, and under braking or release of braking. All up and down movements. Really annoying. I replaced the end links about 20K ago with Moog ones, so I didn't think it was them.

I first tried spraying down the control arm bushings with WD40 and driving it. That didn't change anything. So then I pulled the cowl cover and sprayed down the tops of the upper strut mounts. I really soaked them down. I got 2 small creaks pulling out of the driveway, and then it went silent. I couldn't hear any creaking at all. Long story short, I replaced the upper strut mounts and now I have a nice quiet suspension again.