Clunking Noise When Driving Over Bumps? Causes & What to Check

Reviewed by Eric Shepherd, ASE-Certified Technician (and Gemba’s Accidental Social Media Star!).

You're driving over the same speed bumps you encounter every day when suddenly you hear a clunk from underneath your car. You turn down the radio, listen more closely, and there it is again.

Noises when you go over bumps mean there's a good chance something has gone wonky with your steering or suspension system. This could be anything from bad control arm bushings to worn sway bar links, ball joints or strut mounts. It could also be something a little less catastrophic feeling, like the muffler is loose and just going wild hitting things.

The best thing to do to calm your nerves is to figure out where the sound is coming from and when it's happening, as both answers can offer some insight into what's going on.

Why Does My Car Make a Clunking Noise Over Bumps?

Suspension does more than make your daily drive to work more comfortable. It helps keep your vehicle planted on the road and works to offer you predictable handling. When you drive over a pothole, a speed bump, or even some uneven street sections that seem like they are permanently under construction, the suspension works to absorb all the impact and bumps to offer you a smooth ride. Think of a Cadillac driving on clouds. Your bushings work like little cushions between metal components, helping control movement while reducing vibration. Shocks and struts also help control how the suspension responds to various road hazards.

It’s only natural that over time these components will wear out. Rubber bushings can crack and separate, joints can develop some play, and mounting hardware can also loosen over time. If things become loose, worn or damaged, they can allow more movement than intended, causing knocking, clunking or banging sounds.

Before you assume something expensive has failed, pay attention to when the noise happens. Is it coming from the front or the rear? Are you hearing it over big bumps, small bumps or all bumps? Does turning the steering wheel make a difference? Did this start happening after you drove over road debris or hit a curb? All of those answers provide valuable insight into what you’re experiencing.

Common Causes of Clunking Noises Over Bumps

When suspension components become worn or damaged, it can cause some weird noises. Here are some things a technician might look for:

Worn or Loose Sway Bar Links

You know when you're taking a corner, not even going particularly fast, but it feels like your vehicle is leaning way too much because of the body roll? Sway bars help eliminate that feeling and reduce body roll. The sway bar links are what connect the actual sway bar to the other suspension components.

Depending on your vehicle and its design, the links might use ball-and-socket joints or bushings that can wear out over time. If they are loose, it could create a knocking sound. The noise might become noticeable when you’re driving on uneven pavement or when the left- or right-hand wheels are moving differently. But when you hear the clunk over small bumps, it doesn’t automatically mean the sway bar links have gone bad.

Worn Control Arm Bushings

While you’re driving, your suspension is constantly moving – you’re going up a hill, down a hill, on uneven pavement, part of a speedbump in the parking lot. While your suspension is going through the full range of motion, the control arms are working to keep your wheel in the correct position. To help absorb vibrations, many control arms utilize rubber bushings and as those age, they can crack, fall apart, deteriorate, or even separate. So, you could end up hearing a clunk when you’re accelerating or braking or just driving along a bumpy stretch of pavement.

While the bushings are one cause, another could still be the actual control arm itself and if it has sustained any damage from a recent pothole incident or hitting the curb while navigating the Starbucks drive thru.

Worn Ball Joints

On many vehicles, ball joints connect control arms to steering knuckles. Think of it like your hip joint and how your leg can move around in a controlled fashion. The ball joint allows the suspension around it to move as needed while accommodating for steering input. It is a wearable item and as your vehicle ages, or is driven, the ball joint can become loose which can result in a loss of control or clunking noises. It’s also a safety issue and not something you want to ignore.

Worn Strut Mounts or Bearings

On vehicles equipped with struts, the upper strut mounts help secure the assembly to the vehicle while reducing noise and vibration. Some front strut mounts also contain bearings that allow the strut assembly to rotate as you steer. When these mounts or bearings wear out, they can produce clunking, popping or creaking noises, particularly when turning or driving over uneven pavement.

Worn Shocks or Struts

Have you ever seen a car that just looks like it is bouncing around uncontrollably. The tires and everything on the pavement are solid, but the body of the car just rocks back and forth. That’s likely due to the struts or shocks being bad. Shocks and struts help control suspension movement, dampening the amount of movement the body encounters after going over bumps. These components can wear out over time and turn your vehicle into a rocking chair if left unattended. The resulting clunking noises could be from mounting bushings or mechanical problems within the strut or shock, or the body hitting some other component of the car.

Loose or Damaged Suspension Hardware

While it can be easy to assume any noise means something is broken in your suspension, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes the problem can be something simple, like a loose fastener, damaged bracket or something hasn’t been secured properly which will lead to the clinking noises.

When it comes to working on your suspension, those components often have specific tightening requirements and procedures. If you have had suspension work performed recently and notice the noises after it has been worked on it could be related to loose or improperly secured components.

Other Possible Causes

You might be surprised to learn that not every clunk or clank comes from the suspension. Worn steering components, loose brake hardware, exhaust and damaged engine or transmission mounts can also produce similar noises when it bounces up and hits the body of the vehicle. And before you leap to conclusions and assume your engine is ready to bounce right out of the hood, make sure that you don’t have a loose spare tire, jack or some other object that could be bounding around in the trunk.

Front-End vs. Rear-End Clunking Noises

If you can pinpoint if the noise is coming from the rear or the front of the vehicle it can help your technician narrow in on the issue. But sound can travel through the vehicle’s body and its frame so it can be a bit challenging.

Clunking From the Front of the Car

If you’re experiencing clunking that sounds like it is coming from the front of the vehicle, there are a number of possibilities such as the sway bar links, control arm bushings, ball joints, strut mounts or steering linkage components. If you notice any changes in handling, it can also provide some additional clues as to what is really going on.

Clunking From the Rear of the Car

As you navigate over that speed bump and the clank only seems to happen after the rear of your vehicle has crossed over it, it could be the shock mounts, sway bar links or suspension bushings. That said, the rear suspension design can vary significantly from car to truck and from vehicle to vehicle. Some with independent rear suspension systems will be different from other vehicles with solid axles.

Why Does My Car Clunk Over Small Bumps but Not Large Ones?

It seems weird to drive over small bumps and hear all kinds of clunks, but then a larger speed bump wouldn’t produce any, right? But suspension compresses at different rates depending on the situation. So, while small, repeated bumps can cause a lot of suspension movement, a larger bump might compress the suspension more gradually and therefore no noise through the range of travel.

Sometimes to identify what’s going on, a technician will need to drive the vehicle to see if the noise can be reproduced.

What If the Clunking Noise Happens While Turning?

It can be super embarrassing if you’re trying to slowly turn through a parking lot looking for the perfect spot, when you hear all kinds of clunking as you turn the wheel. It can also point towards a variety of different causes like if the fender liner has dropped and your tire is rubbing against the liner or it could be something related to the steering linkage, ball joints, strut mounts, or suspension bushings as the vehicle’s weight shifts around.

Is It Safe to Drive with a Clunking Noise?

Whether it's safe to continue driving depends on what's causing the noise. A loose item in the trunk may be relatively harmless, but worn ball joints, damaged steering components or severely loose suspension hardware can affect your ability to control the vehicle. Even something that sounds minor, such as a fender liner rubbing against a tire, deserves attention because continued contact can damage the tire.

It can be hard to determine how serious the issue is based on the noise alone. But if you experience certain warning signs, it is a good idea to have your vehicle inspected. Watch for things like:

• Sudden changes in steering or difficulty controlling the vehicle.
• Excessive play or looseness in the steering wheel.
• A wheel that appears tilted, displaced or improperly positioned.
• Severe vibration or unpredictable handling.
• A loud clunk following a significant pothole or curb impact.
• Suspected suspension or steering component separation.

If the car otherwise feels fine, the noise might not be an emergency. But if it becomes difficult to control or you think that something just doesn’t feel right, you should have it inspected promptly. The longer you drive or wait in either case, has the potential to turn a relatively easy issue into something more complicated and expensive.

How Do Mechanics Diagnose a Suspension Clunking Noise?

The process to diagnose a suspension noise starts by understanding what’s going on when the noise occurs. It can help narrow down the area of the car to look and the components to examine. When safe, a road test might be needed. But from there the technician should be able to look for excessive play, damaged bushings, worn or loose components or any other visual issues.

How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Clunking Noise Over Bumps?

When it comes to fixing a clunking noise, there isn’t a set price because it depends on what’s causing the clunking. Replacing an inner fender liner will cost a lot different than if the ball joint is ready to give out or you need new control arms, or you need new shocks or struts.

The price will depend on the component that needs to be replaced as well as the labor requirements to address it.

How Arizona Roads Can Affect Suspension Components

Our beautiful state has a lot going on. Construction zones, uneven pavement, speed bumps, road debris, it all gives your vehicle’s suspension a workout, no matter where you are going. Add the heat to the mix and your suspension is working overtime as the heat can help prematurely age the rubber bushings and other components over time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Clunking Noises

Why does my car clunk when I go over bumps?

Clunking noises over bumps can come from worn sway bar links, control arm bushings, ball joints, strut mounts or loose suspension hardware.

Is it safe to drive with a clunking noise?

It depends on the cause. Some noises may be relatively minor, while others indicate steering or suspension problems that affect vehicle control. Instability or severe handling changes require immediate attention.

What does a bad ball joint sound like?

A worn ball joint may produce knocking or clunking noises during suspension movement, but the sound alone cannot confirm ball joint failure.

Can bad struts cause clunking over bumps?

Damaged struts, worn mounts or loose attachments can produce clunking noises. However, poor damping performance and suspension noise are not necessarily the same problem.

Why does my front suspension clunk over small bumps?

Small bumps create repeated suspension movement that may reveal looseness in joints, bushings or mounting hardware.

Can sway bar links cause clunking noises?

Worn sway bar link joints or loose connections can create knocking or clunking sounds as the suspension moves over uneven pavement.

Why does my car clunk when turning and going over bumps?

Steering components, ball joints, strut mounts and suspension bushings are possible causes. The combination of symptoms can help guide diagnosis but doesn't identify a failed part by itself.

How much does it cost to fix a suspension clunk?

Repair costs vary depending on the vehicle and failed component. A professional diagnosis can determine whether the repair involves a sway bar link, control arm, ball joint, strut or another part.

Hearing a Clunk Every Time You Hit a Bump?

A clunking noise doesn't automatically mean your suspension is falling apart, but it does mean something deserves attention. Worn suspension components, loose hardware and steering problems can produce similar sounds, and the noise alone doesn't tell you which part needs repair.

At Gemba Automotive, our ASE-certified technicians inspect steering and suspension components, identify the likely source of unusual noises and explain the repairs your vehicle may need.