BradTank

My Lexus has around 78K miles, have a clanking/rattling noise from the front driver's side. The sound comes and goes, I think it's partly based on temperature. Kind of a metal, rattling-type noise. Not really a squeak or clunk.

I'm about 90% sure it's the front strut mounts, when I open the hood and and bounce the car, it seems to be coming from that area. I though maybe some plastic trim was loose because the noise was clearly up high towards the hood opening (noise almost sounds like it's coming from inside the dash) but everything seems buttoned down. The struts themselves seem to be fine, no leaks and the motion and handling seem smooth and controlled.

I've owned like 5 Lexus, some with close to 200k miles. First time I'e ever had issues with the factory strut mounts.
Sort of surprised, curious if anyone else has had this issue?

Also, any luck with aftermarket strut mounts? Usually I go OEM for most things Lexus, but the factory ones are almost triple the price and I'm starting to doubt the quality of this particular part anyway. KYB makes strut mounts, but I've heard mixed things.

egk2lexus

Are you on original struts and mounts?
I went with all Kyb struts and mounts for the front, no rattling. I used kyb rear struts and oem lexus mounts because I couldnt find kybs. Theyre a strange looking mount with the boots attached. So far so good

samsonn25

KYB and FCS have complete rear assemblies. at Rockauto

From my experience factory OEM strut mounts are better than KYB or FCS. But they are expensive.

egk2lexus

Well yeah thats a given but oem struts and mounts all the way around was way more than I wanted to spend on an old daily driver. The kybs are great so far, way better than the oems with 85k the car came with when i bought it. I also replaced the sway bar bushings in the rear which is common to go bad. Car rides solid and quiet

norakat

I installed Moog strut mounts once and regretted it. Go with OEM. They’re not expensive. You can get from Discount Parts Monster for cheaper price but their customer service can be a nightmare. Sometimes I received without any problem as well.

One way you can tell where the problem is: I use a stethascope with a tube to extend its reach and drive around with it in my ears.

I might do that today as I also have currently have a loud clunking sound going over bumps. Mine is metal on metal.

The most common problem is the sway bar links but I changed mine not long ago.