unebonnevi

Hi,

I have a 2013 RX450h, excellently maintained. I've started experiencing the rear driving side subtle "clunking" noise when driving. I have checked and made sure all things, e.g., spare tire, etc., are all secured. The struts looks pretty in good condition. No rush or no cracks. I checked to make sure all the bolts around the rear tires are not loose.

I am suspecting the bushings, the rubber pieces on the bar that goes across the rear side under the car. But they are like new. My car is around 89K miles.

Tips/hints are appreciated.

Thank you!

Roscol

My rear clunk ended up being the rear shocks. If they haven’t been replaced already, wouldn’t hurt.

salimshah

Do you have tell tale signs of dampness [oil leak] on the rear shock. If yes then it needs to be replaced ... seems like a common problem.

If not, at this stage, take it to a suspension shop and usually they do a free determination of what is wrong. What ever they or you determine to be the root cause, it needs to be visually determined [play/movement] and it might require long levers.

Salim

unebonnevi

Thanks for the response. No leak whatsoever. All dry. I'll try replacing the bushings first. If that doesn't help, I might as well replace the rear struts. Both are fairly easy DIY job for the RX450h, as not having to deal with strut springs like the front ones. Shops charge too much, and I don't trust mechanics anymore -- typically overcharged and no guarantee of doing a good job, mainly from my personal experiences. Mechanics nowadays are on the clock, and quality is secondary to them. I have pretty much maintain my care through YouTube videos. The big maintenance are coming up at 100-120K miles, mainly spark plug change and serpentine belt/water pump/thermostat combo change.