I have had multiple wierd noises from the front passenger wheel area. Here is short version of the history of my 2010 4x4 scab...

@ around 20,000 miles had an intermittent loud clunk or metal on metal sounding bang from the front pass wheel when hitting smallish bumps while making a left turn. Dealer found a leaking shock and replaced it under warranty.

Problem continued... dealer replaced front left shock under warranty. They didn't really say why other than that is what Ford told them to do.

Problem continued and seemed to happen more frequently. Occasionally there was a less loud but similar clunk from the same area when turning only slightly in either direction and hitting a bump. Dealer greased steering stops which did nothing.

Problem continued and I also noticed some bounciness in the front end when going over bumps. I took it back at about 35,900 miles and let them keep it over a week and told them I was frustrated and wanted this fixed before warranty was up. Dealer replaced both shocks, leaking again, after a week on backorder and showed me one of the bad shocks that made a popping noise when operated. The noise didn't sound right or loud enough but the ride improved.

Right away I found out that the noise was still there and when Ford emailed the customer satisfaction survey I unloaded my concerns on them. I got a call soon after from the manager of dealership offering me a complimentary extended service plan. I continued driving the vehicle with the clunk noise hoping something would break or otherwise show up before my ESP ran out.

At 44,000 I started hearing a wierd sort of pulsing, droning noise. I thought maybe it was just tires (the originals) except that the noise would go up an down in volume about every 4 or 5 seconds so it was way out of sync with the tire speed. I drove it that way for a few hundred miles before I pulled out of the drive one cold evening and at low speed I heard a grinding noise from the right front. Turning the wheel from side to side would make it start and stop and would go away completely after a mile or so. It did this each morning until it would warm up and I figured out that if I put it in 4-wheel drive the noise would go away.

I took it back to the dealer, drove it with the mechanic and he heard the noise. They asked me to bring it in the next day so they could diagnose it. They returned it to me later that day saying I needed a new wheel bearing and the front tires where a bit cupped. They ordered the bearing and it was on backorder for over week. I continued to drive the truck until all of a sudden, on a Saturday, the noise changed to a coffee grinder sound. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and the noise immediately went away. I drove straight to the dealership (in 4-hi until I had to turn). When I shifted back to 2wd the noise was gone. They still could not get the bearing and got permission from Ford to use an aftermarket wheel bearing because the OEM bearing was on backorder till February. The work was done under the 45,000 mile powertrain warranty and the original clunk noise never went away.

The clunk has never gone away. A few days later the low grinding noise for the first mile or so was back. Then a couple days after that the coffee grinder noise came back as well. I took it back to the dealer and they replaced the front passenger side IWE actuator under warranty.

Now, the 45,000 miles will be up in a couple days. The clunk is still there. The low grinding noise is still there for the first mile or so but no coffee grinder noises yet. I don't know what to do. I have the ESP till 72,000 miles but that has a deductible and I don't trust the dealership to fix anything. I think they will just keep changing parts, while I am without my truck each time, until the ESP runs out.

I figure I have two choices... keep driving it until something really breaks and hope it happens before the ESP runs out or take it to a competent mechanic and pay out of pocket. Neither of those options will make me happy.

Any opinions, ideas, or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Have you tried consulting another dealer? sounds like your regular guys are stumped. did they check the swaybar links? those will make noise & the truck will handle poorly when they break.

you also might have enough to file a lemon law claim in your state. I would politely mention that to Ford as well.

I do hear a small clunk from time to time on my '10. I've always driven trucks & little noises like that now & again don't bother me as I'm used to them. I've looked at it & the dealer has done their inspections before to look for things & everything has been ok for me.

 

They claimed to have checked the sway bar links and I am by no means a mechanic but I have had a broken link on another truck in the past so I kinda know what those feel/sound like. I would think that would be easy to see.

I probably should go to another dealer. There isn't another that will be convenient for me but I have already been inconvenienced by not having my truck for over 6 weeks total.

I will talk to Ford's customer service again and mention the lemon thing. I have a good friend who is a lawyer and while I hope to never have to use his services I am sure he could help.

Thanks for the reply.

 

another trouble spot may be the CV shafts. they are notorious for clunking & making noise as the joints start to wear. you may not notice the noise due to putting it in 4wd it keeps pressure on the joint so it doesn't move around. these are usually covered up with the rubber boots so you probably wont be able to check them by eyesight, but they should be able to (mechanic).

 

Thanks again for the input. Several times that it has been in they have supposedly checked "everything". I specifically asked about cab mounts, motor mounts, anything I could think of that might make a clunking sound when the truck rocked from side to side. I don't know if they checked the CV shafts. It is something I can mention next time if I decide to take it back.

 

with my 2010@45k or so miles I also had a mystery pop/clunk esp on washboard roads or takeoff from a stop.
I went through and checked and sure enough the upper ball joint on driver side was bad, good news is the aftermarket ones have a grease fitting (upper only) so atleast you can help keep it lasting longer with some grease.
Not worth changing just one, so I went and did both upper control arms and lower joints, also you will need an alignment afterwards. Also check brakes while your around there, mine were spanked at 50k.
The lower joint however is a press in with no fitting, 2k miles later and no more mystery clunk so far.

 

My truck seems to have the same "clunk" issue as yours. Whenever I turn sharp (and a little fast) ONLY to the left, I hear and feel a clunk. The issue does NOT occur when turning to the right.

Dealer didn't find any issues and now my warranty is up...

Mines an 09 4x4 SCREW with 43,000 miles

 

You might get this covered under the 45,000 powertrain warranty. Dealer changed a wheel bearing and IWE actuator both covered by 45,000 warranty on mine. I would take it in if I were you. As for me, the 45,000 will be up tomorrow.

 

So your clunk only happens when turning left as well, right?

It's crazy, I love this truck my friends don't understand why I have to basically "crawl" when making left turns over ripples or bumps, and normally say - common' man, it's a truck!

I'll check out the dealer and see what they say, but I thought this type of issues was only covered under the 1 year (per the basic wear and tear like brakes)

Thanks

 

It is louder and much more often when turning left but I have heard it when making a right turn or hitting a bump (like a catch basin in a parking lot) with the front right wheel. It is loud enough that if someone is riding with me who hasn't heard it before they will ask "what was that".

It happens only intermittently and I have trouble recreating for the mechanics but once when I did the guy said "that definitely sounds like a problem". Unfortunately, every time they work on it they want me to recreate the sound for them before they will look at it again. I think one time the mechanics drove it around, home, to lunch, etc. for a week before I finally went back and took it from them.