GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hello! I'm troubleshooting a ghost knock sound when travelling on rough roads in my 2009 vibe Awd. It's coming from the drivers side and sounds exactly like a sway bar link end, which I've already replaced as a precaution.

Everything else is tight, no play in tie rods or ball joints. The shock tower bolts and centre nut are all tight. Only thing left is the strut mount I suppose. Is this possible? Do these things produce a knock when they're failing?

Thank you,
Ross

Everything else is tight, no play in tie rods or ball joints.

How did you check the lower ball joints? Did you check the sway bar bushings? Check if the sway bar is hitting or rubbing something? Did you check the inner tie rod ends? Strut mounts will make a grinding type sound when turning as they go bad. Past that point and the noise could change to a knocking noise as the whole top of the strut is then loose.

Not to be a budinsky: I just wanted to make sure the noise you hear isn't the infamous intermediate steering shaft that all of us second generation Vibe owners suffer from. Most of the time you will only hear the noise when going over a driveway apron, or driving slowly over rocks or brick pavement.

Caretaker wrote:Not to be a budinsky: I just wanted to make sure the noise you hear isn't the infamous intermediate steering shaft that all of us second generation Vibe owners suffer from. Most of the time you will only hear the noise when going over a driveway apron, or driving slowly over rocks or brick pavement.

I agree with Caretaker. When I first got my 09 I also was thinking strut mount or related suspension was making the noise. Turns out it was the intermediate shaft and there is really no good fix for it. So I am using that as an excuse to upgrade the sound system

Good luck!