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Q: I've been noticing that my 2012 Chevrolet Sonic rumbles when going over bumps. I have about 60k miles on it, could it be the sway bar?

asked by on November 03, 2016

When im driving on a paved/smooth surface the car is fine, however as soon as i go over a bump or pothole or even just a mildly rough stretch of road i start to hear a rumbling noise from the front of my car. Thought it was the shocks but theyre not leaking and i didnt check the sway bars. I dont know how to check those. Please help

My car has 60000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi there. If the sway bar was at fault, the noise would also be present when turning and a possibility of excessive body roll when turning. The source of noise over bumps can be difficult to diagnose since the bumps affect the entire vehicle. Worn shocks could definitely cause some noise and do not have to be leaking to be worn or weak. There are also ball joints, control arm bushings, steering rack bushings, cradle bushings, etc..

A qualified technician with good eyes and ears should be able to determine the cause of your noise with a proper inspection. YourMechanic has several available technicians that can assist you with an inspection of the noise when driving over bumps and provide an estimate and direction of repair.

Chevrolet
Noises
2012
Sway Bar
Sonic
L4-1.8L
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