"Clunk" noise from right rear

[AJT1961]

My new Uplander has been making a single "clunk" noise from the right rear when I brake. It sounds like something is loose and bumping somewhere on the rear body or undercarriage during the initial braking, but a check of the usual suspects (spare tire, tire change tool kit) turned up nothing. Doesn't sound like a serious problem noise, but it is annoying. Figured I'd ask here first in case this is a common problem, before I get the wife to drive while I climb into the back to identify the source. I'd hate to waste a half-day at the dealer to have what sounds like a very minor problem fixed under warranty. Aside from this minor problem, I really love the way the Uplander looks and drives. I always hated the look of the front end on my old Venture -- the new Uplander really fixed that problem with style.

['97ventureowner]

When I saw your post I said to myself, "Oh no not a problem already! These vans are supposed to be better than the Ventures they are replacing." But I hope it is a minor issue for you. The more I research it and look at it , I am determined to make the Uplander my next vehicle. I will probably get one used,( I told myself no more new cars,) when the prices of the used ones come down a bit. I was hoping to drive my Venture until it dies, and was figuring to get over 200,000 miles on it before I replace it. But the more research I do, and the problems I find out, it may be sooner than later. Continued good luck with it!

[denny9]

I was wondering if you ever found out the cause of the clunk. I just bought a new Uplander and I too have been annoyed by a clunk coming from the right rear. My clunk appears to happen only when I'm making a left turn.

Originally Posted by AJT1961

My new Uplander has been making a single "clunk" noise from the right rear when I brake. It sounds like something is loose and bumping somewhere on the rear body or undercarriage during the initial braking, but a check of the usual suspects (spare tire, tire change tool kit) turned up nothing. Doesn't sound like a serious problem noise, but it is annoying. Figured I'd ask here first in case this is a common problem, before I get the wife to drive while I climb into the back to identify the source. I'd hate to waste a half-day at the dealer to have what sounds like a very minor problem fixed under warranty. Aside from this minor problem, I really love the way the Uplander looks and drives. I always hated the look of the front end on my old Venture -- the new Uplander really fixed that problem with style.

[AJT1961]

No, I haven't had the time to bring it into the dealer. My clunk only seems to happen when I brake, and it seems to be coming from the passenger side power door mechanism. It sounds almost like some type of lever mechanism that is either missing a spring or has too much play. When I find out for sure (hopefully in a week or two), I'll post the solution. Meanwhile, I'm still deciding whether I should make the warranty appointment with body shop or the regular repair shop.

[carolinacrystal]

I wanted to give you a heads up in relation to the noise in the rear.
I have a chevy o5 uplander too-Which i adore, but hate, hate, the dealership we purchased it from. (whole other rant) anyway we have progressive insurance. Through my insurance home page i have found there is one recall on the uplander and 15 techincal service bulletins.

One of the tsb is in reference to the "noise in the rear" it was listed as problems with the rear supension.

Also, to note we had problems with our lights dimming and getting brighter. (I did not notice this as much as my husband did) this was particular noticeable when placed into park, and the lights shined on our garage door. Anyway, we did take our uplander in for other warranty work (the molding keeps coming off the side door) and when we questioned the service department, said oh yeah we had a tbs on that, and what you need is a larger alternator.

a majority of our problems was with the lack of great service at our local dealership! Poor communication between the salesman-service department and the customer. Anyway, hope this helps.

[AJT1961]

Thanks for the reply. I still haven't made an appointment to bring mine in. Luckily my dealer is generally pretty good even though it is one of the largest single-location dealers in the country. So what did your dealer say about needing a larger alternator? Are they going to put one in?

[AJT1961]

Finally brought my Uplander in for warranty work. The clunk noise was a loose shock absorber bolt. They tightened it and the noise is gone. The pulsating headlights problem was a little more difficult. At first they called and said they could not duplicate the problem. When I became disturbed and told them once again (as I did when I dropped off the car) to check the TSBs on the problem, they actually did and called back to say they were special ordering me a new alternator. So aside from one two-minute phone call that really pissed me off, the problems are solved. At 11,000 miles, I still love the car overall, especially the way it feels on the highway. Very solid, smooth, stable and efficient.