04 Sienna - Clunk when moving from standstill

[terrypdoherty]

My 04 Sienna makes a clunk noise from the front end as it moves off from a standstill. I'm not sure if its something to be concerned about as otherwiase it drives well. The clunk has been there from the day we drove off from the dealership. Is this just a quirk of the Sienna or a problem that needs to be addressed?

[jzchen]

I wish you hadn't purchased it in the first place if you heard it beforehand! I would definitely have it checked out. I have test driven a FWD version and an AWD version and haven't heard any such noise. I have an old 85' Cadillac de Ville which had such a noise, (with no other apparent problem,) and it was found to be the engine mounts!!! The whole engine would move and knock against an exhaust pipe upon starting from standstill. There was no other noise because the engine was already butted up against the pipe after moving. At least it should be under warranty...

[RobLW]

I'm the original owner of a 2000 XLE. I had the same problem after I replaced the original front disk pads with new aftermarkets. Usually, I only get the "clunks" when I pull up in front of my home, then switch in to reverse to back in to the driveway. When I release the brake and begin backing - that's when the noise occurs. I've attributed it to an inexact fit between the pads and the calipers. The only suggestion I have is that you might want to jack it up and pull the front wheels so that you can get a look at the pads, release springs, anti-squeal shims, and calipers. Also, ensure all of the bolts are secure!

Originally Posted by terrypdoherty

My 04 Sienna makes a clunk noise from the front end as it moves off from a standstill. I'm not sure if its something to be concerned about as otherwiase it drives well. The clunk has been there from the day we drove off from the dealership. Is this just a quirk of the Sienna or a problem that needs to be addressed?

[kjohnsonusa]

I have this noise and this is what my dealer said:

There is a sort-of 'safety' feature on the van in the transmission. When you 'back-up' you will not hear it, but after you back-up and put into 'drive' you will hear the the clunk. That is the transmission doing a 'safety check' switching out of reverse into drive. Sound weird to me, but then I don't know about transmissions. Anyway, I've played with what they said and yes, I ONLY hear the clunk when I switch into drive after backing up (from driveway or space). I do not hear it if I just put it into drive and go, only after I've reversed first. And apparently, it only does this safety check upon engine start up so if you reversed, drove, and then go into reverse again without turning the engine off, you shouldn't hear the clunk again, only the first time you reverse and drive when the car is initially turned on. I hope this isn't too confusing, but this is what they told me and this is exactly what my 2004 does. Otherwise, I've never had any problems whatsoever - it runs and drives great!