GNS

Hi all, I'm trying to diagnose a noise from my '19 IS350. It's a pop / clunk noise when I'm making a left turn from a stop sign / stop light, or making a U turn.

• For example, I'm driving straight and come to a stop light, intending to make a left turn or U turn.
• From a stop, I accelerate into the left turn or U turn and the pop / clunk happens. I'm not flooring the gas pedal or anything like that, but I'm not gently tapping the throttle either.
• You can hear it, and even feel it coming from under the floorboards. It only makes the noise once (ie. there isn't a continuous set of popping noises), and it doesn't seem to happen often when taking the turn at slower speeds.
• It almost feels like the weight transfer from turning while accelerating causes it to happen.

Any ideas what this could be? It only does it on left turns / U turns, never on right turns. If I make a left turn and it happens, then I make another left turn a short distance away, it doesn't seem to happen (as if the weight transfer had moved whatever it is into position that first time, and won't 'reset' itself, if that makes any sense)

zhifan1

Happened to me on my previous car, my situation was a broken absorber bearing. Do a check and see whether yours is the same problem.

GNS

Thanks, I checked it out (and watched / listened to the other video) and it is definitely not that noise. I also cannot reproduce the issue just by turning the wheel back and forth like he does. It only happens on left turns, and only when I'm giving it a decent amount of throttle. If I'm turning gently and normally, it doesn't usually happen (unless I've been driving straight for a while). If I'm taking a roundabout (ie turning left into the roundabout while steering and giving it some throttle), it also doesn't seem to happen, because it is not a sudden weight transfer.
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kaleo211

I have a very similar issue. I can hear a metal-hitting-metal noise if I turn the wheel far to the right or left. the driving behavior definitely changed a little bit after hitting that noise. However, this is not always replicable for some reason, went to a local shop, they didn't figure out the issue either... very sad. This happened not too long after I changed the RCF LCA bushing myself.

babaijebu

Mixed report about this. I currently have this issue, went away briefly when i replaced my tires.

From this thread and some others, some people mentioned it's normal. Something about Ackermann steering geometry

Thread - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...l-the-way.html

TOPENDMS7

It’s most likely a worn balljoint or tie rod end. You can test the tie rod by jacking up at a corner and try wiggling the wheel left to right. It should not move and should not make any clunking noise.

DscoPotato

Hey was there ever a resolution or diagnosis for this? I've noticed my '23 IS350 has started doing this exact same thing.

GNS

I had my front brakes (and rotors) done earlier this year and my mechanic said that something was off a little when he replaced that rotor (on the driver's side). The noise is gone now, as far as I can tell, it hasn't happened since.

IS350InfraRed

My '23 IS350 just did the same thing turning sharp left from a stop. Seems unlikely a new car would have worn or rusty parts causing this. Anyone figure out the reason for a new car?

arentz07

I had a similar noise on my '21 IS 350 as long as I could remember. If I made a sharp left turn, in a parking-lot situation, for instance, while the car was cold, it would sometimes make a "clunk" sound.

Might be worth mentioning to the dealer, but I never saw any issues with mine even with spirited driving.

sunamer

mine '15 is doing it too... but very rarely.
Lexus dealer rep had said it was a loose hand brake cable, but I kinda doubt it.
It is too metal/clunky sounding for it to be the case.

swaangin

I get this sound regularly making a left turn off of my driveway. I also get it when I make a left turn into my neighborhood. This all happens at below 25mph

sunamer

Actually, I was checking brakes/pads/rotors and accidentally discovered how to reproduce the sound.
Simply jack your IS up on the driver's side rear jack point (right in front of the rear wheel well) - you will get that clank when you drop the car back.
I repeated it 3 times in a row and every time the clank was heard as I dropped the car.

Myrxbad

My 2022 Is350 AWD does this occasionally. Sounds similar to something in the front transfer case or possibly wheel slip but I'm not sure. I had the dealership check out the front end and they couldn't find anything loose. :Shrug: Still trying to figure it out.

Jettinger

I have this exact same issue with my 2022 IS350 AWD as well. It always happens on a left turn. When the car has a load of passengers it is even more pronounced. I brought it into two dealers and no luck on my end. It sounds so terrible.