PLEASE HELP! 2009 2IS very bad front end clunking sound - worse in turns
 

Front end clunking noise - worse in turns
I have the same issue with my 2009!
I don't know if it's the bushings from what I've read or belts broken in the front tires or wheel bearings bad!!! I need help!

It could be a number of things. Can you jack up the car? If so, try tugging the wheel back and forth and also try turning the steering wheel while it's in the air. If you see any unnecessary play it could be bad bushings on the control arms - front lower mount or possibly upper from my exp. Also check the area for grease, I had a clunking/clicking sound from a bad CV axle where it started flinging grease given the boot was torn. You should also check your bolts to make sure they are all tight, suspension, control, arms, subframe, etc.

Thanks for the advice. I will have to check this out this weekend. Just wanted to get some expert tips on where to began so I can compile a list of every thing possible. It's annoying and pretty loud esp when the sunroof and windows are cracked.
any help is greatly appreciated

Likely a sway bar end link gone dry and now has clearance to make clatter noise. When checking, (whether on the ground or in the air) make sure that both wheels are at the same height or it will load the sway bar making it difficult to undo or assemble, then unbolt one side of one end link. Then you can feel what the joints are doing inside. They should have zero free play.

If over 120k mi or more, these may be making noise.

Check your upper control arm bolts to the body. They come loose overtime. I would get a clunk/ squeak just turning the wheels in the driveway. For the life of me I couldn't figure it out. So I have an AWD with wheel gap. I was able to get a 14mm wrench on the bolt head. To my surprise is was loose the weight of the wrench moved the bolt. The reason you won't suspect it is because the bolt is partially threaded, and it will still sit inside the upper A arm bushings. this was on my driver side upper arm. I'm not saying this is your problem, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

Does the noise go away when you step on the brake or slightly step on the brakes?
 

My 2009 IS250AWD 50K miles started to make clunking sounds that appear to be coming from the passenger side (front+back) when driving on rough roads, having a lots of moderate pot holes closely separated. We lifted the car and my mechanic tried to find any play on all the wheel and suspension and he even remove the torsion bar in the rear to see if the noise was not coming from the link kit. No success so far. The suspension is very stiff when trying to push down at the four corners of the car. When I hit a large pot holes, it takes it without any clunky noise, its only when I drive on many pot holes that are small and moderate size and that are very close together. He thinks maybe a shock or two are defectives. If so, what brand and model are you recommending ?
Any ideas on this ?
regards
Luc
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PS: I live in canada where the roads are in very bad conditions, mainly caused by the rough winters that we have.

Before looking at the shocks, re-examine the sway bar end links and the sway bar bushings themselves.

Hi Gville350
Thanks for answering quickly.
This afternoon I stopped at Midas in my city, they are opened for over 30 years with a good reputation, the owner is an engineer. He was sure the shocks were not the problem, telling me that the lexus shocks are very expensive but usually last for the lifetime of the car.
He never seen that problem on a lexus , and that finding what generate that clunking noise can be challenging. He also recommended that I search on the internet and on user's group such as Club Lexus for a solution..

I take your recommendations seriously and we will check again everything you listed.
Regards

Luc

bushings? ball joints? control arms? Something has to give if you're getting clunking

Hi Aspect
''bushings? ball joints? control arms? Something has to give if you're getting clunking ''

Thanks for your reminder. "As you mentionned something has to give if you're getting clunking " noise. I searched on youtube for help and two videos the mechanics found on two cars one being a corolla that the clunking noise was from a defective upper shock mount on the passenger side , and on the other car an engine mount (rubberized piece). We haven't checked theses two possibilities yet.

regards
Luc

Yeah it's hard to say what's clunking on a forum post. I had some annoying clunking before and i ended up replacing things until i solved it. A free solution ;have you tried just double checking that all your bolts are tight? Like the shock tower bolts and etc

Everything except the top plate (shock tower bolts) of the passenger side front & back. The same for the engine supports, just find out in one of the video that it could be the source of the noise, but I suspect its not because under hard acceleration there is no clunking noise. We spend 1/2 hours trying to find out using a long bar trying to separate parts by applying a bending moment while trying to see if anything was loose including the ball joints and the steering rack & pignon assembly. Another 1/2 hour was spend on the road trying to locate where it was coming from.
regards
Luc

Just spent near 3 hours this morning to disasembly the rear suspension, where the noise seems to come. Here is what we found: The car has 81K KM (50K miles) IS 2009 AWD (canadian)
1- the two shocks were perfectly working. We even compare them with new shocks. Same stiffness and rebound, without any oil leak, or appearance of defects or wear.
2- Weird spring compression, on both shocks : one side was more compressed than its opposite at 180 degrees, like if the coil spring was bend. The coil springs seemed to have a vertical axis not being a line but a light curve.
3- opening a door and pushing on it downward didn't show any movement of the front or rear suspension. We have the feeling the suspension had no motion (racing suspension). Is this normal ?
4- All bushings, ball joint, etc. looked great.

regards
Luc

Wild guess here broken exhaust hangers? Exhaust pipes clunking when moving around.