# Unusual popping or thump sound from passenger rear



## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

Anyone have an issue or notice a louder then normal thump at slower speeds going over bumps? Almost like a bad strut or something? The passenger rear of mine makes this going over small bumps at slower speeds and it seems odd. Schedule a drive with a tech tomorrow for him to listen but just curious if anyone else has heard it or if it is just me. 


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## Gromicide (Nov 1, 2017)

I don't own an atlas but it sounds suspension related. maybe stabilizer bar link. Does it sound like it's coming from the rear?


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## BaNeM (Aug 7, 2017)

We have heard it a couple of times but it hasn't been consistent so we haven't done anything about it yet. I'm curious to see what the results of your visit will yield so please update the thread when you find out more.


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## [email protected] (Oct 24, 2002)

Heard something the last few days but it is super cold and the sound isn't consistent.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

Definitely coming from the rear. It is not consistent everytime/bump. Seems more noticeable under 25 mpg. Also seems like it depends on the bump. Still trying to figure out the pattern since it will help me tomorrow during my visit. 


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## Cali4life3 (Jan 4, 2018)

I am getting the same pop(noise) from passenger rear it sounds like. Going over speed bumps is when i hear it the most. I thought it was just some plastic, didnt think of it being anything else. But now i am going to get it checked out.


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## vwatlast (Jan 4, 2018)

My car developed annoying rattling sounds on front and rear around 4k miles when going over bumps. Dealer replaced the driver side front strut and said it's common on atlas to have a bad strut. Still hear a slight noise. Guess rear strut need to be replaced too. Hope it helps


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## larva19 (Jun 29, 2017)

Yes -- I've heard the same sound as you described. Mine is coming from the back (driver side, if I had to guess, but not certain), happens at low speeds (40 Km/hr) and inconsistent. I thought it could have been a strut or something. Haven't heard it in my last 2 drives though...


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## Gromicide (Nov 1, 2017)

My guess is a faulty coupling/end piece of where stabilizer bar meets. When you hit a small bump it knocks.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

Gromicide said:


> My guess is a faulty coupling/end piece of where stabilizer bar meets. When you hit a small bump it knocks.


Sounds like what it could be. Hope the tech is smart enough to resolve tomorrow. 


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## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

Spare tire not tightened down?


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

vwbugstuff said:


> Spare tire not tightened down?


Looked everywhere but in there. I will double check that in am. Sounds to simple. Lol. 


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## rbwalt (Mar 27, 2016)

*thumping sound*

It could be a bad rear upper strut bushing or even the exhaust hitting. You did not mention how many miles are on the car. Now shocks going bad on a Atlas is a bit to much to take and even more if it is common. More crap parts from VW and its suppliers. If a upper strut bushing goes bad then it will take out a strut and i know it happened to me twice on my 05. The second time i was lucky as i caught it in time. Just a poor design.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

rbwalt said:


> It could be a bad rear upper strut bushing or even the exhaust hitting. You did not mention how many miles are on the car. Now shocks going bad on a Atlas is a bit to much to take and even more if it is common. More crap parts from VW and its suppliers. If a upper strut bushing goes bad then it will take out a strut and i know it happened to me twice on my 05. The second time i was lucky as i caught it in time. Just a poor design.


Only 400 miles on the atlas so it shouldn’t have any noises yet. 


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

Harleydavidson19 said:


> Only 400 miles on the atlas so it shouldn’t have any noises yet.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Update: Did a road test with mechanic. Took all of 30 seconds. He heard it the second we pulled out of the dealer. Said he wasn’t sure what it was since first Atlas they had with this sound but it isn’t normal. Hooked me up with rental and now we wait for them to get it into service to see if something might be loose. Not sure what they are going to figure out. 

Did check spare tire and all the stuff in back was very tight. He agreed it was coming from suspension or something under the vehicle. 


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## BaNeM (Aug 7, 2017)

Harleydavidson19 said:


> Update: Did a road test with mechanic. Took all of 30 seconds. He heard it the second we pulled out of the dealer. Said he wasn’t sure what it was since first Atlas they had with this sound but it isn’t normal. Hooked me up with rental and now we wait for them to get it into service to see if something might be loose. Not sure what they are going to figure out.
> 
> Did check spare tire and all the stuff in back was very tight. He agreed it was coming from suspension or something under the vehicle.
> 
> ...


Nice! Always a plus when they hear it right off the bat. Will stay tuned for their response.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

Well as of this am, the tech needs to drive the car again this as they are unable to locate a source of the noise and don’t see what could be the problem. 

4:55 pm. Dealer left a message that they located the problem. It was two loose bolts in rear suspension. They said they can’t be retightened so they ordered four new bolts and will replace them when they get in. Issue is they are coming out of East coast and with the storms they had I might not see the parts until Thursday. Of coarse I call back and service is closed now. Not sure what type of bolt can’t be retightened? Stripped one perhaps? 


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## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

Harleydavidson19 said:


> Well as of this am, the tech needs to drive the car again this as they are unable to locate a source of the noise and don’t see what could be the problem.
> 
> 4:55 pm. Dealer left a message that they located the problem. It was two loose bolts in rear suspension. They said they can’t be retightened so they ordered four new bolts and will replace them when they get in. Issue is they are coming out of East coast and with the storms they had I might not see the parts until Thursday. Of coarse I call back and service is closed now. Not sure what type of bolt can’t be retightened? Stripped one perhaps?
> 
> ...



Stretch bolts are 1-time use only.

Or, they could be stripped......


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## wwwhiz (Jan 8, 2018)

Harleydavidson19 said:


> Well as of this am, the tech needs to drive the car again this as they are unable to locate a source of the noise and don’t see what could be the problem.
> 
> 4:55 pm. Dealer left a message that they located the problem. It was two loose bolts in rear suspension. They said they can’t be retightened so they ordered four new bolts and will replace them when they get in. Issue is they are coming out of East coast and with the storms they had I might not see the parts until Thursday. Of coarse I call back and service is closed now. Not sure what type of bolt can’t be retightened? Stripped one perhaps?
> 
> ...


Thanks for posting the follow-up to this. Taking the Atlas is for this issue, on Wednesday — your diagnosis will be helpful. 


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

wwwhiz said:


> Thanks for posting the follow-up to this. Taking the Atlas is for this issue, on Wednesday — your diagnosis will be helpful.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I called to get specifics of what they found. Two of the four rear subframe bolts were loose so they are replacing all four. Sounds like these bolts hold pretty much everything up to the car (differential, control arms, etc?). 

Side note: did a search and found many posts on other VW forums for what as known as “subframe clunking” issue with many cars. Hopefully the replacement bolts fix my issue with clunking and may even fix the feeling of the suspension just felt very floaty. 
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## wwwhiz (Jan 8, 2018)

Harleydavidson19 said:


> I called to get specifics of what they found. Two of the four rear subframe bolts were loose so they are replacing all four. Sounds like these bolts hold pretty much everything up to the car (differential, control arms, etc?).
> 
> Side note: did a search and found many posts on other VW forums for what as known as “subframe clunking” issue with many cars. Hopefully the replacement bolts fix my issue with clunking and may even fix the feeling of the suspension just felt very floaty.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


My VW dealer couldn’t reproduce the noise, on a test drive — go figure. The weather was warmer today, close to 40 degrees F. Will take it back when the temps drop again. 

Did you find that your Atlas made more noise at lower temps?


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

wwwhiz said:


> My VW dealer couldn’t reproduce the noise, on a test drive — go figure. The weather was warmer today, close to 40 degrees F. Will take it back when the temps drop again.
> 
> Did you find that your Atlas made more noise at lower temps?
> 
> ...


Hard to say because it was 28 degrees when I picked it up and About 10 degrees when I took it in. I did however just get home now from picking mine up from shop now that bolts have been replaced and torqued down. At this point all I can say is omg, drives completely different. No random clunks or popping sounds, 
no extra motion in suspension. Drives so quiet I almost think I hear wind noise from passenger door. 


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## wwwhiz (Jan 8, 2018)

Harleydavidson19 said:


> Hard to say because it was 28 degrees when I picked it up and About 10 degrees when I took it in. I did however just get home now from picking mine up from shop now that bolts have been replaced and torqued down. At this point all I can say is omg, drives completely different. No random clunks or popping sounds,
> no extra motion in suspension. Drives so quiet I almost think I hear wind noise from passenger door.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


For me, the clunks started at <30 degrees.

As for wind noise, I have quite a bit from the driver’s die window, in the back corner. Thought it was tied to a crack in the driver’s side rear window trim. That piece was replaced today... still have the wind noise. 


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

wwwhiz said:


> For me, the clunks started at <30 degrees.
> 
> As for wind noise, I have quite a bit from the driver’s die window, in the back corner. Thought it was tied to a crack in the driver’s side rear window trim. That piece was replaced today... still have the wind noise.
> 
> ...


That is the same spot but passenger side for me. I hope they find your source, maybe next time just mention checking the subframe bolts and see if they will check them. That was definitely my source, hope it doesn’t return. 


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

Popping noise still gone? I know early Atlases had issues with the upper strut mounts. They old part number has an "E" suffix but there was a supersession and a change to the new part on assembly. When they go bad the noise is VERY hard to pinpoint. (ask me how I know ) they can sound like they're high up the A-pillar or in the floor even.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

aledford814 said:


> Popping noise still gone? I know early Atlases had issues with the upper strut mounts. They old part number has an "E" suffix but there was a supersession and a change to the new part on assembly. When they go bad the noise is VERY hard to pinpoint. (ask me how I know ) they can sound like they're high up the A-pillar or in the floor even.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So far so good with the new subframe bolts. No more clunking or popping sound. But I have only driven it home from dealer and then to work today so hopefully after a few thousand miles it will be still good. I am curious and when I get a chance I will see if I can see the strut mount part numbers I have. 


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

You have to have the weight off the front wheel then remove the 3 bolts for the strut. Then pry the strut forward and you can see the PN through the hole where the upper strut but was.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

Ok that one is more then I can pull off unfortunately and as for the noise. Well it is below 30 degrees and what I thought they fixed has returned. 


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

Did you have service action 40M3 performed?


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

aledford814 said:


> Did you have service action 40M3 performed?


No, I called today and service knows nothing about that yet. Very odd that they don’t know anything about the new service action. My sound is coming from passenger rear and I think the service action is for front?


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

It's been out for at least a week, how could they not know about it? It is for the front I just didn't know how positive you were that it was rear. Wish you could come to my dealer, I wanna find it now 


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

aledford814 said:


> It's been out for at least a week, how could they not know about it? It is for the front I just didn't know how positive you were that it was rear. Wish you could come to my dealer, I wanna find it now
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I am with you on that one and I would be there in a second. I want to find it too as it is driving me nuts. The loaner I had was less features and so nice. I just wonder if cold really does play a roll in it too. Where you located?


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

The cold could very well create the conditions for a noise to happen. I'm near Cleveland, OH (home of the best football you've ever seen)


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## snobrdrdan (Sep 10, 2008)

aledford814 said:


> I'm near Cleveland, OH (home of the best football you've ever seen)






















just sayin'


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

snobrdrdan said:


> aledford814 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm near Cleveland, OH (home of the best football you've ever seen)
> ...


? An excellent point. I'll settle for second best then.


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## ribbit (Jun 4, 2012)

I suggest the guys playing on the browns get traded to the Tenn VW factory to produce the Atlas,it probably would make no difference in the quality. , or maybe it would get worse. LOLs


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## aledford814 (May 15, 2013)

ribbit said:


> I suggest the guys playing on the browns get traded to the Tenn VW factory to produce the Atlas,it probably would make no difference in the quality. , or maybe it would get worse. LOLs


No way, they'd drop all the parts before they got put on the truck.


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## Harleydavidson19 (Dec 23, 2017)

aledford814 said:


> The cold could very well create the conditions for a noise to happen. I'm near Cleveland, OH (home of the best football you've ever seen)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Did I mention the sound is back. Frustrating process. Went back today and did a drive with the tech and he was able to hear it and said it sounds like strut popping. Unfortunately the loose subframe bolts were a bonus repair. Hopefully this issue doesn’t turn into a feature I have to learn to live with. :-( 
Update: new rear shocks have been installed. So far seems like the issue has been resolved. They did say that vw is starting to see this in many of the atlases now. They think when it hits below freezing something is freezing in the shock or something. New shocks have 11/17 date on them so hopefully this doesn’t come back when we hit the 20’s next week. Today is unusually warm 48 degrees. 

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## rippersub (Nov 20, 2017)

Another noise that took me a while to track down, when the road is rough (even uneven icy ground) if no passenger is present the seatbelt receiver rattles against the plastic side of the seat and the console, I'll be adding a little strip of foam padding to hopefully dampen it out.


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