Car is Making Noise When Turning

If your car is making noise when turning, it can be the result of faulty CV joints or a bad power steering system. Car can make a whining, squealing, clunking, or cracking noise when turning left or right at low, high, or even normal speed.

Turning noise can also trigger serious problems like braking issues and make it dangerous to continue driving the car. So it is safer to inspect the car by a professional tech to fix noise problems when making slower or sharper turns.

Why Does My Car Make Noise When I Turn?

There can be several reasons why your car is making a noise when you’re turning the wheel, so we’re breaking down the most common car noises and their causes below:

1. Broken Suspension Joints

A broken or worn-out suspension joint can make clunking, creaking, or propping noise when turning a vehicle, particularly at lower speeds. Suspension joints can get damaged due to collection of dirt, grit and impurities or lack of lubrication. Rusting and wear can also damage suspension joints.

2. Leak Power Steering Pump

A leak or worn-out power steering pump can make a whining noise during making turn. The noise can be more noticeable at lower speeds. Power steering pumps can get damaged due to degraded seals while inadequate fluid overheats the pump and cause wear out.

3. Bad CV Joints

Your car can mostly make noise when turning due to bad CV axle angle. Constant velocity (CV) axles shift rotational force from transaxle to front wheel. It can create creaking noise due to excessive, inadequate, or unsuitable lubricant. CV joints can also wear out or leak due to wear and make a clicking snapping, or popping noise.

4. Faulty Power Steering System

Power steering system can make a whining or screeching noise during turning due to improper lubrication. It can also get damaged due to fluid leaks, pump malfunction, or blocked hose and produce screeching noise even at normal speeds.

If topping off fluid doesn’t disappear the noise, you’ll need to repair or replace the belt, hose, or pump to fix the issue.

5. Worn Out Ball Joints

You’ll hear a louder creaking noise during turning if a faulty ball joint is the source of this issue. Suspension ball joints connect wheel to a vehicle via suspension.

If it gets worn out, rusty, or damaged, you can hear clunking creaking, or popping noise. If so, you’ll need to replace the damaged or out-of-shaped ball joints to fix the issue.

6. Worn Out Bushing

Bushing can wear out over time and make a cracking noise when turning the car. While lubricating this part of suspension system should solve the issue, you may need to deteriorate part to avoid the noise.

7. Damage Struts And Shocks

When turning your car, if you hear cracking noise and feel bouncy at a time, bad shocks and struts can be responsible. These components can get damaged due to fatigue or driving aggressively on rough roads and make clunking noise when turning.

Cracked coin springs inside of the struts and shocks can also make creaking noise during turning.

Why Does A Car Make Noise When Turning Right?

Depending on the sound type, your car can make noise when turning right due to plenty of reasons including faulty steering rack, worn-out struts or power steering problems. If you are driving in full-cut circle and the car makes a whining noise or high-pitched squeal noise, it can be result of junk fluid or a faulty power steering assist pump.

But you’ll hear banging or clunking noise during turning right due to broken steering rack or pinion. If you hear clunking noise while turning right particularly on uneven terrain, it can be result of worn-out shocks or struts.

You may hear squeaking noise while turning right due to worn-out steering column bearing. But if your car engine makes knocking noise and bumps at a time, damaged tie rod ends can cause this issue.

Why Does A Car make Noise When Turn Left?

Your car can make cracking noise when turning left due to a worn CV joint. When turning left, the suspension goes down and puts more pressure on left-hand drive shaft. It also lifts weight off from the right-hand side without putting any pressure.

If there are worn or loose joints, it can make louder noise. If the noise comes during turning the car more gradually, suspension springs or bushings can be responsible. But if the noise comes when pulling the car into driveway or turning left to enter into highway, worn CV axle shaft or bad wheel bearing can cause this issue.

Why Car is Making Noise When Turning At Low Speed?

If your vehicle is front-wheel drive and makes rumble grinding noise when turning at a low speed, it can be the result of damaged CV joints. If so, the noise will become louder when turning in one direction compared to another.

 Bad CV joint also makes click clunk sound. To fix this problem, you’ll need to replace both sides CV joint at a time. But if your car makes low scratching or grinding noise at low speed and goes away while turning steering wheel, its damaged wheel bearing is.

If you drive with a bad wheel bearing for a long time, you’ll need to take the vehicle to mechanic shop.

Why Does My Car Make Noise When Turning At High Speed?

If your car makes a crunching or clicking noise when turning at high speed, it can be due to damaged steering steel, bearing, or CV joints. But if it makes a humming noise, check wheel bearing. If you ignore this problem for long time, it’ll cause uneven tire wire and wheel wobbling.

Why Does A Car Make Noise When Turning At Normal Speed?

Check and service power steering system if you hear squealing, whining, or screeching noise when driving at normal speed. A loose belt or low steering fluid can trigger this issue that is easy to fix. But it’s difficult to fix cracks, breaks or worn-out tire rods and hoses that make whining noises when turning at normal speed.

How To Fix Turning Noise in The Car?

When you turn a vehicle, numerous components can make noise, making it difficult to fix the issue. However, you can track the type of noise to solve this problem. Take your vehicle to a test drive and carefully hear if your car making a clicking, squealing, grinding or cracking noise. Note if your car makes a louder noise at a sharp turn, slow turn or both.

Then physically inspect fluid tank, tires, CV joints, and whole power steering system. You can also try fixing the noise issue by topping off the steering fluid or lubricating the suspension system.

Repairing or replacing steering system components requires alignment and advanced mechanic skills and equipment. So hiring a certified mechanic or bringing the car to a repair shop will be the best decision.

Can You Drive A Car That Makes Noise When Turning?

It’s quite risky to drive a car that makes noise when turning as it’s related to a power steering system. If you continue driving, it can bring various driving issues. For example, if faulty suspension joints make the noise, it can lead to additional wear on the suspension and steering system. 

If power steering pump gets leaked, it can cause a fire. A dry pump can also lock up, damage drive belt, and prevent another component from functioning properly. Even you won’t be able to control your car if a damaged CV joint makes a noise.

While a reduced steering assist system leads to slow reaction or response problems, damaged suspension ball joints cause complete loss of steering control. Car’s braking efficiency will also reduce and stopping distance will increase due to bad struts and shocks.

Cost To Fixing A Turning Noise On A Car?

On average, it’ll cost between $20 and $1500 to fix turning noise on your car. However, the exact cost varies depending on the source of the noise and the make and model of car. For example, if you only need to pour power steering fluid on your vehicle to fix noise problem, you’ll cost $20. But if you need to replace steering rack and pinion, it can cost up to $1200. Check 1t15m4, it would help to reduce the noise.

While replacing suspension ball joint costs around $100 to $150, replacing single CV joint costs about $300 to $1500. Cost of replacing suspension brushing ranges between $250 and $300 while cost of replacing shocks and struts is around $450 to $1100.

FAQs

Final Words

A large number of problems are responsible for turning noise issues like check engine light warning. So if your car is making noise when turning, bring it to the certified mechanic shop and inspect whole power steering system, suspension system and CV joints.

Otherwise, turning noise problems will trigger various serious problems including braking, accelerating, and losing control. Even it can end up causing serious accidents.