I have about 120k on my Lexus. Since I purchased it about 5 years ago used, it has always had what I describe as a lurch “clunk” type feeling as if the u joints are wearing out. Of course this car has no u joints but anyone familare with them would sort of know what I am talking about. I’ve taken the car to a transmission shop a few times and of course, they say nothing is wrong.
Any ideas?
I’d look at the CV joints.
But first I’d check out all the bushings. Worn, dried out shrunken bushings can have this effect. The last clunking sound I fixed was on the antisway bar bushings in the brackets that hold the bar to the chassis.
The GS is a rear wheel drive car. It must surely have a universal joint or two somewhere. The ES is the front-drive Lexus.
When does this “clunk” occur?
It seems to occur while going slow, sometimes it also seems as if the transmission is downshifting. In addition, when accelerating from a slow crawl, the car basically lurches forward as if something is slipping and then catches. My thoughts were the transmission but two separate shops didn’t find anything… I can get it to accelerate smoothly most of the time if I feather the gas pedal and sometimes it seems to work fine…