Hey all: I tried searching the forum but didn’t find anything. I just bought a 2007 Ford Taurus. I had some odd noises from the back, like something was grinding. I replaced the tires (barely legal tread left) and the sound seemed to disappear. I’ve since noticed that the sound returns, but only when I have someone in the back seat. My first thought is that the shocks are bad, but I they seem to be working fine.
Take the vehicle to a shop, and ask that they put it on the alignment rack, And then have one of their biggest mechanics sit in the back seat.
I bet they find where the grinding noise is coming from.
Tester
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If you get the car checked out and everything turns out fine, here is something to consider:
The back seat serves as sound insulation, and compressing that insulation can change the way your car sounds.
My car (a different model, year, and make) had the rear seat removed for years (for reasons related to ease of maintenance and because I didn’t need it), and it made the car considerably louder. I reinstalled the seat a couple years ago when I got a big dog, and I noticed it quieted road noise.
…so what might be going on could be little more than a change in how the car sounds, but everything might be fine.
How did you determine you don’t need new shocks/struts? For a car as old as yours, that’s certainly a possibility.
Broken rear spring (or springs) is a pretty likely cause of this. Common Taurus issue.