When I turn the steering wheel to the right or left, I hear a loud clunking sound and the car gets very jerky, like it does not want me to turn the wheel. This only happens if I am driving for a while (20-30 minutes a a time especially after highway driving), but it will do it for the rest of that day until the car has a break. It happens in forward and reverse. The car is a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback. Any ideas?
First and foremost do you have four matched tires in make/model and approx tread depth and has this always been the case?
Next major question is do you have an automatic transmission or manual transmission(AWD differs). If you have an Automatic transmission look up owners manual section about spare tire and AWD fuse to temporarily revert it to FWD(front wheel drive). If you drive in temporary FWD and this symptom goes away then the likely culprit is your solenoid clutchpack in the transmission which runs about $500-900 (depends on locale) to replace.
If you have a manual transmission it may be your differential acting up.
The car is manual trasmission, and I do have 4 matched tires in make and approx tread depth and has always been the case since I purchased it used in 2005. Thanks for the quick reply.
I have the same issue on my '00 Legacy sedan, manual transmission. I was curious to know if you found resolution? Thanks
I suspect a CV joint or suspension problem. Find a suspension or alignment shop FAST. Get this figured out before something breaks, and sends you into my car or a retaining wall.