When I back out of, or pull out of, my driveway, I hear a new clunking sound from the front of the car.

What could this be, and about how much should I expect to pay?

TIA

 

How many miles do you have on your car? May be time for a suspension refresh. I would start by checking your tie rods, struts, bushings and end links.

 

80k

What would be the best way to check those items? Sorry for the ignorant questions :-\ I just want to do as much research before handing over to a mechanic to make sure I am not getting screwed.

 

I'd recommend feeling around under the car and look for excessive play in the tie rods, end links, etc. Additionally, you can have someone turn the steering back and forth while you are under the car to see if you can pinpoint the specific cause of the noise. 80k seems on the early side to start replacing stuff, but if the car has lived its life on rougher roads then it may be time.

 

the power steering fluid was pretty low, topped it off and seemed to resolve the problem