Hi all,

Bought my 2009 TSX in July, and so far have been plagued by a bunch of little annoyances (I wonder how many I would have noticed on my own without reading this board -- I definitely notice the engine pinging and hood vibration though).

Anyway, one thing I've noticed that I haven't seen mentioned here is the extremely loud rear shocks. I noticed it within the first few days of owning the car. It took me a long time to figure out that it was simply the shocks causing the noise. The noise is like air moving in and out (like if you were to exercise one of those hand held balloon pumps), and happens pretty much anytime the rear shocks are exercised. I first thought it was something rattling in the trunk (gets much louder with the seats folded down), but after crawling into the trunk while my girlfriend drove it up and down the driveway, I realized it was coming from inside the shock wells.

Has anyone else noticed this? Is this something that is "normal," or should they not be this loud? When I'm driving, I hear it from the rear passenger shock the most, but I don't know if this one is louder than the other, or if it's just the acoustics that make it more noticeable from over there.

 

Not something I've noticed. When you two were driving up & down the driveway, was it the curb transition that produced the noise or just driving up & down a smooth surface?

If I were to drive over a speed bump kinda quickly I'd hear the jounce & rebound of the struts, but it's a normal noise if you ask me.

 

Yea... it occurs on the transition. Basically anytime the car experiences any bounce in the rear (even just bumps on the freeway induce it, however).

I don't know... it seems to bother me less now that I (think) I know what it is, but I've never heard it on any other car before so it just took me by surprise. That, and the fact that it's not a very pleasant noise -- kind of a high pitched, nail-on-chalkboard-effect sound.

 

Shock noise is usually normal if its just that air sound you describe. If there's some other mechanical noise along with it then I'd say that might be abnormal, but either way I haven't heard it on my TSX. I don't drive with the windows down however. I do hear that sound from the front and rear of my other car however, but once again only when the windows are down. I usually only hear it when I'm going through a drive thru that has some bumps and my windows are down.

 

I've noticed the SAME noise!

Your description took the words right out of my mouth.

Mine seems to be coming from only the right rear... I can't tell if its both rear shocks.

The noise is extremely faint however. If I have my radio at just volume 8 or 9, it's enough to cover it up.

My car was built last June, bought last July. So its roughly 13 months old now.

 

Hah... good to know I'm not alone. Yeah... while driving I can only hear it from the right rear as well. However, when I got in the trunk I heard it (perhaps a bit fainter) from the left rear also.

I just bought mine in July 09. I was hoping that "breaking in" the shocks would decrease the noise... but I guess not.

It is pretty faint, as my girlfriend says she doesn't hear it at all. But, I do. Guess I just have to live with it, as no doubt the dealership would claim it's a normal noise.

 

Im not gonna lie but you guys are paranoid. All shocks make that noise. Its regular. Its the fluid inside the shocks moving through the valve.

 

I have same issue sounds like clicking like its fully extending and hitting back...

 

Has anyone had this issue addressed by the dealer or got them to look at it? Thanks

 

I'm taking it in next week mainly for them to look at the engine pinging issue, but I'll mention this as well and see what they say.

 

mine has it but it is the driver side rear, click when brake or start or going up and down on a small slope, tried taking in and they said they fixed it but it is still there

 

I now have to alter my above statement. After I fixed the creaking noise I was having with the rear frame, I now notice the shock noise as I'm driving. I never noticed it before unless I had the windows open, but I guess since its pretty quiet in my car I can now hear them in the back while I drive. I don't mind. Its pretty faint and my last two cars (different brands) had it as well.