Symptoms of a failing Strut Mount
Car is vibrating
Pop quiz time. What do you think happens when the strut mounts aren’t doing their job?
If you said that there’s more shock and stress on the car, then you would be exactly right. If one of your strut mounts fails, you’ll notice your car vibrating a bit, and altogether not feeling nearly as stable and comfortable as it usually does.
Abnormal steering
If your car’s suspension system is compromised, then the steering system is liable to be compromised as well. And that’s exactly what might happen if one of your strut mounts decides to put in its two weeks notice.
The steering of your car might feel a little loose, as though you don’t have as much control as you would like to have. It also might feel a little bit tight and be a little more responsive than you’re used to.
Ultimately, any abnormal steering should always be a giant red flag. Pay attention to your car when it’s giving you warning signals.
Clunking noise
Time for your first car lesson: Noises are a bad sign. Noises mean something is wrong.
If one of your strut mounts breaks, the struts may rattle around a bit, which will result in a clunking noise any time you drive over a bump in the road, or a pothole.
Uneven tire wear
A damaged strut mount can cause issues to both your suspension and your steering. That, in turn, will cause alignment problems in your car.
If your car isn’t properly aligned, you’ll experience uneven wear and tear on your tires, with some of the tires having more wear than others.
Look, I don’t care if you don’t know the next thing about cars, but you should try and get in the habit of checking out your tires. Look for low pressure, excessive wear, or bubbles. And look to see if one side is more worn out than the other.
If it is, you may have an alignment issue, which could be due to a strut mount problem.