Brakes have a "Klunk" sound-Issue Resolved -Check Axle Bolts

My brakes recently started making a klunking noise when stopping from speeds above 30 mph about 40 to 50% of the time. Then when I take off they klunk again. Anybody else notice this? My Rav4 has abouth 30,800 miles on it and this started about a month or so ago. I'm taking it in for service tomorrow, so we'll see if they can find the problem.

On one of my RAV4s, I had that clunk when coming to a stop. After a couple weeks, it went away. Had it continued, I would have taken it to the dealer for service.

Couldn't get it to do it during the drive with the service technician other than a slight klunk that occurred once. He thinks it may be a mount that has loosened. He said to keep watching it. After I picked it up and on the way home, it did it a couple times. Typical.

I have the same sound that I either started noticing or developed @ around 7,000 miles. Seems to be prevalent when I am traveling 30-45mph and coming to dead stop. The klunk seems to be audible when I am decelerating to about 10-15 mph.

I'm getting close to my 10k tire rotation will ask the tech to review/report but it reminds me of a similar sound I had in my '04 Honda Pilot. I can recall the Honda tech stating it has to do with the ABS system and it is a 'normal' sound that comes and goes but before I had a chance to call BS, I ended up trading in the Pilot for a Acura TL-S that was on the lot.

In any event, LMK if you find out any details as it drives me batty, but not overly concerned its a major issue at this point.

Yeah, that's exactly the same issue. But the problem is it doesn't happen every time. It's frustrating. Couldn't make it happen very loudly with the service tech, but then the next day it happened 3 times in about 20 minutes of driving with my brother.

Bassman said:

Yeah, that's exactly the same issue. But the problem is it doesn't happen every time. It's frustrating. Couldn't make it happen very loudly with the service tech, but then the next day it happened 3 times in about 20 minutes of driving with my brother.

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Same here, doesn't happen every time. Not sure if the ambient temperature has a play in this, but I know my dash also started rattling again as the temperatures have started to climb a bit in the bay area.

I'll have to try to isolate where the sound is coming from, but I'll try to scan the general Rav4 forums to see if its a commonality that is shared with its ICE counterparts.

The tech said it could be a mount that has loosened a bit, but it's a pain to open up the drive train due to the drag reducing under panels. When I bring it back to the dealer in a month or so I'm going to have them check all the mounts.

When I took my 2013 RAV4 EV in for the 5000 mile service last week, I asked the service advisor to also check on an intermittent klunking noise from the front driver-side brake area and on an intermittent rattle noise from the dash area. When I got it back, the advisor said the brake noise is as designed (??) and the dash noise didn't occurred so nothing was done on the noise problems.

I have a clunking noise when slowing to a stop sometimes. If I do a really slow, slowdown, right at the end when the car is about to stop, it would clunk the last few seconds as the car stops. Sounds like metal clamping metal.

That's the noise. Just as the friction braking starts to occur. I will be bringing mine back to the dealer to fix this. It didn't ocuur for the first 30,000 miles, so it shouldn't be happening now.

fusiondynamics said:

I have a clunking noise when slowing to a stop sometimes. If I do a really slow, slowdown, right at the end when the car is about to stop, it would clunk the last few seconds as the car stops. Sounds like metal clamping metal.

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Mine is same. No issue IMO.

Keep us posted as to what they find. thanks!

I noticed it too especially when I brake hard at first and let it off a bit at the end just right before complete stop...always wander why it does that.

Issue Resolved! My bolts for the right front axle loosened up. The tech tightened them up (1 and a quarter turns) and no more klunking. If you have a klunking noise when braking, have the service technician check the bolts on the axles!