I’m reaching out to the community for some advice regarding a concerning noise in my daughter’s 2018 Mercedes Benz GLA 250 4Matic. This vehicle currently has 81,702 miles and was purchased pre-owned from a reputable dealership back in 2020. Recently, we’ve started to notice a distinct thumping or clunking sound originating from the rear of the car. This noise is most apparent at lower speeds, typically when initiating movement from a complete stop.
The sound seems to manifest when driving straight, and interestingly, it tends to dissipate as the car gains a little speed, becoming completely silent at normal driving speeds. The occurrence is somewhat intermittent, not happening on every single start from a standstill, which makes diagnosing the issue a bit tricky.
Initially, we suspected tire issues. Before my daughter returned to college, we took the GLA to Firestone for a tire rotation and to inquire about the noise. They conducted an inspection and confirmed that the wheel alignment and balancing were within specifications. However, they did point out that two of the tires exhibited signs of “cupping,” which they suggested could be the source of the noise. Based on this assessment, we replaced the two suspect tires with brand new ones.
Confident that the tire issue was resolved, we embarked on the drive to take the car back to my daughter. Initially, it seemed the clunking had indeed disappeared. However, to our dismay, the sound resurfaced last night as we were slowly pulling into our hotel parking lot. The familiar thumping was back, especially noticeable at those very low parking speeds.
After some preliminary online research, I’ve come across information suggesting that this type of noise could potentially be related to the rear differential or possibly a universal joint issue.
I would be immensely grateful for any suggestions or insights from forum members who may have experienced similar problems with their Mercedes Benz Gla 2018 or similar models. Any guidance in pinpointing the source of this intermittent rear-end clunking noise and advice on how to resolve it would be highly appreciated. We are keen to get to the bottom of this and ensure the car is in optimal condition.
Thank you in advance for your expertise and assistance.
