Why does my car make a noise when cornering?

Question

Recently my car (a P reg Corsa) has started making a noise if I take a corner at speed, or go quickly around a roundabout. It's hard to describe the noise, but it's like a grinding/rubbing sound. The wheel is nowhere near full lock. Any ideas what could it be?

Thanks for the responses. I'll have a look and see if I can see anything wrong with the CV boot / joint. I guess I should book it in and get it sorted before it gets worse and ends up costing more than the car itself to get fixed.

It's hard to describe the sound, but it's almost like the car is skidding minus the screeching sound - if you can imagine what that sounds like...

I don't think it's the tyre rubbing on the body work as the ride height looks fine and there's no damage to the body work.
It only happens when turning and going quickly around longer corners. It never happens when turning and going slow (<10MPH), e.g. when turning into a street.

Answer 1

check your power steering fluid level. and hope that is what it is.

Answer 2

It could be a torn cv boot (leaks it's grease, then gets dirt in the cv joint). Dry/dirty outer cv joints usually makes clicking noises when you make turns as you steer. The inboard cv joints are a different design and don't move as much as the outer, and I think they make more of a clunking sound when worn. An outer cv joint with a torn boot and is clicking can usually be disassembled, regreased, and and put back together with a new boot without a problem.

You describe your sound as a "grinding/rubbing sound". Could a tire be rubbing one of the fenders for some reason? You say it happens "at speed", does it also happen when going slow, because a dirty cv joint woul always make some noise whenever you have the front wheels turned and traveling. Maybe you have worn suspension components or a worn shock /(or strut) and the suspension is diving when cornering at speed. That could cause the tire to rub the fender.

Answer 3

It could be possibly:

1. The axel

2. Suspension

3. A tyre bubble

4. The brake pad

Answer 4

here are the probably problems from most to least likely. cv joints going out due to torn boot, power steering fluid low or power steering pump failing, tires rubbing fenders.

Answer 5

Could be the CV joint or the wheel bearing, or ball joint.

Answer 6

Yes, it sounds like the universal joint on one of the wheels has gone, it won't come apart in the short term but needs changing asap.

Answer 7

if you turn the wheel to the side where it is making the noise and it starts knocking it is probably the cv joint

Answer 8

check the power steering fluid level with the engine running if it has it,,,,,,,if it is a cv joint bear in mind if they knock on left hand lock its the right hand one thats had it and vice versa

Answer 9

Your CV boots may be torn, and it sounds like your joint is going out. Somehow you have lost lubrication and you will have to replace the joint.

Answer 10

McPerson strut might have gone and the tire is rubbing against the body work.

You can check it by 'bouncing' the front - it shouldn't 'dip' very far.

Answer 11

If lowered your front wheels are touching the arch therefore its far too low alternatively get you bearings checked, your tyres may be wrecked or suspension requires attention get doen ATS it might be something simple but its better to check remove the risk of injury.

Good luck