I have a 2009 Honda Accord EX-L with 80k miles. It's the 4 Cyl. Automatic. This problem just cropped up. When I come into my driveway at night, I have to make a tight U-turn to park in my spot. The next morning, about 50% of the time, when I first start out, there is a horrible vibration/groaning sound but only for the first 30 feet or so in the driveway. At first, I thought it was exhaust or something because it appears to be coming from under the drivers seat, between my braking leg and the door. ( but I know that vibrations travel ) I cannot reproduce it at any other time, I don't feel it at any other speed, and it is not every time. I do have an appt. next week, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas. Since it's so intermittent, I doubt that the mechanic will be able to reproduce it on that day. I have recently replaced rear struts, brakes, rotors, and swaybar links, all within 2 months.

 

Parked outside with moisture (rain or dew)? How about surface rust on the brake rotors. That's pretty much normal and it rubs off quickly when you use the brakes.

 

It does sit outside. But to be more clear, it sounds more like when you drive over the white line and they have those rumble strip type things to alert you. It's pretty jarring. But it's only there for maybe 1 second and then it's gone. And it's not every time which makes it very hard to recreate when trying to get a mechanic to diagnose it.

 

Turning hard in the morning when it does this? Or only the night before when you park?
After you get turned around, drive out 10 or 20 feet then back straight in to park. Then does it do the vibration? Just trying to figure out if that's related...

 

It does it the next morning, AFTER I do the hard turn in the driveway the night before. ( so I can pull out instead of back out ) I would love to be able to answer the question, and I did try going forward and backing up and it didn't do it, but since it doesn't do it every time, I don't know if that answer means anything.

Now tonight, as I made the hard turn around, I did hear a faint almost scraping sound from the front. I'm starting to wonder if it's a strut/strut mount problem. The car was inspected less than a month ago, after doing 1300 in repairs, so I assume it's not something they would have checked. In my experience, they don't really look at struts, etc. all that closely.

 

Well it would be struts. I would assume it's a moving part. I would check rotors and brake. Maybe the dust cover if you had a stud replaced.

 

Would or wouldn't be? It was suggested to me that it might be a mount problem, but I'm not sure that fits either. Anyway, I guess I will find out on Thursday when I take the car in. I'm just hoping I don't hear the "We can't find anything" because I know it's something.

 

I meant wouldn't. A bad strut mount would give you a clunking sound or it being hit by a rubber mallet. You know that is what they are going to say after being there for hours and then testing it for 5 mins

 

Just a quick question, but did you change tires and wheels?

 

I did not.....yet. I need new tires. They passed inspection 2 weeks ago, but I was advised to get them replaced within a few months.