Had a Ford Flex come in with a noise that took me 3 hours to find

This Tuesday I had a 2013 Ford Flex come in with a low rumble that everyone thought was wheel bearings. I pulled all four wheels and checked them, nothing wrong. Then I spent another hour chasing exhaust hangers and heat shields. Finally found it was a loose bolt on the motor mount bracket where it bolts to the subframe. Took a 15mm socket and 2 minutes to fix it after that. Has anyone else had one of those jobs where the simple stuff hides for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

fox.derek23d ago

my buddy actually had almost the exact same thing happen on his 2011 Flex last year. he was chasing a weird vibration for like two days, even replaced both front wheel bearings before he finally figured it out. turned out to be a loose bolt on the motor mount bracket too, just like yours. he said he felt like an idiot but honestly those noises can trick anyone. the motor mount thing is super common on those Flexes from what I've heard. glad you found it without throwing parts at it.

emma_clark22d ago

The way a tiny loose bolt can make the whole car feel broken is wild. It's like how a squeaky door hinge can make you think the whole frame is warped, but really it's just one little screw. Sometimes the smallest things cause the biggest headaches, right?

margaret_williams522d ago

Same here @fox.derek, that motor mount bolt is a sneaky one. I've seen it pull that exact trick before.