• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


"Clack" Sound In Reverse

BrooseDaMoose

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,036
Reactions
589
Points
162
Location
East Freetown, MA
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST, Silver Spruce Metalic
#1
Since the weather has gotten nicer here and I've been able to have the windows down I've noticed a "clack" sound whenever I back up. Every time I pull up and go to back into my driveway I hear it. Sounds like a solenoid or something. It only sounds once as soon as I start to back up. I pull up, turn to the left, put it in reverse, and as soon as the vehicle starts to move back I hear "clack" from the front of the vehicle. It's loud enough that my neighbor heard it and asked if I had a bad CV joint. But it only sounds once, not clack, clack, clack like a CV joint. I'm wondering if this is something disengaging and is normal or if I should be concerned.
 

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,728
Reactions
864
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#2
You sure it's from the front? Sounds like the metallic "tink" sound that is fixed by lubing the axle splines. I suppose the same thing can happen for the front axles?
 

Chamorro85

Active Member
Messages
535
Reactions
254
Points
52
Location
Round Lake, IL USA
Vehicle
'21 Explorer ST
#3
You sure it's from the front? Sounds like the metallic "tink" sound that is fixed by lubing the axle splines. I suppose the same thing can happen for the front axles?
Was going to ask the same thing. This was super annoying for me. Showed dealership a video of the fix when they couldn't find the tsb for it. Fixed along with a couple other small annoying sounds that had tsb's.
 

Messages
331
Reactions
183
Points
37
Location
Burlington, ON, Canada
#4
See if it happens when, after reversing, you shift back to drive and try moving forward. Mine did the same thing, and it was a faulty driver side rear axle shaft.
 

Messages
376
Reactions
235
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
#5
I had Clicking and popping when putting in drive or reverse. See video below.

 

Messages
297
Reactions
177
Points
37
Location
San Francisco
Vehicle
2022 ST
#6
I had Clicking and popping when putting in drive or reverse. See video below.

The torque makes this weird. Seems like a tolerance issue.

Also, this dude walkin around in flip flops in a shop is INSANE
 

GearHead_1

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,576
Reactions
1,316
Points
262
Location
Utah
Vehicle
Exploder
#7
...Also, this dude walkin around in flip flops in a shop is INSANE
He may well be an excellent technician, that said, I have a hard time watching his videos and he'd never lay a hand on my vehicle.
 

OP
BrooseDaMoose

BrooseDaMoose

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,036
Reactions
589
Points
162
Location
East Freetown, MA
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST, Silver Spruce Metalic
Thread Starter #8
I watched the video and it sounds like something different. But I’m gonna get my neighbor to help me out and listen to where it’s coming from. I also don’t hear it when I pull forward. Seems to only happen when I back up. I’ll try to get a video of it to.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Messages
86
Reactions
23
Points
7
Location
United States
Vehicle
Explorer ST
#9
I also get a single clack noise only when shifting into reverse. Mine doesn't happen every single time but often enough to notice. I bought the car used with only 7k miles on it but has done it since I've owned the vehicle.
 

Messages
381
Reactions
179
Points
37
Location
Socal
#11
I had Clicking and popping when putting in drive or reverse. See video below.

As annoying as that sound is, has there been drivability issues?

I dont think I read of anything breaking other than the annoying sound
 

hbalek

Active Member
Messages
978
Reactions
548
Points
232
Location
Kensington, MD, USA
#12
If I had every noise on this thing addressed under warranty, my car would always be in the shop. I've accepted a long time ago that this vehicle is not well-designed or built and was brought to market way too soon. Every day I hear and feel something new literally from the powertrain, axles, suspension. I'm basically living with it until I find something to trade in for in a year or so. I have invested in new tires and extended warranty for past year so I'm gonna keep it a while longer. I'm also hoping for a catastrophic powertrain failure between now and December 4th, when the powertrain warranty expires. This is likely considering I've had axles, sensors, clutch, fuel pump, cat, etc. etc. replaced in the past 4 years. Better it happens now before I have to pay the deductible for the ESP. At just under 4.5 years and 51,000 miles, it drives like a much older car now.
 

Last edited:


Top