Knocking Noise When Braking: 8 Causes and Is It Safe?

When you brake, the car's weight pitches forward and the brakes pull hard on everything they're bolted to. A part with any slack in it moves, and that small movement is what makes a knocking noise when braking.

We read about 30 service bulletins carmakers send their dealers, the recalls for loose brake parts, and the owner's manuals, which also name the clunks that are normal. The bulletins are specific: which part moved, on which car, and how long the fix takes.

The hard part is telling a harmless clunk from a loose bolt, so this page sorts the noises by when you hear them. Then it gives the fix, and what the carmaker's own repair time says about the bill.

Is it safe to drive with a knocking noise when braking?

Not until you know what it is, because one of the causes is a brake part coming loose. Three recalls show where that ends, with caliper or hub bolts that weren't tight enough and could loosen, separate or let a wheel come off:

• Nissan, recall 15V012000Front hub bolts on some 2014 and 2015 Rogues, Pathfinders and Infiniti QX60s, where the caliper could separate from the wheel assembly.
• Subaru, recall 16V576000Front caliper, hub and stabilizer bolts on some 2017 Outbacks, which could loosen or detach.
• Toyota, recall 24V911000Front caliper and hub bearing bolts on the 2024 RAV4 and 2025 Lexus NX, with a risk of a damaged brake hose or a wheel coming off.

NHTSA's records list each of those repairs as free of charge. None of the recalls mentions a noise, and we found no document that says how a loose bolt sounds when you brake.

So we'd stop driving and have it checked if the knock comes with any of these:

• A pull to one sideOne wheel is braking differently from the other.
• A soft pedal, or one that sinksFluid may be escaping, which can also light the red brake warning light. Toyota's recall 24V911000 says loose caliper bolts can damage a brake hose, which can leak.
• Grinding, or a knock getting louderMetal is touching metal, or something is working looser.
• A wobble in the steering wheelA wheel, hub or suspension part may be moving. Our steering wheel shake guide covers the shake on its own.

Hyundai's 2023 Sonata manual lists similar owner checks: listen for unusual sounds when stopping, and watch for pulling, extra pedal travel or a hard pedal.

What causes a knocking noise when braking?

A part with slack in it, pushed by the braking load. The bulletins carmakers send their dealers name these eight, the eighth with owners' complaints, and each one says what to check or ask:

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1. The pads moving in their bracket

Brake pads sit in a bracket, held by thin spring clips. When the clips weaken or the grease dries out, the rotor drags the pad sideways and it hits the bracket with a knock.

Mitsubishi describes a metallic knocking sound from the rear brakes on Outlanders, from pad clips that weaken with use, and fits new clips in 0.7 hours (TSB-19-35-002). Mazda replaces the discs and pads on 2013 to 2024 CX-5s that click on the first brake apply at slow speed, where old grease let the pads move (04-003-24).

The caliper slides on two pins, and they can knock the same way. Mazda fits new pin boots on 2014 to 2018 Mazda3s and 2016 to 2018 CX-3s whose front calipers knock on rough roads, because the old boots don't hold the pins firmly (04-005-19).

Ask for new clips and grease, and the slide pins checked, whenever the pads are changed. Wagner, a brake parts maker, says to replace all the anti-rattle clips, springs and pins, because brake heat can take the spring out of them.

2. A loose caliper or bracket bolt

The caliper, the part that squeezes the pads, is bolted to the car. A loose one is the most serious cause on this page, because the recalls above show where it ends.

Honda is collecting parts from 2023 and 2024 Passports with a grinding or thumping noise from the front brakes, caused by a loose or missing caliper bolt (a 2024 dealer message). Jeep replaces all four rear caliper bolts on 2018 to 2021 Wranglers and 2020 and 2021 Gladiators that click or clunk from the rear (05-006-21).

Chrysler traces a rear knock when braking on some 2023 Pacifica AWDs to the rotors and bolts meant for one use only, and replaces both (05-003-23). After any brake job, ask whether the bolts were torqued and, where the maker says so, replaced rather than reused.

3. Worn suspension bushings or ball joints

Braking pushes the wheel back against the suspension arms, and a worn rubber bushing or ball joint lets it move with a thud. Land Rover describes it as heard and felt.

Land Rover traced that thud on heavy braking at low speed to front lower arm bushings on 2013 to 2015 Range Rovers (LTB00573NAS4). GM found a loose rear ball joint behind a pop or clunk on 2014 and 2015 Camaros (PI1359).

Ask for the suspension to be checked with the wheels off the ground, not just the brakes. Moog, a suspension parts maker, says a worn control arm bushing can clunk while decelerating, as well as over bumps.

4. Rust or deposits on the rotors

Rust or pad deposits on the rotors, the discs the pads grip, give the brakes an uneven surface to bite on. The result can be a thump or a pulse as you brake.

Alfa Romeo lists rust on the rotors as a cause of thumping while braking on 2021 and 2022 Stelvios (05-004-23), and Mazda resurfaces or replaces CX-5 discs for rust (04-003-24). If the thump stays, the rotor itself may need resurfacing or replacing, and our guide to warped brake rotors explains the three faults behind it.

5. The pedal or brake booster

Some clunks come from under the hood or the dash, not the wheels. The booster, the round canister that adds force to your foot, has a rod and pins that can knock when they have slack.

GM found a clunk type noise during initial application of the brake pedal on 2018 Equinox and Terrain SUVs, from clearance inside the booster (18-NA-065). Tesla fixes a knocking booster pin on early Model 3s and says vehicle braking is not affected (SB-18-33-001).

If the noise follows the pedal rather than the wheels, say that to the shop.

6. The steering shaft or coupling

A clunk you feel in the steering wheel as you brake can come from the shaft between the wheel and the steering rack. Its splines stick, then slip, and the jolt comes through your hands.

Chrysler describes that clunk on 2011 and 2012 Grand Cherokees and Durangos under moderate braking (19-003-14), and Mercedes on its ML and GL models of the 166 series (LI46.10-P-054699). Ask for the steering shaft to be checked if the knock is in your hands more than your feet.

7. An electric parking brake after parking

An electric parking brake holds the rear pads against the rotors while the car is parked. After a long stop they can stick and break free with a single clunk as you pull away.

Mazda found this on 2023 to 2025 CX-50s and fits stiffer rear pads in about half an hour (04-002-25). If the clunk only ever comes on the first move after a long park, mention the parking brake.

8. A hybrid grabbing at low speed

Hybrids blend regenerative braking, where the motor slows the car, with the regular brakes. When the software gets it wrong, the brakes can grab near a stop.

Ford's bulletin 23-2060 says 2022 Maverick hybrids can grab under light braking at or below 6 mph, and fixes it with a software update. Owners' federal complaints about those trucks describe the grab with a clunk or thud, so ask a dealer whether the update was done.

Which clunks when braking are normal?

The one on your first move after starting the car. The ABS, the system that stops the wheels locking, tests its pump and valves then, and the manuals say you may hear it:

• NissanThe 2020 Altima manual says you may hear a "clunk" and feel a pulsation during the self-test, and that it's normal.
• ToyotaThe 2021 Avalon manual says a sound from the engine bay at start-up or just after moving off isn't a fault.
• GMThe 2020 Equinox manual says the check may make a momentary motor or clicking noise, and the pedal may move slightly.
• MazdaIts bulletin 04-003/18 calls the clunk or jolt on the first forward move a normal ABS noise and tells dealers Do not attempt any repairs.

A few carmakers go further. GM tells dealers that a thump on sudden braking in the 2016 to 2020 Cadillac CT6 is normal (PIC6290C).

On the 2024 Silverado EV, GM says a pop when you turn the wheel while stopped with the brakes held comes from the pads and rotors, so don't steer while stopped (24-NA-045).

Why do new brakes make a thump noise?

Because the new pads haven't bedded in yet, or something from the old job wasn't renewed. Stellantis says bedding stabilizes the contact between new pads and rotors.

Stellantis tells technicians to bed Alfa Romeo pads with 20 stops from 75 to 50 mph, or 30 from 45 mph to a stop (S1705000002). Land Rover traces a knock from about 10 mph on 2024 Range Rover Sport SVs with carbon ceramic brakes to brakes that weren't bedded in.

If the thump started right after a brake job, ask three things:

• Were the pads bedded in?Your shop or the pad box says how. Wagner's usual method is 20 slow-downs from 50 to 20 mph with light pedal pressure.
• Were the clips and hardware replaced?Weak clips are cause 1 above, and a decent pad set includes new shims and often the clips, as our pad and rotor cost guide notes.
• Were the caliper bolts torqued, or replaced where they're one-time-use?A loose bolt is cause 2, the one to rule out first.

Why does the knocking stop when I brake?

Because the loose part is in the brakes, and applying them holds it still. The two bulletins that describe it both trace the noise to play in the brake parts over bumps.

GM described a front rattle or clunk on 2012 Chevrolet Sonics that is gone or reduced when the brakes are applied, from play between the caliper bracket pins and their holes (PI0833). Mazda's MX-5 rear brake rattle disappears when the parking brake is lightly applied (04-005/18), a check Mazda gives its dealers, not one to try while driving.

How do you find where the knock is coming from?

By noticing when it happens, because each cause has its moment. On a quiet, empty road, check these, and tell the shop what you found:

• First move after starting onlyThe ABS self-test, normal. Or an electric parking brake letting go after a long park.
• Forward and reverseLexus notes a rear knock on LS models that shows in both directions and is worst at a full stop, and Audi a clunk after changing direction in parking lots.
• On rough roads, or braking at low speedPads or a caliper moving, as in the Mitsubishi bulletin, which names both.
• When accelerating tooLook past the brakes to the suspension and hubs. GM traced a pop or clunk when braking or accelerating on 2014 and 2015 Camaros to a loose ball joint (PI1359), and Ford one on 2018 to 2024 Mustangs to the rear hub (SSM 52444).
• Felt in the steering wheelThe steering shaft or a suspension part.
• As you press or release the pedalThe booster or brake actuator, as in the GM and Lexus bulletins.

A shop's first look is the one that matters: the wheels off, the caliper bolts checked for torque, and the pads checked for movement in the bracket.

How much does it cost to fix a knocking noise when braking?

The parts behind a knock cost $1.84 to $290 at the counter, from a caliper slide pin to a lower control arm. The box prices them one car at a time, so you can find yours.

Labor isn't in the box, but the carmakers' own warranty times put a number on it. At $120 to $159 an hour, what almost half of shops charge in a 2025 survey:

• New rear pad clips and grease, Mitsubishi0.7 hours on Outlanders, $84 to $111 in labor.
• Front discs and pads, Mazda0.5 to 0.6 hours on CX-5s, $60 to $95 in labor.
• Stiffer rear pads, Mazda0.4 to 0.5 hours on CX-50s, $48 to $80 in labor.
• Rear rotors and one-use bolts, Chrysler1.1 hours with the road test on 2023 Pacificas, $132 to $175 in labor.
• Booster pin, Tesla0.35 hours on early Model 3s, $42 to $56 in labor.
• Brake actuator and bleed, Lexus3.8 hours on RX 450h hybrids, $456 to $604 in labor.

A shop's diagnosis time comes on top. The gap between the first line and the last is why finding the part that moves matters before anyone quotes.

How do you fix a knocking noise when braking?

By finding the part that moves and making it fixed again. To fix a knocking noise when braking, work through these 5 steps, in order:

1. Note when it happens. First move only, low speed, over bumps, forward or reverse, felt in the wheel or the pedal.
2. Rule out a loose caliper first. Ask for the caliper and bracket bolts to be checked for torque before anything else.
3. Check the pads in the bracket. Weak clips and dry grease get new hardware, as Mitsubishi's 0.7-hour fix does, and loose slide pins get new boots, as Mazda's does.
4. Check the suspension if the brakes are tight. Bushings and ball joints move under braking, and the shop should check them with the wheels off the ground.
5. Run the VIN. A recall or bulletin may cover it, as on the cars above.

Our free VIN checker shows the car's details, and a dealer can check it for open recalls.

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Common questions

Asked most often

Should I drive with a clunking noise when braking?

Not far until a shop has checked the caliper bolts, because a loose caliper is one of the causes. If the car pulls, shakes, or the pedal feels soft, stop and have it checked before driving on.

What does a loose caliper sound like?

Honda describes a grinding or thumping noise from the front brakes on Passports with a loose or missing caliper bolt. Jeep's bulletin on loose rear caliper bolts describes a click or clunk from the rear.

Why does my car clunk at low speeds when braking?

Pads shifting in their bracket and worn suspension bushings both show at low speed. Mitsubishi and Land Rover bulletins describe a knock at low speed, from weak pad clips and front arm bushings.

Why does my car make a thud when I release the brake pedal?

It can be the booster or the brake actuator under the hood. Lexus describes a knock from the engine bay when pressing or releasing the pedal on 2016 to 2022 RX 450h hybrids, and replaces the brake actuator.

Why does my car make noise when braking but the brakes are fine?

It may be the ABS self-test on your first move, which the manuals call normal, or a noise the carmaker has ruled harmless. If it happens every stop, have it checked anyway.

How much does it cost to fix a clunking noise when braking?

The parts we priced run from $1.84 for a caliper slide pin to $290 for a truck's lower control arm, before labor. The carmakers' own repair times for these jobs run 0.35 to 3.8 hours, or $42 to $604 at $120 to $159 an hour.

Prices are ranges compiled in September 2026 for the US market and vary by region, engine and shop rate. Prices from $10 up are rounded to the nearest dollar, so $14.13 reads as $14 and $14.52 as $15. Below $10 they're exact. This article is general information, not advice about your specific vehicle. See the disclaimer.