Hi everyone,

I’m currently dealing with some suspension issues on my 2015 Audi S4 and could use some advice. The car has 146,000 miles on it, and recently,

I've noticed some clunking noises, especially when going over bumps or turning.

I suspect it could be the struts or control arms, but I'm not entirely sure. Has anyone here dealt with similar issues on an S4 or other Audi models?

What parts should I focus on replacing first?

Any tips on DIY repairs or should I take it to a shop? Appreciate any input,

 

thanks in advance for any help

 

If you can confidently reproduce the clunking when going over bumps or turning, my first guess would be sway bar end links. Those should be pretty easy and inexpensive to replace. If the noise persists after replacing the end links, I would start investigating ball joints.

If you get the car in the air and see obvious signs of massive strut failure, like damper oil all over, that will tell you the strut is the main culprit. However, in my experience, a strut failure like that would cause some handling irregularities in addition to noises. The fact that you said "I've noticed some clunking noises" would tell me that it might not be a strut issue.

 

Been there, felt that. I had a '13 S5 and around the 140k mark, it started doing the exact same thing—clunking over bumps, especially when turning at low speeds or going over uneven pavement. Drove me nuts for weeks.

Turned out it was a mix of worn control arm bushings and one completely shot upper ball joint. The struts were tired too, but the noise was mostly from the arms. Audis love to eat through bushings once they hit higher mileage—it’s like a rite of passage.

If you're wrench-handy, you can tackle it yourself. But fair warning: those bolts can be a nightmare if they’ve seized up with age and road grime. I snapped one trying to be brave with a breaker bar. 😅 If you don’t have a proper press or torch, a shop might save you hours of agony (and a few broken tools).

I'd say start with the upper and lower control arms—especially if the boots are cracked or the bushings look dry-rotted. Then look at the struts if the ride feels floaty or you’re bouncing more than usual.

Hope you get her back riding smooth again. These cars are too good to let a little suspension drama ruin the fun.