{"id":34203,"date":"2024-11-11T01:33:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T09:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getjerry.com\/wp-site\/?post_type=car-repair&p=34203"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:42:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:42:19","slug":"why-does-my-car-make-a-clunking-noise-when-shifting-from-park-to-drive","status":"publish","type":"car-repair","link":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/car-repair\/why-does-my-car-make-a-clunking-noise-when-shifting-from-park-to-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does My Car Clunk When I Put it in Drive?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question: <\/strong>I have a 2012 Chevy, and sometimes, when I shift into gear, it makes a loud clunking noise. It can be difficult to shift out of park. I haven\u2019t noticed anything off about my car\u2019s performance, and it only happens sometimes. What causes a clunking noise when shifting from park to drive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This used to happen to my old Chevy<\/a> every morning. Here are some possible explanations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parking pawl disengaging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you park your car by shifting it to \u201cP,\u201d but you don\u2019t engage the e-brake (also known as the handbrake or parking brake), then your car\u2019s weight might be resting on the parking pawl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A parking pawl locks your car\u2019s transmission in place so that your wheels remain stationary. If you\u2019ve ever parked your car and noticed it move a little before stopping, that\u2019s your parking pawl in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a flat surface, there\u2019s not much weight resting on the parking pawl\u2014but if you\u2019re parked on a slope, there\u2019s a lot more. And when you shift from \u201cP\u201d to \u201cD,\u201d you\u2019re trying to move something that\u2019s weighted down. Releasing the tension will cause the clunk, and the more effort it takes for you to disengage the parking pawl, the louder the clunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The solution is simple: When parking, engage the parking brake before the \u201cP\u201d gear. This puts your vehicle\u2019s weight on the parking brake and not on the parking pawl. The clunk should go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motor mounts failing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Motor mounts hold your engine in place, and if your mounts have failed, your engine can start moving around the engine bay, causing the clunking sound. This happens especially when you put your car in motion or shift gears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only solution is to replace your failed motor mounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worn differential bushings in RWD cars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have a rear-wheel drive car, your differential\u2014a system that conducts power to the wheels and lets them move at different speeds\u2014might have a bad bushing. If a bushing is worn out, the differential might move more than normal, causing the thudding noise. You can fix this by replacing the bushing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transmission problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re low on transmission fluid, your transmission might not have the lubrication required to shift gear smoothly. Healthy transmission fluid should be translucent and red or dark pink. Black- or brown-colored transmission fluid needs a refresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s difficult to inspect the fluid levels on some cars. However, in many cars, you can find the transmission fluid dipstick behind the engine oil dipstick in the engine bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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