I am a car mechanic. If you hear a strange thump while driving… it could be more serious than you think.
- A mechanic has said that the knocking noises could be more serious than you think
- Simon Cheatle has urged drivers to check their cars immediately
- Auto experts warn against driving if the noise is heard as it could cause damage
An auto mechanic has revealed that a strange knocking noise in your car could be much more serious than you think.
Walsall Wood Tire and Service mechanic Simon Cheatle said the noise could be life-threatening.
While drivers may not bother to fix the annoying knocking noise, he said, “It’s always worth getting checked out.”
Sharing with his company TikTok @walsallwood_tyre, he said that the noise could be caused by the lower joint of the wheel and could damage other parts of his car.
A mechanic has claimed that the knocking noise in your car could be more serious than you think and could be life-threatening.
The lower ball joint connects the control arm to the steering knuckles, when they fail, they can cause unsafe steering and handling and can even lead to loss of control, according to auto experts at thedrive.com.
Demonstrating in a Renault, Simon explains: “People often come up to us and say, ‘I’ve got a slight knocking noise, I don’t think it’s anything serious, but can you take a look at it?’
‘It’s very slight, and it’s not there all the time for you to think ah, something slight, something small.
‘Unfortunately, it’s the lower ball joint and if you look, how much free play is there in that wheel. Look, he’s literally hanging now.
‘If I can get into this bottom there, as I’m acting, it’s actually jumping around and wearing more of the tire. That will put the steering all over the road and increase wear on all the other components connected to it.

Simon Cheatle attributed the noise to the lower wheel joint and could damage other parts of his car.

Simon has urged drivers to take their cars to the nearest garage as soon as they hear banging noises.
According to the experts at thedrive.com, you shouldn’t drive with a bad ball joint, and continuing to ignore it could prove very costly.
“Continuing to drive can cause damage to other vehicle components and if the linkage fails completely, you could lose control of the vehicle and lead to a crash and injury,” they said.
For this reason, Simon has urged drivers to take their cars to the nearest garage as soon as they detect any peculiar noise.
Since being posted, the video has garnered more than 32,000 views and hundreds of likes.
Users jumped into the comments section, some asking the experienced mechanic burning questions, one saying, ‘Can you help me please? I have a knocking noise in my Astra, it happens when I push to squeeze’.
Others weren’t so worried about having their cars checked, one user said: ‘Mine banging for three years when I was driving LOL’.
Another said: “I get a clunk coming from the rear near the side corner when I hit a pretty big pothole.”
The mechanic frequently posts videos educating his followers about auto parts and potential dangers.
He has posted videos from home to change the gearbox to how to pass the ITV.