The car is a 2013 SE 1.6TDi.

The first part of every journey when I leave home is down a steep (25-30%) and very bumpy hill.

As I descend (15-20mph) I get a clunking sound from the rear end that sounds as if it is coming from the nearside (ie where the exhaust is).  It seems to be worse the colder it is and apart from here it never does it!   Doesn't even do it over speed humps.   It is the sort of sound you get when the exhaust is loose and swinging around.

 

It is coming up to the end of warranty and I know that if I report it I am going to get "we couldn't duplicate it" response.  It isn't bumpy enough for the car to be bottoming out (I think!!).   I have emptied the boot and taken out the rear seats - no change.  I have tugged and pulled at the exhaust with the car on a similar gradient and it is as solid as a rock.  I have also wondered about the hanging loops of the handbrake cable.

 

To be honest, it has been doing it for a while - I have just been too last to do anything about it.  Even forgot to mention it when it went in for service in January!

 

Anybody experienced anything similar?  Any ideas about a potential culprit?

Ye I hate sounds you cannot pin down. The only suggestion I can make is, checking if any thing in the spare wheel well loose or moving about.

Have the hard plastic rear shock covers come loose? My Touran used to do this - cured with some pipe lagging

dodgy shock if you are constantly doing that sort of ground every time you leave home?

 

try taking the spare out the boot and see if that solves it?

 

load cover rattling

 

may be get someone to sit in the back and record the sound on a mobile, maybe see if the can narrow down the source

Perhaps I have overdone the nature of the road.  It is a steep narrow lane with no footpath and houses on one side.  The unevenness is caused where their "level" driveways blend into the road - like mild speed bumps. 

But this unevenness is on the near side which is where the noise is - maybe it is a shocker or cover that has problems.

 

I have already stripped EVERYTHING out of the boot - even took out the rear seats - no difference.  When it goes in for its 1st MOT next month I will point them to the rear shockers.

 

Thanks for your input everyone.