I have owned my GP 1.9 Multijet for just over two years although it is a 2006 model. For the most part it has been fine but of late she has been driving me beserk.

There has been a strange rattle the sounds as if it emanates from the subframe/left front suspension area. It has been to the dealer so many times I lose count. They have assured me that it's not the suspension arms, drop links etc. On my insistence that the problem be fixed once and for all a couple of months ago I took it out for a drive with the head technician at my local dealer here in South Africa. He diagnosed it as being the left upper shock mount. I had the replaced and the rattle remained. The following month after another two visits I had the shocks replaced with Koni Sport Adjustables. The ride is a hundred times better but still the rattle remains. Going over bumps the suspension feels solid so I don't suspect that its got something to do with the shocks or mounts.

Here's the strange part at startup when the car has been stood and all is cold, there is nothing. As the car gets warm the rattle appears. Driving over a relatively straight, smooth, but slightly bumpy road the noise is easily noticeable - "it sounds as if something is about to fall out the bottom of the car next to my feet" a friend told me the other day whilst driving with me.

I have stopped the car and tried to shake all parts of the suspension that I could reach to look for play, they all seem solid. I took it back to the dealer twice and they still maintain that there is nothing wrong. It was a car that was affected by the steering column/knuckle recall, which was undertaken (apparently) before I owned the car.

Short of replacing every movable part of that side of the car, which is not sensible, I am at my wits end. I have taken the wheel arch liners out thinking it might be that, still the noise remains.

The Koni agent that put the shocks in suggested chaging all the suspension bushes to poly bushes, but that will be a great expense when I'm not certain it's related to the drop links or control arms. Could it be a steering rack, could it be bushes, is is perhaps a wheel bearing? Has anyone had something similar?

Many thanks in advance.

I have heard of problems with the exhaust pipe hitting the underbody brace bar between the left and right footwells. Not sure if this only affects the aftermarket "forge" brace bar or the factory one too. Perhaps factory one is bent? I hear it is very thin.

Thanks jameshobiecat. I'll give it a look. Strange thing is it is completely solid when cold but the minute it reaches operating temperature something sounds loose, almost like there is a bush that has expanded and now allowing metal on metal rattling. I have seen that bar on the subframe. Perhaps that's the next thing to remove and see if the noise persists.

Might be a long shot but I had a strange noise coming from my 1.9 not long back I serched high and low to find it just as you have but in the end mentioned it to my mechanic who took it a test drive I thought like you it was coming from suspension or from inside the engine bay or something turned out all it was was the handbreak cable rubbing on the guard underneath the cat and making a squeaky rattle sound. Don't know how much help this will be but I hope you get it sortedsoon rattles get me so wound up in a car they are horrible.

Jordan.