I keep getting a big tangle of metal stuck under my car...
 

... Not really, but it sure sounds like it. it happens very intermittently, and then goes away. Often occurs with a hard left turn, and at low speed. Last night I took a slow hard left to get next to a gas pump and the sound started. It stopped when I stopped, so its movement-related. This is about the fourth time I've gotten down to look under the car when this sound happens because it sounds exactly like a big piece of metal being dragged under the car. About 10 seconds after I started up and pulled out of the gas station it just disappeared. It didn't happen again the rest of the way home. Any ideas what that sound is?

Parking brake?

I guess its possible. When it happens I have tried to jiggle the parking brake handle, but the disappearance of the sound is not immediate enough to indicate that was the cause.

Could it be a rock stuck between the rotor and the caliper. Happens all the time in my area. One second the noise is there, then the next it's gonna.

Yup, happens to me a few times a year. Sounds like the belly pan fell off. The first couple of times it happened I actually stopped, looked under the car, looked on the road for junk -- nothing. When it happens, you usually can't reproduce it no matter how hard you try. Doesn't seem to do any harm.

AM Fixer and yvr: Like you said, its intermittent, you can't reproduce it (especially not when you're at the dealer !), it sounds like the pan fell off and is dragging, and then its gone.

I bet that's it. I never thought of that. I love this forum! -- Thanks!

Had it once. Pulled over in a hurry. Found NOTHING unusual. Been normal ever since. I do, however, get the odd metallic "twang" once almost every drive, always at low speed.

sonnyd: yes, me too, but it is a different level of intensity than the sound that prompted this post. As long as you brought it up, however, what is that crazy random twang?

Has happened to me twice. Sounds like metallic scraping. Usually cause by a small stone jammed between the caliper and the dust shield behind the rotor. Going slowly in reverse and then forward again usually dislodges it.

I had that too, turned out to be a piece of a plyers that entered the tire and eventually, fell into the tire. it sounded like I was dragging chicken wire when going real slow.

I have experienced this too, sounds like a fan rotating slowly hitting sheet metal at an edge. Happens when it is really cold or car has set for a couple weeks

Its good to hear that its a nuisance, but no one seems to think its a problem. When I heard that sound in the past I saw mounting repair bills...

I had it happen once early on. I thought I broke something serious after a hard turn. It probably was a piece of road debris. I heard something metallic fall out onto the road and the scraping noise was gone. Car was fine since.

Do you have all your bolts installed on the belly pan? Just missing a few bolts can cause weird noises. If you hold the steering wheel at a hard left or right does the noise come back? Power steering pumps when failing will make some rather weird noises as well. Good luck and hope you find out whats causing it.

Don't know about the belly pan, but I will check.

In my experience the noise IS most often seen after a hard left turn (like the U-turn I made to get next to the gas pump). But it doesn't happen all the time. I will keep an eye on that.

Thanks for the advice. JR