A knocking noise when you turn can have several different causes, and no one can tell you which one from a description alone — it needs to be seen and heard in person. What matters immediately is whether it's affecting how the car steers or handles; if it is, don't keep driving it.
Why does my car knock when I turn?
There's no single answer that fits every car, because a knock on turning can come from more than one part of the front end, and telling them apart by sound alone isn't reliable even for someone experienced. The honest answer is that it needs to be seen and heard in person, ideally on a ramp, rather than guessed at from a description over the phone.
Does it matter if the noise happens at low speed or higher speed?
It's useful information to have ready when you do get it looked at, along with whether it happens over bumps, only on full lock like parking, or at any steering angle at all. None of that tells you what's wrong on its own, but it narrows things down quickly once the car's actually in front of someone — often the difference between a long inspection and a short one.
Is it safe to keep driving if my car knocks when I turn?
That depends on whether the noise is affecting how the car actually handles, not just how it sounds. A knock that's purely a noise, with the steering feeling normal otherwise, is less urgent than one accompanied by looseness, vibration through the steering wheel, or the car pulling to one side. If steering feels different as well as sounding different, treat it the way an MOT treats a dangerous fault: don't rely on the car for a longer journey until it's been checked.
Will it get worse if I leave it?
Noises from the front end of a car don't tend to fix themselves, and most get louder or more frequent over time rather than going away on their own. That's not a reason to panic, but it is a reason not to keep deferring it indefinitely — much like an MOT advisory, which is a note that something will need attention before long, not an emergency, but also not something to leave for years.
What actually happens when I bring it in?
It goes on a ramp so whatever's making the noise can actually be seen, rather than guessed at from the driver's seat. Every service at ONEFIX in Wrexham includes a full written digital vehicle health check with photographs, and if a knock like this is what brought the car in, you'll get a written price before anything is touched — there's no charge just for having a look and telling you what it is.
What should I tell them when I book it in?
Whatever you can say about when it happens: turning left, turning right, or both; at parking speed or road speed; over bumps or on smooth roads; and whether the steering feels any different as well as sounding different. It won't get you a diagnosis over the phone, but it does mean less time spent trying to reproduce the noise once the car's actually in.
Is a knock when turning the same as a knock over bumps?
Not necessarily, and it's worth telling them apart if you can. A noise that only happens when you turn the wheel points somewhere different to one that only happens over bumps or potholes, and a noise that does both is different again. None of this replaces having it looked at, but noticing the pattern before you book it in is genuinely useful — it's the difference between a quick check and a longer hunt for the source.