7 Car Noises You Should Never Ignore

Hmm. Purr. Vroom. Modern engineering has made driving a car easier on the ears than ever.

But there are some car noises you don’t want to hear, because they can signal trouble. Every once in a while, roll down the windows and start listening for “any sound that is odd,” says Mike Peth, director of technical training at Ohio Technical College in Cleveland. “You know your car, so you can often pick up something that may become a problem.”

These seven car noises might be warning signs of trouble:

1. A sound like a coin in a clothes dryer.
2. Brakes squealing, grinding or growling
3. A finger-snapping, popping or clicking sound when you turn
4. A rhythmic squeak that speeds up as you accelerate
5. A howling, whining or even “singing”
6. Rhythmic clunking, tapping or banging from under the hood.
7. Squealing under the hood at start-up or when accelerating.