Lightly Toasted,

I think I am dealing with the exact same issue as you....Maybe

First, I'd like to clarify if the noise is a rattle, or more of a clunking?

Everything you have described seems to be exactly the same as what I'm dealing with, except my noise is a clunking... Also had a chirping noise associated with this. Let me explain a little more...

Started off that I was getting a clunking noise when going over bump to hard, (in particular pot holes and speed bumps). Eventually, this progressed to the point that there was a chirping noise. Eventually, I tracked this down to the right front upper strut mount. It drove me crazy for 2 weeks...thought it was coming from something rubbing inside the dash.... I finally figured it out when I open the hood and got on the passenger runner board and bounced up and down and hard as I could. I was able to to see the washer move up and down and rub against the tower and chirp. The strut mount had failed.

I replaced the strut with a new one...

Looking at my pic you can see my screwdriver pointing to the strut tower where the paint has been rubbed off and is silver. This is where the washer would rub against the tower when going over bumps big enough to cause the strut to bottom out, and make a chirping noise.

Replacing the upper strut mount fixed the problem.....for about a week or two, then the clunking is back!!! The new strut mount failed! I assumed either missed something with the install, or maybe didn't quite get the upper nut tight enough, or ...maybe the part was just defective. So, I took back the "defective" one and replaced it... FIXED!!! ... for 2 weeks..... UUUGHHHH

Now the clunking is back again!

There's no chirping, just the cluncking. ...

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