Front End Knocking During Deceleration

After days of searching I've decided to bite the bullet and ask for direct help.

I've got a 2011 DSG GTI with 148K miles - it's been a very faithful steed, though recently I've been trying to hunt down a front end knock.

The knock started as a single knock whenever I would accelerate from a stop and it'd only knock once. This single knock made me think its the subframe bolts, so I've ordered the kit from ECS Tuning and should be delivered today.

However, while I've been waiting for it to arrive, the knock has progressed. Now, I'm experiencing a series of knocks for 3-4 seconds whenever I let off the gas and start coasting.

The knocking is most prevalent on a smooth, flat surface. Doesn't seem to knock during braking or accelerating, nor is it more pronounced over pot hole and bumps. My initial thought is the strut bearing flopping around.

Any ideas/feedback would be much appreciated.

Check your swaybar endlinks and ball joints. Jack the car up and shake the wheel to see if you can reproduce the noise like that. It should be easier to pinpoint where its coming from.

Wanted to follow up on this.

Got the car up in the air, wiggled, jiggled, rocked every joint underneath the car without any success.

Took the wheels off for a little better access and the passenger side lug nuts were somewhat loose. Loose enough to where I didn't have to have someone press on the brake pedal to break the bolts.

Re-set the wheel and the noise is gone.

I'll take it!

Wow sure glad you found that before the wheel parted company from the car. You might want to pull those lug bolts out & check them for damage from the wheel flopping around.