Hello,
I recently purchased an 08 FEH. Great car, well maintained etc. with the exception of the MECS pump was never replaced and I started to get the red triangle of death and SSN message when on long jaunts via freeway. anyhow, replaced that and solved that issue. Now, around town when starting up from a traffic light or similar, I get a metallic clunk noise sounding like it is coming from the front engine area [perhaps subframe area]. Sometimes I get the same clunk when coming to a stop. I was thinking perhaps a worn hydraulic motor mount as that seems to be the general area of the noise. I looked at it and it appears to be in good shape without any apparent slop but under load I admittedly may not be able to tell. Has anyone else experienced this single clunk noise as they are taking up drive?

TIA

 

I would look at the CV joints

 

I will check the CVs but my experience with FWD CV axles is not really clunking but rhythmical squeaking, chirping, growling and usually more pronounced when car weight is shifted to the offending axle by turning the wheel while in motion.

 

I had something that sounds similar. It was the steering u-joint.

 

Ok, there did seem to be a little looseness in the inner joint on the drivers CV axle so i replaced it. Also replaced the sway bar end link that was making noise when going over bumps. Ball joint and tie rod ends checked out ok. Buttoned it up and drove it. start/stop clink is still there....ugh...don't feel like throwing parts at the issue...

 

update. I jacked up the front and crawled under. Had a friend sit in the car. I rotated the wheels back and forth then noticed some looseness in the right hand inboard CV joint so I held one side of the axle and moved the other. friend said noise inside car sounded same or similar to when driving. I went ahead and replaced the CV axle [wow only took me 30 minutes; getting good at it on this car]. anyhow, test drove it and clunk/clink noise is still there at start from dead stop...there does seem to be some backlash in the transaxle but not sure how much is too much for the FEH. Incidentally when I forced the backlash to make some noise manually, friend inside car said that is a totally different "thunk" kind of noise.
I see where others have had the PTU fail but it seems that they make noise all the time while moving when failing. MY FEH driveline is really silent after initial takeoff.