Start with the sway bar links. Rock the vehicle left to right as much as you can. If there are two people. One can reach under and hold the link knuckle. You'll feel it as well as hear it normally if back. If not feeling it is the only way.

 

Sound like ball joint or Bushings.

Ball joint clunks when going over uneven roads slowly and turning....Bushings when you pick up speed from a full stop.

Considering the recall I had on the ball joints years ago, that's where I'd put my bet.

 

Could the joint still be bad if there is no play when you move the wheel at 9 & 3 and 12 & 6 o'clock positions off the ground?

 

If it's more of a thump than a clunk...it could be a loose engine cover at the front bumper. That happened to me on my '17 Sorento. The front cover had lost one retaining screw and it caused a significant thunk over speed bumps and such. $0 fix for a new retaining screw and (for insurance) a fender washer.

 

I have exactly the same issue on my '16 SXL with 80,000 miles. I'm changing my oil this weekend so I'll have it on a lift and I'll be checking out ball joints, sway bar links, bushings etc.
One other thing it might be is the carrier bearing on the top of the strut.
I can't seem to be able to replicate the noise by rocking the front end around by hand when the engine is off.

 

It's almost impossible to replicate those problems by rocking the wheels by hand...unless whatever is broken is about to fall off. One has to drive the car slowly over bumps while turning, back up uphill and turn, go uphill from zero.

You could probably diagnose a bad wheel bearing by hand when the car is off the ground, but by the time you can rock it, you would have felt the vibration.

 

Basd on responses sounds like ball joints. What would be a typical cost to get this fixed? Just curious. While I am very handy, I sadly do not have the tools or skill for suspension work....

 

As far as I know, the joint ball comes with the control arm. OEM is around USD 200...aftermarket maybe 100.

Part number, driver side:

54500-C5150, 54500C6000

The dealer will charge you for at least 2 hours, but you can do it yourself if you are handy. Nothing complicated.

It would be best if you had a jack for the car itself and another to lift the suspension while losing the fasteners (coil and shock absorber push the control arm downward when the wheel is off the ground)

Attached are the instructions. It's pretty simple.

Piece of advice. Remove the arm only and leave the joint ball attached to the suspension. Once the control arm is out, you can deal with the joint ball. It's easier that way because the control arm pulls the joint ball at an angle, making it difficult to remove without all the fancy tools the dealer has. By removing the control arm first, that pressure is released from the joint ball.

Also, get a bottle of silicone lubricant spray and apply it to the area of the bushings to prevent spooky, inexplicable noises after.

 

Check your struts as dealer replaced my front ones and clunk went away