All of it. The 10 percent figure you occasionally see is nonsense that a lot of people believe just because they've seen it so much.
Quick Answer. Some things that cause a vehicle's front end to make a clunking noise are worn ball joints, a damaged tie rod, broken or loose sway-bar links, hard or damaged shocks, and faulty shock mounts. An automotive professional can inspect the vehicle's front end to locate the source of the clunk. Continue Reading.
For example, one of the reported reasons for whining noise in a BMW, was attributed to the noise created by the planetary gears. This is the kind of noise which is endemic to this automobile system. There are a range of car models and each one has its own peculiar issues.