I'm sorry for asking a question on a problem that might have a thousand different causes, but I don't have a lot of money for professional maintenance, and try to fix what I can with the help of teachers like Youtbue videos and parts from RockAuto.

My 2008 Pacifica AWD 4.0 Touring with 184K on the clock started experiencing "thumping" yesterday somewhere in the front end under light to medium throttle application. If I let of the gas and coast, the thumping goes away. At really high throttle, I also don't hear or feel the thumping. The sound and feeling is like a universal joint going bad on a RWD pickup truck.

One thing of note - I've had the Pacifica for going on 6 years (bought with 78K miles on it), and I've never replaced an engine mount, despite all the comments on this forum about Pacifica engine mounts needing regular maintenance. Is it very easy to see if the mounts are broken by looking underneath? I also removed the engine mount near the airbox last fall to change the timing-belt/water-pump, and it didn't seem "broken" in any way, but it did feel pretty soft and pliable - is that good bad?

What are some other things that I might want to check. When I first heard it yesterday, I also thought it might be the front struts wearing out, but I can't explain why letting off the throttle makes it go away.

Any help appreciated!

Dave