Unusual suspension noise write-up

I'm sure I am not the only person on this planet that has had this problem. So here's my deal; I took my 08 MS3 to the dealership and they replaced my upper strut bushings (that I found damaged, not them). They claimed they did their "visual inspection" yada-yada and yet I find something wrong. Also I would like to state this fixed a clicking noise during take-off, yet it did not fix my suspension noises. I'm sure you've heard different variations of the problem; yet, I've seen very little write-ups, and follow-ups, of this issue. So basically this thread is comments I found on the net, as well as noted stuff I added. I will also post any updates on the issue when I take it back to the stealership. Yea I said stealership.

**I had exactly the same noises come from the front of my MS6 this winter. Turned out it was a combination of sway bar bushings and control arm bushings that had decayed. After they got replaced...no noises.
have it too, but it goes away when its wet out which tells me it might be the swaybar bushings. My MS3 has a lot of highway miles and it's an 07' so it might be time to change them. Also, when ever I get noise coming from the suspension I always check the swaybar links first for all my cars, especially if its been lowered and performance modified.
That noise might be coming from your rear swaybar endlinks. Have you checked to see if one or both of them might be loose? ***
** Possible problems with loose or broken motor mount, transmission mount.
***EDIT: Dealer fixed the issue by replacing stabilizer bar bushings both front and rear. Supposedly sway bar collar bushings causing some awesome creaks and squeeks. Otherwise runs good and starts good in the cold!
**Well what's funny is my dealer thought it was the rear sway bar bushings as well, and they replaced the bushings. Until I told them what had happened and that I cleaned up the pads, 3 more MS3's rolled in with the same issue. They cleaned the pads up and the noise was gone. I got a free service out of it (oil change, wash, tire rotation), and was on my way. It has absolutely nothing to do with the suspension
** I have this problem too, this change jingling sound. I think it does have to do with the brakes. It started at 31,000 miles. My rear swaybar got loose at about 20,000 miles. I think that is a common problem also. Overall I am happy with my 2008.5 MS3.
**Gentlemen, this is your solution. I hope all MS3 owners read this. It is NOT the struts or the bushings! It is the brake pads up front!! Yes, the brake pads! My hand to God.. All you need to do is clean them, put some brake lube on them, and the noise will be gone!! All the techs' told me "its the valve".. until I rode up and down a road that made my car squeal/chirp, rode the brakes, nothing, let go, noise. I cleaned up the pads, and problem solved. Please, do it! I'm dead serious!
**Mine does it too. I've had the struts out of the car to check them over, it seems like it's just the valve inside the strut making the noise. My car has done it since it was new, and still does it now at 50K. I had them replaced under warranty at 20K for it and the new ones did it right away too. I don't think it's really a problem. I heard an S2000 once that made the same noise with the stock suspension.
***check the sway bar bolts. its a known issue



Noted sounds, with witnesses::::::::::
**Clunk sound when driving over speed bumps, rock driveway
**Especially during a bumpy road, a cling noise along with the
clunk noise, sounds like a chain rattling
**When turning the wheel in either direction, a grinding/whinning noise.
Noted this to the Gerald Jones Mazda mechanic and he stated "its the turbo"
which has also been heard by a Honda mechanic and he thought it was the suspension.


Recently have had performance problems, strange torque steer, steering wheel violently shakes during any sort of hard braking (supposedly had that fixed by mazda dealer).

Wonder if this applies to the MZ3 as well. My right front corner is noisy over bumps.

I sometimes get this weird light clunking sound when I don't go over speedbumps evenly or go over uneven pavement in lower speeds. At first I thought it was the endlinks, they looks fine to me. My last thought it was the front sway bar bushings. I'll let it clunk until I either upgrade to a front sway bar or get really tired of hearing the sound.

Most people seem to have problems with front suspension noises. Couple thoughts:
1. If you have ever had any component changed or modified, double-check the torque specs on the endlink nuts, lower mount bolt, brakeline mount, upper strut bolts, and center nut on top of the strut. Very common for these to work themselves loose over time.
2. If you have noises while turning the wheel at a stop, check the strut bushings. They tend to bind on lowered cars that alter the factory position of the front sway bar/endlinks.
3. If you lower your car, retorque your bushings on the lower control arms. Otherwise the reduced static height can put unnecessary strain on the bushings and cause them to wear prematurely.

I don't really get why people have so many issues with suspension noises and suspension problems on this car.

My car has 73,000 miles on it and has had only two minor issues.

First was a slight "ticking" in the front end over small bumps that came and went till it stopped completely (around 40K miles maybe?) with no repair done or apparent reason for it to happen (or stop happening). I did change the brake pads to Hawks sometime around 45K, but I didn't use any antisqueal, I just lubed the slide pins.

Second, the swaybar bushings do squeak LOUD when it gets very cold out (20deg F or less), but a quick spray of silicone lube make it go away for a few days, or I can pull the swaybar bushings and put some Energy bushing lube on them (since the stock bushings are polyurethane just like Energy Suspension makes) and it stays squeak free for a year or more. ALL cars with stiff swaybars and polyurethane pivot bushings WILL do this. That's why most cars don't have them, and use rubber bushings. Those cars generally suck though.

Other than one leaking rear shock that was warrantied back around 15K... but I don't consider that a real problem, it didn't cost me a dime and was no hassle.

The stock suspension has been great on this car. I'd say that alot of people who are having problems with stuff wearing out or making weird noises are probably causing the problems themselves by modding it wrong or doing work on it improperly (or maybe the place you're taking your car to is doing it wrong), or they're damaging stuff by hammering potholes at 60mph. Hell, I even popped a few tires on the stock 18's and dinged a rim by hitting potholes and I never even knocked the alignment out of spec. This car is built like a freaking tank. My wife can't even break it, and she breaks everything.

I'm not saying there aren't a few lemons out there... but with how good our car has been I can't imagine that these cars are as plagued with suspension issues as it seems on here.

I have a creak in the rear (seems more passenger side than driver), but ONLY if I pull up or down the ramps in my parking garage WHILE turning. If I hit the ramps dead straight, no noise.

Took it to a local shop and they sprayed silicone lube on the six bushings in the back, which apparently were dry, but not cracked. They pulled the bolts from bushing sleeve on the lower control arms and found both to be covered in some kind of corrosion. They cleaned them, lubed them, and stuck them back in. I'm a sparky, so some of this mechanical crap goes over my head. Seems like those bolts should be replaced even if it's just a coating that is breaking down and causing corrosion.

Anyway, the noise is still there and i'm $200 lighter.

These cars are just noisy guys...out of the 17 cars I've had, its the rawest and least refined.

So just drive it 'til something breaks completely?