Hey all. My wife just bought a 2014 CX-5 Touring FWD with 142k miles on it. While hitting a bump in a parking lot yesterday I heard a loud clunk and could feel it in my left foot resting on the dead pedal. We've had broken tie rod endlinks on other cars and this was much louder and on those other cars I could never feel this.

Any idea what this could be? The car has a bunch of rust since it was a FL beach car so it could be something that has rusted and broke.

 

It could be many things, Without having it checked out it would be pure speculation.

 

Changed the oil and got under the car. I banged everything with a rubber mallet and no odd sounds or clunks. Usually this would reveal a bad ball joint and they all seemed fine. Couldn't budge the sway bar and the mount bushings looked fine. Strut top nuts were all tight.

After lowering the car from stands and backing out of the garage it did the clunk again over the small ~1" garage lip. Felt like someone hit the car with a small hammer right behind where my left foot was on the dead pedal. That's right where the sway bar mount is but I couldn't budge it grabbing onto it.

For the LCA TSB, will the dealer replace that for free out of warranty? I see them telling me they'll charge $175 just to diagnose the problem. Car has 142k miles on it. The TSB I found seems to only deal with a creaking from the LCA but mine is a clank.

Ideas?

 

In the words of my late friend Mike, " It's your frammitz banging against the redector protectors on that side. I've seen this before..."
Seriously, check the upper part of the strut's connection up in the shock tower on that (driver's) side. There is a bearing plate at the top of the strut that allows the strut to rotate when you steer. If that has turned to junk, there's going to be play up in there. There may also be a rubber bushing up in there, separate or part of that assy. If it is bad, the other side isn't far behind. This opinion is based on other FWD cars that I have worked on not on my CX-5. Just saying. You feel it on that side through the body on that foot rest right? Worth a look... This is the "Beach buggy" right? Sand and salt baby!

 

Ya I've found beach sand all over the engine bay and around the spare tire.

How do I check the strut topmounts while they're still on the car?

 

I'm not totally enthusiastic about my diagnoses. That being said, I'm trusting that you have eliminated the possibility of suspension play from A-frame, control arm or ball joint bushing failure? Could it be a transaxle or engine mount? Because the only way to see what's going on up top in the shock tower is to raise the car on that side and take it down for inspection or get to a garage with a lift where a gorilla, (burly mechanic) can rock the living "jeet" out of that wheel system and inspect / jack stress the motor mounts testing for your described symptom. You can't do this in your driveway. The cars not high enough to get under it where some real strength and motion can be applied and you risk toppling the vehicle off the jack stands and down onto you. ☹ The upside to this is, it seems very reproducible and when the mechanic drives the car and hears/feels the problem, he'll know better what he's looking for when it's up on the lift. I don't see this even costing $100.00 bucks from an honest shop. You seem to be at the point where this is what I would do.

 

Yup. I'll pop off the wheel and poke around again but I'm leaning towards taking it to a shop. I do feel a slight vibration at idle which could be a motor mount, but I don't think this is causing this clank. I need to find a parking lot close to home where I can reproduce the clank. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

tsb #06-002-17-3367

nhtsa id #10118471

 

That only applies when the wheel is turned all the way to the left which doesn't apply to us.

 

So the car is no longer making the noise. I unhooked the swaybar endlinks and the clanking stopped. I also tightened the bolt above the strut tower that holds down the thin sheet metal. Drove around and no sound at all. Reconnected the swaybar endlinks BUT without those stupid dampeners. Not sure which fixed this issue but it's great now.