SOLVED: 2002 Mazda Tribute creaking / rubbing noise when turning / steering
 

I had a creaking noise when turning, as well as when turning the steering wheel back to a straight position. The noise was audible at slow speeds.

Note this is not a clunking, clicking, or metallic noise that might indicate a broken component. It sounded more like something rubbing against something else.

There is a TSB for this problem which involves greasing the strut boots (see attached PDF document). This needs to be done when the vehicle is up on a lift, so it's something you would pay your mechanic to do.

Something else you can try yourself when the vehicle is on the ground is to simply spray all the rubber boots with pure silicone spray. You'll need to reach under/around the front of the vehicle to do this. Spray the boots on the struts, CV joints, and tie rods. In other words, just spray every rubber boot you see! Access to the boots will be easier if you turn the wheels and then spray each side of the boots. The silicone spray will lubricate the boots and possibly stop the rubbing noise. It will also prevent them from drying out and cracking/tearing which is a good preventive maintenance step in any case.

Be sure to use silicone spray that is safe for rubber and does not contain petroleum distillates (check the contents label). I used the silicone spray made by CRC, about $6 at my local hardware store. After spraying, the noises stopped completely. I don't know which boot(s) were the offenders, but they might have been rubbing against a nearby component, or the ridges of the boot might have been rubbing against each other when compressed.

This was a cheap and easy fix that is worth trying before paying a shop to diagnose the problem.