Has anyone had these problems????
Problem 1
My wifes o7 Mazda 6 Sport sedan with the V6 3.0 has a weird clunking noise in the front. It sounds like a suspension issue. It almost sounds like the noise you get when a ball joint is going bad. More noticeable at lower speeds and on a rougher road.
I thought it was the struts so they were replaced. Noise still there. I was thinking maybe the stabilizer bushings but they all look fine. I looked all over the front end and do not see anything worn out. Motor mount seems to be fine.
Is it maybe coming from a CV axle?
Problem 2
sometimes when you drive it at slow speeds and turn the steering wheel there is a funky rubbing kinda squeaky type sound???
Power steering pump is fine. All belts are fine.I cant see any spots where something may be rubbing.
My wife is driving me crazy complaining about the noise.
Thought I would try here before I take it in cuz you know how the dealers are. You wind up replacing all kinds of things and most of them don't fix it and you are out a bunch of money before they eventually find the problem.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Check the sway bar links. First drive the car in a straight line and listen for the knocking noise. Then make a turn at moderate speed while listening for noise. If the noise is gone during the turn and comes back going straight then you can be sure it is the sway bar links (no the bushings). When you make a turn the links are under load and don't have a chance to make noise. Jack up the car and pry the sway bar up while watching the links. You will see play.
Creaking when steering, sometimes: This could be caused by the thrust bearing inside the strut mount. I replaced the struts on my Ford Windstar with complete strut assemblies by Raybestos. After that I had the creaking while steering in particular when it is cold.
So if you have also changed the strut mounts you may have gotten bad ones just like I did. If you have not changed the strut mounts it may be time to change them. I would go with the Monroe brand now.
The sway bar bushings could also cause a creaking sound. Open the door and sway the whole car using the door for leverage. Do you hear creaks? Front, back, left, right? If you hear creaks remove the sway bar bushings and coat them with "Sil-Glyde" silicone grease at the inner diameter and at the outer surfaces.