Suspension noise
 

Hi There, I am new to not only my Mazda 5, but to forums as well. I have taken my car in to have them check the suspension because when the weather hits -1 celcius or colder any slight bump in the road causes my car to sound as though the front and rear are bottoming out! They told me that they checked and everything was fine and that apparently the Mazda 5 has noisier suspension than any other Mazda...I think they were feeding me a line. Can anyone relate to this problem

Sincerely,
Bennie

Hi,

I think your Mazda 5 is lucky. Mine does the same at normal temperatures. It appears ok otherwise.

Regards,

Tuck

Mazda 5 suspension noise
 

Hi Bennie,

We have an '06 top of the line Mazda 5. We have had the same issues with the suspension in cold temps. In the morning just out of the garage it is fine. However, if it has been sitting in the parking lot at work all day the noise is awful. It does not happen all the time but if you drive over some rough road or railroad tracks it's very loud. We live in Northern Ohio and up until last Friday the winter has been mild but this is very unusual. High this Sunday is 6 degrees so I am going to try and take it to the dealership and leave it in their lot over night and then have them drive it on Monday morning.

Anyone from Canada with Mazda5 and suspension noise associated with cold weather out there? Anyone had a successful permanent fix for this problem please reply.
Thanks

Problem solved???
 

Hi there, we have since had our vehicle into the shop for replacement of our suspension bushings (about mid. December). Ironically these bushings are meant to dampen the noise that we are hearing, so they have apparently ‘solved the issue’ with these replacements. However, I have just put in a call to our Mazda dealership to say that I am hearing the noise again in the front (and that I am still waiting to hear from them on the status of the rear suspension bushings, which were on backorder). This vehicle was definitely not built for the cold. We are also finding that the sliding doors are no longer smooth and gentle when closing themselves. Instead, they just seem to close with a slight clunk just like a ‘Caravan’!!!

Arrrggghhhhh…. :mad:
(We live in Alberta)

problem solved, if it were only that easy
 

Thanks for emailing from Canada. The more people who complain about the problem to there dealer and to Mazda Canada, the more likely (I hope) that they will apply the "permanent fix" to our cars.
The greasing or changing of bushing may deaden the sound for a day or two, but so far no one from any of the four forum web sites that I have been on, have had the problem fixed with a lube job.
If it was that easy no one would continue to complain. Others in the USA have had the complete 9 PAGE TSB fix applied and they are quite happy and their cars are again sounding normal (no sound if normal). It is a complete waste of my time and effort to take my car into my dealer for a fix that they admit will NOT fix the problem for more than a day. They are some dealers in the east have offered to replace sway bars and control arms but the problem continues because they haven't applied the permanent fix. There was one owner from Montreal who had "redesigned" parts replaced on his vehicle and it was like a miracle cure. No other dealer that I have heard about (including mine) were willing to go that far. Curious. That is why it is very important to post if you have had a permanent fix so others can benefit from this.
Not to belabour the point but Mazda Canada needs to hear from you - email them, call them , fax them whatever.

We have a 2006 Mazda5 with now 7000 km on it. Once the cold weather hit we started feeling a vibration that reminded me of the old days when tires would "flat spot" overnight in the cold (we do have Blizzak snows on it) Is it possible that what we are really experiencing is this cold weather supension glitch? I'm wondering if we have too few km on it for the real problem to show up.

No I don't think you have too few kms on your car (7000 kms) for the problem to show up. My problem showed up when I had under 1800 kms but I likely have a much colder climate (not sure where you are located). I have not experienced a "vibration" though, just the crunching sound of the front end as I go over a bump, uneven road surface or snow, then the same, somewhat louder, crunching sound when the rear end follows. It is loud enough that people on the street look in my direction. Maybe others have has experienced your vibration ?

Same Issue
 

The dealer told me they never heard of that complaint.

When I had it in the fifth time to have the switch balde key fob reprogrammed again, they said they needed to replace bushings.

The bushings needed to be ordered. Need to see how many times this needs to go in to be repaired.

I owned an RX7 (new) back in the 80's. Seemed to be a much better quality vehicle.

I also had to replace my tires on the 5 so they would stop spinning when it was wet and cold. Then their was the internal water leak...........

The problems I have had with the 5 have really tempered my enthusiasm for it.

Tsb 02-007/06
 

The above TSB (9 pages) was issued awhile ago so I'm not sure why your dealership has not heard of the problem?
Bushing replacement/lube job may fix your problem, but it hasn't fixed others for more than a day or two. Now that the cold weather is over, you may not know if the fix actually was just that until next winter.
More people have had additional replacements - control arms - sway bars etc.
I will going in for my fix this coming Tuesday.
There was a copy of the TSB posted on one of the web forums - MPV club or Edmunds.com (more likely).Best of luck with your vehicle repairs.

It's the bushings, clearly the bushing material (both natural and synthetic) rubbers is simply to hard, and as the temperature drops they become even harder and will shrink.

This will definitely cause the noise you guys are hearing. And it's not just the Mazda 5, many vehicles including the BMW M3 will have the same issue. More forgivable on a performance car not meant for winter weather.

If under warranty it should be fixed, if not I suggest some better aftermarket bushings. Bushing kits are relatively cheap, but the labor is not going to be. Especially since it's hard to tell if it's a certain bushing, all of them or the isolators for the sub-frames (which technically aren't bushings).

I even had it in my old Subaru WRX when it got below freezing, 0 C (32 F).

suspension noise all the time
 

I just got my car back and they applied the fix - changed the bushings, instll lower control arm and sway bar.
I won't know if it is actually fixed unless it turns cold again (-10 C).
Here's hoping it's a quiet ride like it was when I first got it.
:)

suspension noise
 

The good news is: The lower control arms have been replaced and the bushings.
The maybe news is: I won't know if the cruching noise is gone for good till the winter.
The bad news is: now I have inherited a new problem - the car pulls to the left when applying the brakes. It is a front end issue and perhaps no wheel alignment was done post lower arm control installation, or when they installed the lower control arms the did something to the brakes and the callipers need to be adjusted.
I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has had any other problems since having their fix applied (related to the TSB). Thanks

The barrings
 

I have had the same problem with my Mazda 5 I bought it in Sep'06 and it has been in the shop at least 5 times. They know there is a problem with the bushings the service manager told me they know there is a problem and are tring to fix it but it has not been recalled. Know I have to get an alignment and new tires.

Thanks for the information, not encouraging. Did they apply the fix as suggested in the TSB? Do you have problems with your steering or is the front end out of alignment. I insisted on a front end alignment (should be done after work is done on the front end). They said it didn't need to be adjusted but they did anyways. Could have done something else that is not noted on the work order. Obtained a copy of the alignment (before and after) and according to the independent mechanics, this is not what has caused the problem; and if it didn't need an alignment why did they adjust it? The problem of the steering wheel pulling sharply on left turns eased up a bit but it seems to have come back to a degree depending on the condition of the roadway.
There is a known alignment issue and related tire wear problem as observed on other forums.
It is too bad there are these annoying issues as it is a great car to drive and fits my needs.

Now are you guys talking -10 C or -10 F, because I'd expect everything on the car to be pretty stiff at 32 f (0 C).
My Protege gets stiff and creeky at -20 C and lower. I don't think it gets that cold in Japan, haha.

Had the same issue dealer replaced bushings here in Canada. As soon as cold weather hit, creak creak.

I have a "06 GT in Ottawa, Canada with 20,000 km's, noise is there intermittently when below 0 Celsius. I am a mechanic (not mazda) and checked everything on a hoist and nothing was falling off or loose so I left it rather then have somebody guess and throw all kinds of parts at my car. The noise is so minor and irregular I am leaving it until it gets worse. I love my car and the way it handles and I don't want somebody playing with the suspension. Besides the reason dealers are changing all kinds of parts it because they don't have a clue. My suggestion is have the dealer document it on a work order and wait till Mazda Engineering finds a fix.

This is a loosing proposition.
 

I had the dealer do the fix on my Mazda 5. It used to creak when it was cold now it creaks all of the time.

Additionally I have had my car returned five times needing reprogramming of the switch blade key.

I hope they fire the SOB who designed that. About two months ago mine fell apart - literally when I was taking it out of the ignition. TG for super glue it is a quicker fix then going to the dealer - again.

Have a little over a year left on the lease and then it is no longer my problem.

really? i upgraded to a switch-blade key (flip key) for my 3 and it still looks like new over a year later, except for a tiny bit of paint that flaked off the "lock" button. it hasn't once not worked like a precision instrument. programmed it myself and it's never needed reprogramming.

I'm through with the 5
 

After the fix my car makes more noise than it did before. I am not impressed at all with the dealer I leased my 3 & 5 from and consequently I have not been impressed with Mazda at all.

Expect to be moving out of the 5 soon. The 3 is great - no complaints but the unresponsive dealer kills it for me. Good luck with your Mazdas.

Always a shame to see bad dealer response ruin a brand for someone.

Even more so when it's a brand that truly has some great offerings out there.

No car will be perfect, but the response from the person who should be fixing it makes all the difference. I feel for you dude.

AWD MPV FTW!!!...?

Bummer, because just lately, I've kinda been eyeballing those 5s. They're just about the right size to be a perfect surf car, and the dual sliding doors are a good idea. Too bad about the glitches, and hopefully Mazda will find (and apply) a fix for it.

*Goes for a drive in the MSP and listens to the rear swaybar clunk.*


Ninja EDIT: O gawd, did I say surf car? I take it back. This is just hideous.
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...zda5Quiksilver

I smile whenever I see a Mazda5 on the road.. if I wasn't almost always alone in my car it would be a great choice. As it stands the P5 is too big for me :P

sucks to hear people having problems with them. A lot of issues seem to stem from the fact that they just tossed a slightly modified JDM car into North America and it doesn't hold up to the New England and Canadian climates very well.

I can now report that we've had our 06 Mazda5 for 11 months & have about 28,000 km on it and have not experienced any problems of any kind. We live in the snow belt off Lake Huron in Southern Ontario. Great in the snow with winter tires. Never had the suspension noise in the cold last winter. My key has not fallen apart.

I'd agree that the air conditioning is weak, especially to the rear area

My only other niggling complaint is how much it collects mud and snow, especially on the rear window. Oh yeah, the gas tank is too small, we are used to making 7 hour runs without stopping and we now stop to refill. The last few months we have averaged 8.4 l/100km I think that's 34 mpg "imperial"

I still get great pleasure form how it handles.

I'm back, and so is the "crunch in the suspension".
Obviously the "Fix" was temporary; and so will be my journey with my Mazda5. Too bad but they will never enjoy the presence of my company in their Service (?) department or dealerships again.
So long.

bye! Was it at least fun to drive while it lasted? No car or car company is perfect, but hopefully the shortcomings of your next car don't bother you as much as some rubber bushing noise apparently does.

A handful of Mazda5 issues I've seen come up relate to lack of decent cold weather testing. It is as if they assumed their testing for sale in the Japanese market was enough to sell it in North America. Hopefully Mazda smartens up. This isn't the first time, as Protege5s in the Northeastern and Midwestern US plus Canada have awful rusting problems that plague owners within two years of ownership. Again, though the Protege sedan was likely cold weather tested, they made the assumption (this is all conspiracy theory of course) that if the sedan was fine, the wagon that is 90% similar would also be the same. The rear fenders, which are not the same, exhibit the worrying rust levels.

Mazda needs to build a car that can last in whatever climate it is sold in. I have a hard time recommending Mazdas to friends because of this. There's no telling if they'll last here or not.

Have fun with the new car!

ok. had problem apparently fixed last winter. Its back now I hear creaking from the front AND the back..these cars are lemons. Goes to dealer on Thursday. Also checking major wind noise from driver side window. Locks that will not unlock passenger side rear slider when you hit remote. Key falling apart. All this under 35,000km?, and well babied 35,000kms I may tell you.

more cold weather testing failures.. bah!

but seriously unless the lemon laws there are crazy, you'll be hard pressed to get that considered a true lemon. Typically it has to be a serious malfunction (i.e. makes the car un-drivable) not just some suspension noise.

My problem is the wind noise, no one can figure it out. My suspension noise is a coil spring. The bushing cracks and then the coil spring rubs. Otherwise I really like the 5. If they would just own up and take care of the fixes.

apparently the wind noise is coming from the mirrors. I was told they would be coming out with a bulletin saying that air was somehow going into the back of the mirror which s causing turbulence which travels up the window and makes it seems the door is not sealed. I will see soon if this is actually the case or if technician is just spouting crap to me.

I have had my "06" 5 in 7 times in 14 months for the cold weather crunching noises. They so far have replaced lower suspension arms, front and rear swaybar bushings, and lubed them many times. The noises are still there as bad as the car was when it was a week old and the weather turned cold. Mine will start makeing the noise at 32 Deg f, and just gets worse and worse as the temps go down. Here in WI it is -10 F this morning and I do not even want to drive it. It is embarrassing to give someone a ride in it in the winter. The dealer told me to drop it off again, but I feel like I am just waisting my time.:thumbs do
I never had these types of problems with any other car or my 05 Mazda 3S or 03 Mazda P5. I am totally dissgusted with Mazda on this car, and will gurantee, that I never purchase another Mazda Period.:thumbs do

I agree, I will never buy another Mazda either, My alarm now will not stop going off on it as well as as all my other porblems with this lemon of a vehicle.

They are some dealers in the east have offered to replace sway bars and control arms but the problem continues because they haven't applied the permanent fix.

Noisy suspension
 

Hi I just joined this site so I can learn more about my 2010 Mazda 5 Which I like alot by the way but I've had to seperate suspension issues myself. 1. right front clank which turned out to be the stabilizer bushing. 2. right rear similar sound that turned out to be the shock gone bad. both were fixed at the dealer free of charge. Hope this helps

--

My friend have the similar problem and he told me that it was due to the sway bar bushings and control arm bushings which was not changed from a long time period and after replace them he had not more noises. I think you also should check them on your drive. Good luck.