[alexjames623]

Hoping someone here has had a similar issue and has solved it, but here goes nothing:

Car is a 2015 Mazda 6 Touring, manual transmission. I am getting a clunk in the front end somewhere when I either let the clutch out into gear at low speed/low rpm, or when I go over speed bumps at low speed. It seems to only happen when it is cold outside. It sounds like a dampened suspension clunk, not a loud metallic sound or anything.

What I have tried:

• I put my car up on stands and tugged on both front wheels, x and y axes
• Visually inspected sway bar end link connections (both connections)
• Visually inspected strut upper and lower mounting points
• Tugged on tie rods, end links, lower control arms, and struts; none had any movement
• Visually inspected splash guards to make sure there wasn't some loose part moving around
• Put car on ground, and tried bouncing each front corner: Was unable to reproduce the noise

Any ideas before I take it to a shop for (likely) an expensive diagnostic charge?

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

No ideas...but as I have a '17 6MT I am interested to hear how it resolves.

 

[LeMansteve]

Same here. 2017 manual Touring. I hear a similar clunk most mornings when backing out of the garage.

It happens when I engage the clutch and start moving. It sounds like it's coming from the front of the car.

I've also had some squeaky noises coming from the front end when going over bumps at an angle. i.e. making a turn onto a sloped driveway or speed bump.

 

[tickerguy]

Get under the car with a can of silicone spray and hit where the control arm goes into the rubber bushing at the rear of the control arm (easiest access is right behind each wheel; you can reach it without putting the car on ramps.)

It'll go away for a while and when it comes back hit it again.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to run this down and I'm completely convinced that's where it's coming from -- and that's the solution. The rear of the control arm "sticks" in the rubber after the car sits for a while (e.g. overnight)) and when it releases it makes a clunking noise -- usually only once or twice in a given day.

 

[LeMansteve]

Get under the car with a can of silicone spray and hit where the control arm goes into the rubber bushing at the rear of the control arm (easiest access is right behind each wheel; you can reach it without putting the car on ramps.)

It'll go away for a while and when it comes back hit it again.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to run this down and I'm completely convinced that's where it's coming from -- and that's the solution. The rear of the control arm "sticks" in the rubber after the car sits for a while (e.g. overnight)) and when it releases it makes a clunking noise -- usually only once or twice in a given day.

If the source of noise is what you say it is, then cars with an automatic transmission should also make the same noise. Right?

 

[tickerguy]

Correct. It's in the suspension, not the driveline.

 

[Archerfish]

If the source of noise is what you say it is, then cars with an automatic transmission should also make the same noise. Right?

I have an automatic transmission. I used silicone spray on this part:

I used this brand but I believe any other brand will be the same.

Thanks again @tickerguy for taking a picture of that part last time. It's my turn this time to get under.

 

[6andcounting]

Hoping someone here has had a similar issue and has solved it, but here goes nothing:

Car is a 2015 Mazda 6 Touring, manual transmission. I am getting a clunk in the front end somewhere when I either let the clutch out into gear at low speed/low rpm, or when I go over speed bumps at low speed. It seems to only happen when it is cold outside. It sounds like a dampened suspension clunk, not a loud metallic sound or anything.

What I have tried:

• I put my car up on stands and tugged on both front wheels, x and y axes
• Visually inspected sway bar end link connections (both connections)
• Visually inspected strut upper and lower mounting points
• Tugged on tie rods, end links, lower control arms, and struts; none had any movement
• Visually inspected splash guards to make sure there wasn't some loose part moving around
• Put car on ground, and tried bouncing each front corner: Was unable to reproduce the noise

Any ideas before I take it to a shop for (likely) an expensive diagnostic charge?

Unfortunately it happens to a lot of these cars. I have 70,000 miles on my 2016 and is a pretty regular occurrence, but much much worse when cold and always after sitting overnight. Its suspension not clutch related. Lots of threads on this, I am going to try what ticker suggested.

Good luck...to all of us

 

[alexjames623]

And I was here thinking I was definitely the only one with this issue..

I will certainly give this a shot (pun intended) and see what happens. If this is as common as this thread suggests, I'm surprised Mazda hasn't addressed it with new bushings we could purchase. Are there aftermarket bushings for our cars?

Will report back. Thanks guys.

EDIT: After looking into the maintenance schedule for our cars, it seems as though Mazda recommends inspecting the entire suspension every 60k miles. Mine has 75k.

Also important to note that their "Inspection" task does include the words "replace if necessary". So perhaps this is Mazda's way of saying that these bushings (or any suspension part for that matter) might go bad and require replacement every 60k miles.

I'm sure it doesn't help being in a very salty environment, with temperatures ranging from -10 to 95F every year. I know that with my BMW, they want us to replace (not only just inspect) just about every bushing on the car every 75k miles. Not as uncommon as I originally thought.

 

[tickerguy]

Oh this tends to be worse when the bushings are new.

Just saying.... (mine doesn't do it anymore.... and I haven't changed them as of yet.)

 

[maz615]

When I use to have my 2015 mazda 6 sport 126,000 miles when I got rid of it, did this bushing noise too, my mom's 2013 CX-5 sport 150,000 miles does the same thing. 2016 Mazda CX-5 GT I just got recently with 70,000 mile does not not do it at all. It's a very quiet ride and smooth ride I most say even with the premium 19" wheels ride better. I guess if you get the later model year skyactive am guessing that bushing noise got fixed, my 2016 CX5 GT does not do it at all which I was really surprise.

 

[tickerguy]

Take a picture of that bushing on the new CX-5 for us.... If they changed it but the control arms are the same (likely) it would be pretty easy and cheap to retrofit that.

 

[mlaird]

Your car is much newer than my '06, but I had a similar-sounding problem that turned out to be the engine mounts. My rear mount had a loose bolt, so the driveline was clunking when I let off the gas with the clutch engaged. Accelerating with the loose bolt pushed on the loose bolt to make it tighter, so there was no clunk when accelerating, only when decelerating. I think the weight of the engine on that mount held it in place most of the time, but when decelerating with the clutch out, there was enough torque to move the loose connection and make a dull clunk noise from up front.

 

[Old fella]

I have a 2012 Mazda 6 that had a clunk, most noticeable when I went over a speed bump. Sounded like the suspension was bottoming out.
I tried everything and in the end I replaced the front shock mounts on the suspension towers.
Reasonably easy job and it doesn't upset the wheel alignment.

 

[Alex Mazda6]

Interesting and I'm intrigued by the apparent early failure of bushing. I have to say I have experienced this in Australia with clunking front end noises. Most typical cause I've encountered, especially when brake torquing the engine or going over bumps, is a failed main (hydraulic) engine mount, and very occassionally the centre mount bracing engine to subframe. I'll watch for the fix.

 

[mike_n]

Motor mount

 

[maz615]

Take a picture of that bushing on the new CX-5 for us.... If they changed it but the control arms are the same (likely) it would be pretty easy and cheap to retrofit that.

Here are pics of my 2016 Mazda cx-5 GT front control arm bushing, they don't look that much different from my Mazda 6 2015 sport.

 

[maz615]

Sorry about blurry image above

 

[tickerguy]

That sure does look pretty much the same doesn't it.....

 

[maz615]

That sure does look pretty much the same doesn't it.....

I changed my front brake pads yesterday, it's the first time I looked under the SUV. Maybe it has revised bushings? But I promise the GT CX5 I have here is really quite, no suspension noise, barely any road noise. The 2.5L engine in this one is really responsive compared to my 2015 6 2.5L. Which I find shocking since the CX5 weighs more then the 6.