Suspension Noise Fix - 2014 Mazda Mazda3 S Long-Term Road Test

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Suspension Noise Fix - 2014 Mazda Mazda3 S Long-Term Road Test

Our 2014 Mazda 3's suspension noise fix was a surprise.

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fordson1

Nobody got it because nobody was going to get something oddball like this, but I and one other guy were right in saying it did not have characteristics of a suspension noise...and it didn't.

The brake dust shield scraping against the rotor tells me that the dealer just assumed when he found this cut washer that he had addressed the entire issue (not a bad assumption, but still...not thorough), because a test drive is warranted if the dealer has been taking things apart to that degree, and a test drive of even a few hundred yards would have revealed the bent dust shield noise.

You're not supposed to go in and fix one problem and cause another. Once they found the washer, they basically threw the car back together, bending the shield in the process, and called you to come and pick it up, because your car over the course of those four days went from being a potential profit center to a cost center.

I would be putting the car up on my lift to look for improperly-torqued threaded fasteners, unsecured wiring looms or hose supports, dangling underbody cladding or splash guards and maybe damaged suspension bushings.

miata52

My daughter has a 2014 Mazda 3. Last week it was making a weird scraping noise when it was moving. I took the wheel off and a found a dried leave that had somehow managed to find it's way between the dust shield and the wheel. There was like 10 microns of free space for the leaf to fit. Pushed out said leaf with a knife and it was fixed. Weird things happen.

Glad I didn't take it to the dealer like 99% of owners would have...

cotak

A classmate of mine back in university worked for GM as an intern. One of his rotations was being the foreman on the assembly line. He got told stories about the line working doing things like this because they were bored or pissed at the company.

zimtheinvader

So the big question is since it wasn't a Mazda defect did they cover all the work to find it under warranty?

I find it hard to believe with was there the entire time and nobody heard it up till now. I guess it could have been wedged in and then bounced loose so who knows. But the point is some manufactures wouldn't even consider covering something like that.

darthbimmer

It's alarming that your local Mazda dealer would give the car back to you with a new problem you'd have to bring right back to them. No quality control in their service department. If it were my car I'd look for another mechanic right away.

desmolicious

@darthbimmer

I had to take my Wrangler in for the left cylinder head 'recall' that cause the CEL to come on. Edmund's one had the same thing.
When I got it back it leaked oil. Took it back. It then leaked coolant. Took it back. It then had a nasty harmonic rattle in the dash behind the A/C unit that they have not been able to fix.

Yeah, I don't go to that dealership anymore.

stel1

I FIND A TIN CAN AT THE INER SIDE OF THE DISK BRAKE AND BRAKE PAD AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR. I PICK IT WHEN I WAS DRIVING. OTHER CARS RUN OVER IT (LOT OF THEM) AND IT WAS WORN AND SMASH SIDE TO SIDE, ABOUT 3.5 INCHES LONG. NO NOISE WHAT SO EVER, NOT EVEN WHEN IT STUCK THERE. I JUST SEE IT AND REMOVE IT.
NO HARM DONE. NOW I HAVE A NOISE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE, DO KNOW WHAT IS IT. WILL SEE.