Hi Scotty. I have a 2014 Mazda 3 s GT with the 6 speed automatic transmission and 2.5L engine. It has approximately 96000 miles and to this point, has been a very low maintenance car, outside of the normal stuff like oil changes, tires, etc. I am the car’s only owner.

I’ve started getting a creaking and squeaking sound that seems like it’s coming from the front end. It’s especially noticeable when slowly starting from a stop or going over a speed bump at low speeds. It also happens on rough roads, which here in South Carolina, is almost everywhere. The strange thing is it’s usually not noticeable on my drive to work in the morning (cooler and maybe more humid here in South Carolina) while it’s very obvious on the drive home in the afternoon (warmer and maybe less humid, and the car has baked in the sun all day). I took it to a local Mazda dealer to look into it because I also needed a recall/ special warranty extension item dealt with. They replaced both lower control arms and sway bar links. That did nothing, so I took it back and they claimed that they “couldn’t find anything wrong”, and couldn’t even hear the creaking sound. Since they have no clue what they’re doing, I don’t intend to go back to this dealer ever again. The tie rod ends are also new and were replaced by a different shop, but that also did not fix my issue.

The car handles fine, but the noise is really getting to me. Is this sounding like a major suspension job, or something else?
Also, what has your experience been with these Mazda 3s? Given what you’ve seen on these cars, do you think it’s worth it to continue dumping money into diagnosing and fixing this issue, or would I be better served looking for something else?

Thanks a bunch, and love your videos!