Q: Hearing a knocking/popping sound somewhere in the front of the car when driving.

asked by on October 02, 2016

I started hearing a knocking/popping sound coming from somewhere in the front of the car. I can't tell if it is the wheel or somewhere underneath the car or what side it is coming from. The sound does not happen all the time. I hear it once in a while maybe 2 or 3 times if I am driving for over an hour. Some weeks I don't hear it at all and then others it comes back. The sound has been around for about a month and a half and has not gotten worse. The sound occurs both in high speeds and low speeds. It happens when I press the break a little harder than usual. I don't know if it's the jerk of the car as it comes to a stop. I also got my breaks checked and they are fine. I also hear the noise sometimes when I am parrellel parking and when I am pulling out of a parking space when I turn the steering wheel. Last June I replaced both the front left and right control arms. I got new bar bushings and control links as well on the front. Do you have an idea of what is causing this?

My car has 95000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

There could be multiple issues causing the mystery sound you’re hearing on your 2005 Mazda. My first inclination would be to check the steering stabilizer bar bushings, but if those were replaced, it could be an issue with your wheel bearings. In many cases, when wheel bearings are starting to wear out, they will cause a clunking or grinding sound to occur when you turn the wheel all the way to one side or the other. If you need further help with this, I recommend having a qualified professional from YourMechanic diagnose the noise and assist with repair.

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