Knocking/Popping Noise from driver front tire area on new 2022 CX-30

From the video there is a clear and distinct thunking noise. There also appears to be a loud clock spring noise in the steering wheel unless that is your hands squeaking the leather steering wheel but it sounds like a clinking clock spring noise too like twisting of wires in a harness.

Why in the world would you sign papers for a noise you heard on a test drive of a brand new vehicle and believe what any dealer has to tell you or promises you? I would not have accepted that vehicle and either looked for another one or ask them for another one before signing any papers. You can check in your state if there is a cooling off period Or 3-day grace period where you can change your mind and unwind something like this. Look at your lease contract and read it carefully.
 
From the video there is a clear and distinct thunking noise. There also appears to be a loud clock spring noise in the steering wheel unless that is your hands squeaking the leather steering wheel but it sounds like a clinking clock spring noise too like twisting of wires in a harness.

Why in the world would you sign papers for a noise you heard on a test drive of a brand new vehicle and believe what any dealer has to tell you or promises you? I would not have accepted that vehicle and either looked for another one or ask them for another one before signing any papers. You can check in your state if there is a cooling off period Or 3-day grace period where you can change your mind and unwind something like this. Look at your lease contract and read it carefully.
It's just the thunking noise. The steering wheel I'm not picking up on anything, and it's probably just my gripping of the wheel surface that you're hearing.

And right -- I signed because of many circumstances: it was hard to find this trim in this color, I had been looking for a long time, my current car was ****** and in the shop for weeks, and this dealer was willing to remove all the stupid mark-ups. So it just seemed like it was a good choice. As for the noise, I was told the service manager and technician had verified the sound and that a strut replacement would solve the issue (this was a guess, as these issues seem to be complicated). Unfortunately, replacing the strut did not solve the issue, as we now know. As for cooling-off period, there no longer is one here in California (there was back in 2015 when I got my BMW, but things must've changed or may vary by dealer and make), and it was in the papers signed. At this point, can we not go back on what I did -- things have been signed already. This is clearly a lesson learned. Grace period wouldn't have worked even if it were in place since the dealer took days to get a replacement strut part.

My advantage here is this is leased and Mazda's parts warranty holds them responsible for fixing this kind of crap. The downside is, this will require multiple dealer visits, as we now know. And I know I have a right to ask for a replacement vehicle if this issue is not resolved in a timely manner since there is a Lemon Law. I obviously do not want to have to get to that level, but it is a final option.
 
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So the advisor who I had been working with doesn't have the best attitude. I had emailed him some of my findings and he not only confirmed he read it, but he didn't even bother responding. I had to call and chase him down to get a response. He pretty much dismissed any of my YouTube and forum findings, saying "anyone can make that stuff up." And told me to get on a test-drive with their service manager, and if he can't hear the noise, I'll have to contact Mazda corporate. And I have to wait on the service manager cuz he is "out at meetings."

Has anyone had experience reaching out to Mazda North America or even Mazda Japan? I read on the CX30Talk forum from someone in Indonesia that reaching out Mazda Japan put pressure on dealers and the guy eventually had his issue solved.
 
Updating that the dealer needed an engineer from Mazda to observe the issue since a brake hardware kit Mazda initially suggested didn't resolve the issue (as I had thought it wouldn't). Turns out the control arm needed to be replaced. I got the car back and the sound is no longer there (at least for now). Thank God.

Appreciate the help that was given on here.
 
Updating that the dealer needed an engineer from Mazda to observe the issue since a brake hardware kit Mazda initially suggested didn't resolve the issue (as I had thought it wouldn't). Turns out the control arm needed to be replaced. I got the car back and the sound is no longer there (at least for now). Thank God.

Appreciate the help that was given on here.

There is no logic behind the dealer not being able to diagnose that. To have that kind of noise, one would think there should be some visible tears in the bushings.
 
There is no logic behind the dealer not being able to diagnose that. To have that kind of noise, one would think there should be some visible tears in the bushings.
No idea, really. It's not the first time I have heard of a Mazda dealer not being able to solve this knocking sound-related issue. My purchasing dealership misdiagnosed the sound as a front strut issue initially, which it was not. And I've seen posts on the CX-30 Talk forum that echo dealerships not knowing how to solve the issue either.
 
Unfortunately, it is a really sad state of affairs today trying to have any dealer perform any service or repair because competent techs have all left and the only ones remaining have the ability of a lube tech. It's that bad.
 
No idea, really. It's not the first time I have heard of a Mazda dealer not being able to solve this knocking sound-related issue. My purchasing dealership misdiagnosed the sound as a front strut issue initially, which it was not. And I've seen posts on the CX-30 Talk forum that echo dealerships not knowing how to solve the issue either.
The part wasn't worn out but rather had some kind of manufacturing defects. Yet somehow the part made it onto a new car. I wonder what was wrong with it?
 
The part wasn't worn out but rather had some kind of manufacturing defects. Yet somehow the part made it onto a new car. I wonder what was wrong with it?
Yeah, they didn’t tell me anything other than an engineer was able to diagnose the part and tell the techs to replace it.

I have heard of manufacturing defects from the Mexico factories a few times now. Interesting to me too how a new car could come out and have a part making noise already.
 
Mexico has horrible quality control in automotive production and in general. It's one step above China. Only reason to produce there is for cost savings to the manufacturer.
 
Mexico has horrible quality control in automotive production and in general. It's one step above China. Only reason to produce there is for cost savings to the manufacturer.
Yeah, that explains it then. Mazda shoulda stuck to Japan or at least moved some assembly into the US. Granted the whole move was to cut costs, but come on.

It’s ironic cuz at Mazda dealers, their marketing stuff is ALL about the design stories and craftsmanship…from Japan. But in reality while the designs originate there, the parts and assembly don’t. My car is like 65% parts from Mexico and the remaining from Japan and other countries.
 
It's uncanny how much that noise sounds like the issue they were never able to diagnose in my Mazda6. Very happy you got this fixed!
 
It's uncanny how much that noise sounds like the issue they were never able to diagnose in my Mazda6. Very happy you got this fixed!
Did you push the dealers? Mazda’s part warranty should hold them responsible for finding out what was wrong. You could request corporate figure it out too. I am lucky my dealer reached out to Mazda instead of me having to do it (it was my next step). I am also lucky to be in LA cuz the North America office is in Irvine, CA.
 
Did you push the dealers? Mazda’s part warranty should hold them responsible for finding out what was wrong. You could request corporate figure it out too. I am lucky my dealer reached out to Mazda instead of me having to do it (it was my next step). I am also lucky to be in LA cuz the North America office is in Irvine, CA.
Absolutely. They had Mazda Engineers in to look at it and their conclusion was it was operating as designed and there was not a serviceable part they could replace.

The car is long gone, fortunately. I’ve since traded it.
 
Absolutely. They had Mazda Engineers in to look at it and their conclusion was it was operating as designed and there was not a serviceable part they could replace.

The car is long gone, fortunately. I’ve since traded it.
Damn. I hate to read that engineers got involved (like for me) but your issue wasn’t solved. I guess I have to consider myself lucky. I don’t know if escalating to Mazda Japan would have helped.

How long after did you have the car for, putting up with the noise? Was the car a lease or purchase? How did you trade it then — and was it cuz of the noise itself or other things?
 
Damn. I hate to read that engineers got involved (like for me) but your issue wasn’t solved. I guess I have to consider myself lucky. I don’t know if escalating to Mazda Japan would have helped.

How long after did you have the car for, putting up with the noise? Was the car a lease or purchase? How did you trade it then — and was it cuz of the noise itself or other things?
That was only the beginning of the issues. It was a lemon. Engine needed to also be replaced and then the engine computer, and then fuel leaks and a bad throttle body. It’s an exhaustive list. I kept the car for a little over 2 years and then traded it at the dealer on a ‘20 CX5 which has been great thus far. Since it was all warranty work it didn’t effect the value and they fixed anything that was not working right. The initial suspension noise only happened when I hit bumps and was turning, so it was a pretty specific situation but that specific situation was on the route to work so I heard it almost every day.
 
That was only the beginning of the issues. It was a lemon. Engine needed to also be replaced and then the engine computer, and then fuel leaks and a bad throttle body. It’s an exhaustive list. I kept the car for a little over 2 years and then traded it at the dealer on a ‘20 CX5 which has been great thus far. Since it was all warranty work it didn’t effect the value and they fixed anything that was not working right. The initial suspension noise only happened when I hit bumps and was turning, so it was a pretty specific situation but that specific situation was on the route to work so I heard it almost every day.
Damn that is…bad. Sorry you had to go through that. My noise was audible all the time and given it was new, I knew something wasn’t right.

How did you deal with all that for 2 years? Heck, I was gonna declare my car a lemon if Mazda corporate wouldn’t be able to diagnose and fix the sound. And that’s just one issue.

I am a little on edge reading of rattles and things reported across forums and YouTube for the CX-30 across duration of a lease/ownership, but am also trying to enjoy the car now that it’s not making that knocking noise.
 
How did you deal with all that for 2 years? Heck, I was gonna declare my car a lemon if Mazda corporate wouldn’t be able to diagnose and fix the sound. And that’s just one issue.

I am a little on edge reading of rattles and things reported across forums and YouTube for the CX-30 across duration of a lease/ownership, but am also trying to enjoy the car now that it’s not making that knocking noise.
I hardly dealt. It consumed me for the entire time and it was not fun. It was just a running joke for awhile then I started feeling screwed over by Mazda. I also had lemon VW at one point back in 2012. I traded that one a year into owning it. Check my threads via my profile and you can see all the threads I started dealing with issues. What got me through was I had friends and colleagues who also had some issues and they all had different brands so it happens to everybody. Some even had premium brands (bmw). At the end of the day it’s having a good dealership to work with and I have that now.

It’s a lottery to a degree on whether you get a good car from any manufacturer. If you get a good one, hold onto it.

My dealer is at me to trade my ‘20 already for a ‘22. It’s an intense time to be buying/selling a car. The market is nuts!
 
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