MajorCommonSuspension

Mazda CX-5: Front lower arm bush creak and strut bearing knock (KE CX-5 built before November 2015)

Front lower arm bush creak and strut bearing knock (KE CX-5 built before November 2015) is a common suspension fault on the Mazda CX-5 on the 2012–2015 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $450 to $1,100 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 36 documented faults on the Mazda CX-5.

Vehicle: Mazda CX-5
Years: 2012–2015
System: Suspension

This page covers the Mazda CX-5 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mazda CX-5 faults36 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The rear bush of the front lower control arm on the KE CX-5 is a hydraulic-filled compliance bush that deteriorates through cracking and fluid loss. As the bush breaks down, the control arm rear pivot point loses axial stiffness, allowing the arm to move fore and aft under braking and acceleration loads. This introduces caster and toe variation at the front wheels, manifesting as steering wander on straight roads, vague on-centre feel, and a tendency for the car to follow road camber or rutting. The failure is accelerated on rough sealed roads and by vehicles used for regular towing. Worn bushes are often visible as cracked rubber or collapsed bush sleeve on inspection, and confirmed by clunk under brake application.

What you would notice

Steering wander or drift on straight roads
Vague or imprecise on-centre steering feel
Car follows ruts or road camber without steering input
Clunk from front suspension under braking
Uneven or accelerated front tyre wear
Wheel alignment that cannot be corrected to specification

How to check it

Where to look. Front lower control arm, rear bush pivot point, both sides

Watch for: Steering wander or drift on straight roads. If a workshop inspection is possible: With vehicle on a hoist apply fore and aft force to the front lower control arm to check for excessive bush deflection at the rear pivot; visually inspect bush rubber for cracking, splitting, or collapsed hydraulic chambers; check for differential tyre wear front axle indicating caster wander; attempt wheel alignment — inability to achieve caster specification confirms bush failure.

Parts involved: Ball joint, Shock absorber / strut.

What it costs to put right

$450 to $1,100 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the front lower control arm rear bush ever been replaced?”
“Any complaints of steering wander or pulling at highway speed?”
“When was the last four-wheel alignment performed and did it pass?”

Now check the Mazda CX-5 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Mazda CX-5 buyer questions

Is front lower arm bush creak and strut bearing knock (ke cx-5 built before november 2015) serious on a Mazda CX-5?

We rate it major and common on the Mazda CX-5. The rear bush of the front lower control arm on the KE CX-5 is a hydraulic-filled compliance bush that deteriorates through cracking and fluid loss. As the bush breaks down, the control arm rear pivot point loses axial stiffness, allowing the arm to move fore and aft under braking and acceleration loads. This introduces caster and toe variation at the front wheels, manifesting as steering wander on straight roads, vague on-centre feel, and a tendency for the car to follow road camber or rutting. The failure is accelerated on rough sealed roads and by vehicles used for regular towing. Worn bushes are often visible as cracked rubber or collapsed bush sleeve on inspection, and confirmed by clunk under brake application.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mazda CX-5?

$450 to $1,100 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mazda CX-5 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2012–2015 Mazda CX-5. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.