Noise coming from the front of the car (not engine)

[Ana144]

Hi all,
my first post here and looking to see if anybody has had the problem I am having with my car. I have read a few pages of threads this morning, but none of the reported issues seem to be quite like mine, so....

I took the car to the dealership abou a month and a half ago for the regular maintenance visit (I think it was 50k or so...24 months)... no issues whatsoever.. just the maintenance.
Picked it up and all good.... the next morning my husband drove it and complained about a slight noise coming from the front (more like from the tires)... not sure how to call it, but it sounded lilke tac-tac-tac-tac.... more noticeable when braking.... although not something that you hear but more like something you "feel", if you know what I mean.
I took the car back to the dealership, the guy drove it around the block and agreed there was a very minimal noise. They will review. An hour or so after, they came back with ..."rotor is slightly more used on one area than the others (uh??), but there is nothing to worry about... usual wear... you can change rotors and pads now if you want or wait until the next service since the pads are in good condition ... but if it get worse, bring it back and we'll replace them sooner..."

I wasn't at all impressed with the answer, specially since the noise started after I brought it in for maintenance... even less impressed by the fact that they were suggesting the rotors already needed to be changed on a car that is less than 2 years old!!.. because "it's normal"??..... what kind of quality is that?? so I said I'd pay attention to the noise to see if it'd go in the next couple of days, and let them know.

It has gotten worse and not only when braking... is there all the time now... so I guess their theory of the rotors is out the window....

Have to take the car back for maintenance the next month but I'll bring it in sooner (maybe this weekend) to see what they have to say now.... not happy :flaming

Has anybody had a similar issue? do you know what it might be?

I have always been a Mazda fan and was actually thinking on changing my second car to also be a mazda, but now I have my doubts... this is aonly a 2-yr-old car.. shouldn't be having any issues whatsoever!!

[kevcol74]

How many kms are on the car?

[Ana144]

51K now

[kevcol74]

Brakes last about 60k, depending on how they are driven. If you brake late and hard, you can easily warp a rotor. A warped rotor will cause a noise every revolution of the wheel, so slower at slow speeds, and faster as you speed up. I drive stick, so I save on brakes by downshifting, letting the engine slow the car. If you are auto, you are prone to brakes wearing quicker than me. So yes, what the stealership said may actually be true.
Its not poor quality parts, its normal wear and tear on any vehicle. That being said, my 06 escape has the same issue, slight warp after 50k, but I've been living with it for 20k now. Not a bad warp, but there none-the-less. Until your brake pedal actually starts to kick/pulsate, I'd live with it.

[Ana144]

thanks for the feedback!

question though: if it was a rotor issue, would I have the noise even with my foot off the brake pedal, you think?? like I said... is there all the time, not only at braking....

Strange that the noise started after the last visit... it was right after I picked it up... coincidence then? I think they rotated the tires back then, so I thought perhaps it was something not properly adjusted after that?

[kevcol74]

It will make noise all the time, as the caliper only release so much, and a warped rotor will hit the pad even with the brakes not applied.
It is interesting that the noise started after a tire rotation though... It may or may not have something to do with it. Have they ever cleaned and audjusted the brakes? (serviced the sliders mainly) Probably not, and if the hit the caliper when putting on the wheels, that may have started the noise. Like I said though, if the brake pedal isn't kicking/pulsating, its not a major thing. But, since the noise started after the tire rotation... maybe go after them if you have the time to deal with it!