[prefersjdm]

Car appears as new. 26,000 miles. 0 rust. well maintained. But there is the faintest clunk coming from the left wheel well on compression and decompression over bumps, and across imperfect pavement. It's only readily noticeable at low speeds (under 15mph) and it disappears on flat surfaces and at speed. The electronic steering vagueness makes it difficult to assess the play because you never know what the wheels are doing unless you're looking for it, but when the weight of the car is pressed over that wheel (such as in a decline to the left), you'll hear and feel a smidge of bounciness. It's not a sway bar or CV axle issue.

The car has such low mileage I'm surprised this is an issue at all, but I do not have a lift to assess play in the wheel, and can't tell if it's the strut, housing, or some type of play in a connecting component like a ball joint. Impossible to tell without a lift? Any usual sources for these issues at low mileage?

[freakystyly]

I have it too, pretty sure it's the strut mount. Only present on low/idle speed over gravel and usually with the wheel turned... hope to get in there to replace in the spring time.

[prefersjdm]

I suspected so, too. I just couldn't believe they'd be gone so early. You were correct. Replaced both sides. Racing shop indicated the original part number was no longer applicable for ordering, so it is a known defect which produced a redesign from the OEM manufacturer, which is indicated by the new part number.

You can check if your mounts have failed by jacking the car, gripping the coil spring as close to the upper strut mount as possible, and pushing in and out on the strut and spring while watching for movement of the upper end of the strut piston rod.

For me, there was play on both sides, and though it wouldn't have developed further, or likely degraded additional components it had altered suspicion characteristics I could only entirely notice with the new mounts, and this is mostly because the springs were moving around.

Since the springs had play in the upper end, the car was dropping harder into imperfections and staying dropped with less bounce, producing more vibration that lasted longer in the system, producing cylindrical vibrations (like a swirl effect) over imperfections instead of vertical drops and bounces. Steering feel was also more vague, as was driver awareness pertaining to the front tires, which is tough to identify because of the electronic steering system but it gets even worse.

The noise is the most evident sign, but there are serious driving disadvantages to it, too. Shop told me I could hold off if I wanted because the play was at its extreme and wouldn't affect anything else because they're good people, but I'm glad I didn't. The car is much changed. Would recommend to anyone experiencing similar symptoms to change them out.

If the car feels awkward, jittery, bouncy, on crap pavement when the weight of the vehicle is distributed toward the front end or one front side, as if you're driving on a wooden bridge; or you feel cylindrical forces in your hips and butt coming out of bumps and divots at speed, it's probably the crap original mounts.