Hey all--

I have noticed from the time I first got my car to now.. the road noise inside the car has become louder... I am a real worry-wart kinda person so if i hear anything different than normal i wonder about it!

But the car has about 21k on it and its alittle louder inside than it used to be... like tires, etc..i know i need to get a tire rotation but i thought that couldnt be why the noise is loud like it is...

Anyone having the same problem.. or any answers to this?
Thanks!

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yah i kind of realize it too my car is an 04 sedan and its more of the bumpyness involved with the noise that bothers me.. like it isnt smooth it feels like a cheap bumpy civic now.. (i used to have a civic) but at first it was the smoothest car i had let me know any insight also thankssss [X(][&:][:@][:'(][:-]

 

Are you also feeling any vibration either thru the steering wheel or from the seat? Most likely a tire balance problem. Another
possibly is a broken belt in one of the tires. This wil cause a diagonal low or wear spot across the tire face. Another possibly is a wheel bearing failing. The main problem is determining which is the cause of the noise, since at some point these can sound the same. First inspect tire wear both visially & by running your hand around & across the tire, should be even & smooth. Next test drive on road that
is smooth & if possible flat, without any traffic. You drive @ 30mph or @ the speed which you best hear the noise, now drive like a drunk but sober drunk, side to side & listen for the sound to change when you change direction. That the check for wheel bearing noise. If the doesn't change it's most likely a tire problem.

 

Recommend that you not buy a Mazda. Bought a Mazda 3 2006. At around 17,000 miles I began to have problems with the tires. After complaining several times to the dealer, I was referred to the Toyo Dealers to address the warranty. I ran into major problems with them in honoring the warranty and ended up buying 4 new Firestone tires at 21,000 miles. Again at around 20,000 miles, I began having the same problems. I had the tires aligned, rotated and balanced every 3,000-6,000 miles and nothing improved the wear of the tires. Neither the Mazda dealership nor the main Mazda offices were willing to do anything to remedy the problem or find a solution. I finally traded the car in in 2008 and don’t plan to ever buy another Mazda in my life. I have read blogs on both the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 with the same problems.
Unless you are rich and can afford tires every 17,000 miles, it is not worth the trouble you will incur. You will be zoom zooming every 17,000 miles to a tire store.

 

I had 15K on my 07 M3 HBwhen I traded it, still had over 50% tread left on the original Goodyear's, and I am not easy on tires either.
Also the tires are performance rated Low Profile tires, do the research before you buy and get a higher tread wear tire.

 

I agree with gtxtreme. I noticed the same symptoms you are describing several months back with my 3. As a professional mechanic it took me about three seconds to diagnose the faulty wheel bearing (driver's side front) and aboutthree months to decide to finally correct it. The faulty wheel bearing will produce a pulsing noise much like road noise. It will most often be evident while driving straight and grow more pronounced in either a left or right turn (depending on which side the faulty part is installed). If you do the job yourself you will need a puller for the hub assembly (it is a sealed unit and cannot be repaired by the home mechanic) which can be rented from Auto Zone. A socket large enough for the axel nut (should run around $10-$20) a big damn breaker bar...that axel nut can be really tough without one. A torque wrenchand the parts (hub assembly $120, and a new axel nut $10). The Axel nut must be replaced because it is designed to stretch when it is installed for a tight fit. If you take it to a professional expect to spend between $300-$500. Best of luck!

 

If you don't rotate the tires, the inside edges of the rear tires will wear out and feather due to the negative camber of these cars in the rear (by design for good handling.) I didn't do a good job with the rotation of the tires on my car at first and had increased noise. I replaced the tires and the noise went away.

Inspect the tread and see if it is even across the full tread width or if there are any patterns evident.