Service bulletin 02-011-16-3221

A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.

The communication, as NHTSA indexes it (as of 2026-10-19)
Type	Service bulletin
NHTSA id	10085445
Published by NHTSA	2016-12-03
Manufacturer's number	02-011-16-3221
Manufacturer's date	2016-07-20
NHTSA component	SUSPENSION

NHTSA's summary

SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CLUNKING NOISE FROM THE REAR SUSPENSIONS WHEN DRIVING OVER ROAD SLOPES OR BUMPS. THIS CONCERN MAY BE CAUSED BY THE TOP TWO WINDINGS OF THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER COIL SPRING (A) INTERFERING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND CAUSING A STICK-SLIP NOISE.TO CORRECT THE CONCERN, A RESIN PROTECTOR (A) HAS BEEN INSTALLED ONTO THE COIL SPRING.

The document

No address for NHTSA's copy can be built for this communication. Ask the dealer for it by the manufacturer's number.

Components

Suspension

Vehicles listed
MAZDA MX-5	2016

Listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned: the document says which.

Other bulletins for the same vehicles and component
SA-051-25	2025-12-05. Service bulletin. Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Diagnostic Guidelines Diagnostic Guidelines When diagnosing NVH concerns, it is essential to first classify the issue into one of three primary categories: Noise, Vibration, or Harshness. Many customer complaints may involve overlapping symptoms, such as both noise and vibration, so identifying the dominant characteristic is critical. Once the primary symptom is determined, follow the appropriate diagnostic path. For example, if a concern includes both noise and vibration but is related to vehicle speed, the vibration diagnostic path should be followed. When considering component replacement during the diagnostic process, it is best practice to start with the lowest cost or most accessible part unless diagnostic evidence clearly identifies a more expensive or complex component as the root cause. This approach helps minimize repair costs and avoids unnecessary part replacements. For example, a growling or bearing whine noise may be mistakenly attributed to internal components in the differential, transfer unit, or transmission, when the actual source is a wheel bearing. Misdiagnosis like this can lead to unnecessary repairs, added time and cost. To help prevent this, always follow the guidelines in the repair procedure.
02-004-22a	2022-12-02. Service bulletin. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
02-004-22	2022-06-04. Service bulletin. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
02-001/22	2022-04-05. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may exhibit a clunk noise from rear suspension when driving at low speeds and/or turning due to the rattling of the bush of the upper lateral link in the rear hub support. Dimensional variation of the bush boots in the rear hub support may cause insufficient sealing which allows water to enter the rear hub support, resulting in rust on the pillow-ball. The rust then accelerates the pillow-ball wear and causes a gap between the body and the bearing, resulting in the clunk noise during driving. To eliminate this concern, the boots in the rear hub support have been modified to improve sealing.
SA-006-22	2022-03-04. Service bulletin. There have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. This misdiagnosis can lead to multiple repair attempts, warranty debits, and additional inconvenience and/or cost to the customer. To reduce the chance of this occurring, please follow the steps outlined in the repair procedure.
02-002-20-3651	2020-01-23. Service bulletin. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
SA-016-19	2019-04-25. Service bulletin. There have been warranty claims submitted for noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. This misdiagnosis can lead to multiple repair attempts, warranty debits, and additional inconvenience and/or cost to the customer. To reduce the chance of this occurring, please follow the steps outlined in the repair procedure.
02-001-19-3550	2019-02-19. Service bulletin. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
02-006-18-3449	2018-04-23. Service bulletin. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
02-011-16-3221	2017-02-16. Service bulletin. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CLUNKING NOISE FROM THE REAR SUSPENSIONS WHEN DRIVING OVER ROAD SLOPES OR BUMPS. THIS CONCERN MAY BE CAUSED BY THE TOP TWO WINDINGS OF THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER COIL SPRING (A) INTERFERING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND CAUSING A STICK-SLIP NOISE.TO CORRECT THE CONCERN, A RESIN PROTECTOR (A) HAS BEEN INSTALLED ONTO THE COIL SPRING.