Service bulletin 02-005-19-3503a

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	10160552
Published by NHTSA	2019-05-30
Manufacturer's number	02-005-19-3503a
Manufacturer's date	2019-05-01
NHTSA component	SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER; SUSPENSION

NHTSA's summary

Some vehicles may experience a creaking noise from the front shock absorber when going over bumps. Upon inspection, the coil spring is found to be broken at the lower part without any trace of an accident. It may be found during maintenance or service opportunity without customer complaints. Mud and sand caught between the coil spring and the lower spring seat causes paint damage on the coil spring, resulting in rust holes and uneven force application. To correct this issue, the shape of the lower spring seat has been modified.

The document

The document is the manufacturer's. This site does not hold it. NHTSA files a document at one of these two addresses; we have not asked NHTSA which.

Components

Suspension, Shocks and struts

Vehicles listed
MAZDA CX-3	2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
MAZDA MAZDA3	2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

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
0200416	2022-06-06. Service bulletin. SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES
02-010-16-3170	2021-01-28. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may exhibit a knocking / squeaking noise from the front shock absorber when driving on rough roads and/or when turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is stopped.
02-014-18-3503	2018-10-09. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may experience a creaking noise from the front shock absorber when going over bumps. Upon inspection, the coil spring is found to be broken at the lower part without any trace of an accident. It may be found during maintenance or service opportunity without customer complaints. Mud and sand caught between the coil spring and the lower spring seat causes paint damage on the coil spring, resulting in rust holes and uneven force application. To correct this issue, the shape of the lower spring seat has been modified.
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.
02-002-18-3300d	2018-03-05. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may exhibit a knocking / squeaking noise from the front shock absorber when driving onrough roads and/or when turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is stopped.The noise may be due to: Upper front strut bearing (A) damage. (CX-5 and Mazda6) Squeak type noise between the front strut bearing and coil spring. (CX-3, CX-5 and Mazda6) The bump stopper (C) may be contacting the strut bearing when the front shock absorber is compressed, causing a popping noise. (Mazda6 only) The front lower arm bushing (D) is making a creak type noise in wet road conditions. (CX-5 and Mazda6).Front Shock Absorber Front Lower Arm To eliminate the noise, the following mass-production changes have been made: 1. The material and production method of the front strut bearing (A) has been changed. (CX-5 and Mazda6) 2. A protector has been installed onto the coil spring. (CX-5 and Mazda6) 3. The shape of the bump stopper (C) will be modified in the future. (Mazda6 only) 4. The shape of the coil spring has been changed. (CX-3 only) 5. Friction of the lower arm bushing has been reduced by adding a dry coating. (CX-5 and Mazda6). NOTE: The piston rod nut (B) requires replacement.
02-003-17-3300b	2017-10-21. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may exhibit a knocking / squeaking noise from the front shock absorber when driving on rough roads and/or when turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is stopped.The noise may be due to:? Upper front strut bearing (A) damage. (CX-5 and Mazda6)? Squeak type noise between the front strut bearing and coil spring. (CX-3, CX-5 and Mazda6)? The bump stopper (C) may be contacting the strut bearing when the front shock absorber is compressed, causing a popping noise. (Mazda6 only)? The front lower arm bushing (D) is making a creak type noise in wet road conditions. (CX-5 and Mazda6).
02-005-17-3013g	2017-08-10. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may exhibit one or more of the following noises from the front suspension. A squeaking noise from the front shock absorber when turning the steering wheel at a vehicle standstill caused by stick-slip between the front strut bearing and the coil spring. A popping noise from the front shock absorber when passing over speed bumps caused by the bump stopper contacting the strut bearing when the shock absorber is compressed. A creaking noise from the lower arm when driving over road bumps at 20-40 km/h caused by stick-slip of the front lower arm bushing. The noise occurs when the road surface is wet or after a car washing, and becomes more noticeable as the speed bump gets higher. To correct these problems, the following changes have been made. For the squeaking and popping noise, the shape of the bump stopper has been modified and a protector has been installed onto the coil spring. For the creaking noise, the friction of the lower arm bushing has been reduced by adding a dry coating.
02-003-17-3300a	2017-08-10. Service bulletin. Some vehicles may exhibit a knocking / squeaking noise from the front shock absorber when driving on rough roads and/or when turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is stopped. The noise may be due to: upper front strut bearing (A) damage. (CX-5 and Mazda6) squeak type noise between the front strut bearing and coil spring. (CX-3, CX-5 and Mazda6) the bump stopper (C) may be contacting the strut bearing when the front shock absorber is compressed, causing a popping noise. (Mazda6 only) The front lower arm bushing (D) is making a creak type noise in wet road conditions. (CX-5, Mazda6 and CX-9).
02-001-16-3013	2017-06-09. Service bulletin. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT ONE OR BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING NOISES FROM THE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER.• A POPPING NOISE WHEN PASSING OVER SPEED BUMPS.• A SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT A VEHICLE STANDSTILL.TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THE SHAPE OF THE BUMP STOPPER HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND A PROTECTOR HAS BEEN INSTALLED ONTO THE COIL SPRING.
02-003-15-2990A	2017-06-08. Service bulletin. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A KNOCKING / SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER WHEN DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS AND/OR WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. THE NOISE MAY BE DUE TO: • UPPER FRONT STRUT BEARING (A) DAMAGE. (CX-5 AND MAZDA6) • STICK/SLIP BETWEEN THE FRONT STRUT BEARING AND COIL SPRING. • THE BUMP STOPPER (C) MAY BE CONTACTING THE STRUT BEARING WHEN THE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER IS COMPRESSED, CAUSING A POPPING NOISE. (MAZDA6 ONLY) TO ELIMINATE THE NOISE, THE FOLLOWING MASS-PRODUCTION CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE: 1. THE MATERIAL AND PRODUCTION METHOD OF THE FRONT STRUT BEARING (A) HAS BEEN CHANGED. (CX-5 AND MAZDA6) 2. A PROTECTOR HAS BEEN INSTALLED ONTO THE COIL SPRING. (CX-5 AND MAZDA6) 3. THE SHAPE OF THE BUMP STOPPER (C) WILL BE MODIFIED IN THE FUTURE. (MAZDA6 ONLY) 4. THE SHAPE OF THE COIL SPRING HAS BEEN CHANGED. (CX-3 ONLY) NOTE: THE PISTON ROD NUT (B) REQUIRES REPLACEMENT.