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For the past year, I've been dealing with an annoying noise coming from the front passenger side of the car. When turning up or downhill or driving over uneven surfaces and holes, the right passenger side pops. I can't tell exactly where it's coming from, but it sounds almost like the windshield, dash area, or the outside right of the car.

I took the car to a Honda dealer and they said that my right control arm bushing is weather cracked and the left is torn. They claim my front struts are also leaking(?????). They want me to pay for new struts and new bushings, and it's going to cost well over 900 dollars. I'm scheduled to get the parts put on tomorrow. Also, ever since I got my car back from them after they gave me the estimate, the noises have gotten much worse and my fuel economy has gone WAAAY down.

Today I went to a custom muffler and brake shop to get an estimate on an aftermarket exhaust. I had them give me an estimate on the same work Honda was going to do just out of curiosity, but the tech stated that there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with my struts and they don't look like they are leaking anything. They did not give at all when he jostled the car.

Now I'm confused. I don't know what to believe. Is the Honda place trying to screw me out of money? I need my car fixed by this weekend because I'm driving to California for a wedding. I do not want to drive through mountains with this noise.

 
Rep Power: 285

Honda is probably recommending that you change the struts, because you've either reached the recommended mileage or they're on the way out soon and they want to save you labour costs.

The control arm bushings are completely normal, they always fail in these cars and I'd expect Honda to charge you between $200-300 to change them.

 
Rep Power: 367

celestial what? wow... you were inspired on the user name...
anyway, the bushings are usual - they go out. Leaking struts - if you can see the struts and they look like oily, yes, they are leaking - pretty easy to spot.

 
Rep Power: 0

All right, so got the new struts and bushings put on today, and the noise is still there, and now it's louder! It doesn't occur as frequently, as in it takes a little more uneven surfaces and hills to get it to pop, but when it does, now it's even louder than before! I asked them about the possibility of bad sway bar links, axle, ball joints, etc., but they said that's not it.

God, all that money GONE. What the heck am I dealing with? Sound is coming from right front passenger side. Sounds like a loud POP! or a clunk, depending on how you hit it. Honda is going to check the suspension AGAIN, but I'm getting sick of the runaround!

 
Rep Power: 367

sway bar endlinks?
(Sorry, just read that they did check it and it does not sound like it either) The tie-rods mentioned below might be a possibility?
does not sound like it, but there are bearings on the top mounts too, they tend to go often.
Have you tried to check them yourself for play and stuff, prying around?

 
Rep Power: 256

i've had the popping noise on my civic on several occasions, it was my tie rod end. Dont ask me how it happened, but i replaced the tie rod twice on oneside, and once on the other. I dont know how common this problem is, but it was when my car was setup for the tracks. Give it a try, only cost about 25 bucks for "555" brand.

 
Rep Power: 0

Have them make sure they torqued all the hardware when you take it back. If they did all that work, and didn't get all the bolts back tight, iy'll make a sound too. If they did, then they should notice bad tie rod ends, especially since they replaced the struts, and they should've noticed bad strut mount bearings when they did it too.

Of course, this doesn't mean they didn't notice them, it just means they didn't tell you about them, I'd go to another shop or dealer, or take some pictures and let us see the condition of your suspension.

If its not the control arm bushings or struts, its gotta be the ball joint, tie rod ends, sway bar end link, or the strut mount bearing, that's all that's left.

But seriously, if they don't find out whats wrong after you take it back, go to another shop because they're lying to you.

 
Rep Power: 285

Its a good rule of thumb to always replace the strut mounts and regrease the bearings when your replace the struts on these cars, because in 01 and early 02 the mounts were plastic and they tend to fail.If they did replace those I'd say it's probably the tie rod ends.
Unfortunately suspensions do wear out over time and start making annoying noises until you pay for an expensive repair.

 
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celestialwolven . . .

first . . hello there . . . i own a 2002 honda civic lx . . . i had same noise / issue almost from day i drove it off the lot. eventually . . . after 200,000 miles (now has 265k+) . . . the noise eventually disappeared.

who you think pays advisors' salaries there at the honda dealer ? you ever eaves-drop to what the advisors tell every other customer coming in ?

celestialwolven, i just lived with the "popping sound" . . . least it is not the cv joints.

one other thing, celestialwolven . . . never take your car to midas-muffler or just-brakes . . . they will carve out your esophagus even before you take a seat.

 
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https://www.civicforums.com/forums/4...-coilover.html

This question has come up a few times, please read this post, it should give you a better perspective on the answer.