Groaning front struts

It is common for the front struts to making a load groaning sound when turning at temperatures below about 40 degrees. You may be tempted to replace the upper strut bearing in an attempt to fix the problem, but that probably won't work. The noise is actually coming from the rubber coating on the outside of the strut bearing rubbing on the strut tower. Spraying this area with a silicone lubricant can provide a temporary fix.

The permanent fix is to install a spacer that goes between the upper strut bearing and the strut tower. The part number is F3DZ18A027A - about $11 each and you need one for each side. The TSB says the strut assembly must be removed to install the spacer - this is not true! Just jack up the front subframe letting the wheel/strut unload, remove the three upper strut to tower nuts, let the strut drop down (it may need a little help) and slip the spacer onto the studs. it may be wise to have the alignment checked after installing the spacers.