I have a 2002 Protege 5, I purchased used several years ago.
When you go over bumps or dips in the road, particularly when it is cold (outside), it creaks.
The sound is metalic, errr-errr, like sound for down and then up.
When I purchased it the mechanic I had inspect it said the shocks had been replaced which was odd for a car of its age, so perhaps the pervious owner was trying to fix this very annoyance.
The question is of course, what is it, and is it dangerious?
I would say it is closest to a kind of creak you get out of a weathered screen door hing if I had to pick another sound, but it isn’t exactly that.
It could come from a dry bushing perhaps from a sway bar.
You don’t say whether the noise comes from the rear or front (middle?).
It may be from a loose body panel. The list is almost endless unless you can isolate the area.
The danger aspect depends on the component.
It at least comes from the front axle area but I can’t be more specific than that, it also might be in the back.
My first thought was the same as RRunner, dry bushing. If you can get the vehicle safely and securely raised on good quality jack stands or (better) ramps, you can grab and push and pull on the swaybars. My bet is that you’ll find one of them not still tight in its bushings, or perhaps a tie rod busing is dried and shrunk.
sounds like suspension bushes to me,my 2002 ford used to creak,but new bushes and problem solved!or you could just turn the radio up loud!!!