I have a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu with 90,000 miles on it. I’m the original owner and have taken the car in for maintenance every 3,000miles as doctor prescribes.
For about the last 10,000 miles I’ve noticed that whenever I make turns I get a loud creaking noise by my rear axle, very similar to someone walking on a wooden floor in an old house. This problem has gotten exponentially worse in the winter (I thought my car was going to fall apart this Sunday in the 10 degree weather) but slowly dissolves as the car warms up in 10 minutes or so.
I’m no car expert at all, but after listening to Car Talk for a few weeks, I was thinking there may be an issue with the bushings and they may need to be replaced/lubed.
I’m not sure if this is correct, but that’s what my educated guess is.
Which doctor prescribes maintenance every 3,000 miles? Check your owner’s manual, I’ll bet you can go at least twice that long between normal maintenance intervals. You’re wasting your money, and you need a new “doctor.”
Yes, the bushings might be the problem. Has anyone checked to see if they are making the noise? If so, lubrication won’t fix it, or at least not for longer than a few hours. If the bushings are worn or damaged they should be replaced.
I would also consider the rear shocks or struts as the source of the noise. Bushings don’t “warm up,” but shocks/struts do, at least to a certain extent.
I usually just go by the sticker Goodyear puts in my car after the oil change. I reviewed the Owners Manual and it also says every 3k. How often do you change your oil and filters?
That was just a suggestion from one of my buddies. I’m going to take my car in on Saturday and I’ll see what they have to say about the shocks/struts.