Groaning when accelerating, braking, turning wheel

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have an 04Honda Civic manual transmission that suddenly started making an ugly groaning sound whenever i accelerate, apply the brakes, or turn. It sounds like a metal-on-metal noise like something is loose or cracked. It even happens if I turn the steering wheel when the car is stationary. I tried to listen to where it’s coming from, but all I can tell is that it’s somewhere in the front suspension.

Mechanic said he didn’t see anything wrong on the front suspension, but recommended replacing rear control arms. I would greatly appreciate any ideas. Thank you for your time.

2

Also, pushing on the front struts doesn’t make any noise.

3

“It even happens if I turn the steering wheel when the car is stationary.”

That should rule out bearings, CV joints, axles, and most of the suspension. Check the upper mounts on the struts. One of them could be sticking or worn. This would normally only happen when turning the wheels, though, and accelerating/braking wouldn’t have too much effect.

Does it seem to come mostly from one side or the other, or from the middle of the car?