i have a knocking noise coming from the rear of my mk 3 the noise only comes on bumpy or very uneven roads also on roads with sleeping policemen ive had it checked twice but the mech found no fault but today i was told it could be the top cover on the suspension could this be true and any idea of cost

I had a knock on the rear of my mk3.
There are a lot of posts about rear end bushes having problems on this car but maybe just like you in mine nothing appeared to be amiss.
There is also talk of the handbrake cable knocking on the inside of the body, but mine was all clamped.
The dealer said all the links etc looked ok and after messing about like removing the spare etc to try and get rid of it took it back again.
This may sound a bit odd but i noticed when i kicked the wheel on the back right (in my case) i heard what sounded like something rattling.
Anyway what they eventually found, the spring had rotated in where it sits in the strut, I bought this car second hand with the noise but they said they would fix it and they did, this problem wasnt immediately visualy noticable and apparently the spring misses (whatever itr bumps) by such a small amount normally it can make a knocking noise if not located correctly.
The fix, didnt see it but i suppose they jacked it up, he said it wasnt easy to get at, rotated the spring in place and noise gone.
How it got that way no one seems to know? Been fine ever since. Mind you my knock was quite noticable (although a bit unpredictable) but was best heard over a cobble street.
BTW we really only pin pointed the noise by having someone with their head in the boot while i drove over an area where it alway sdid it.

Hope this info is of some use, I seem to be the only one who has reported this, everyone else has always said bushes, but mine were ok and i had the knock. Maybe worth looking into, good luck.

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2004 Mondeo Ghia X 2.5 V6
Touch Nav-CD Stacker-Radio, Leather Interior
Heated-Cooled Power Seats,
ABS, ESP etc Durashift 5 speed Auto
Lowered 40 and 30
Remapped

i had to have new rear subframe bushes when i got my mondeo st 3 years ago, at the time i had to have a whole new subframe, but it was done under warranty as i had just bought the car. im not sure whether you can just buy the bushes now, but at the time it was the full subframe that had to be replaced