New 2005 V6 Vue Owner Front Left Suspension Noise, Likeliest Causes?

[pjfent]

New to Saturn, so hoping some seasoned owners might point me in the right direction.
I just bought a 2005 V6 FWD Vue, in pretty decent shape, no major issues and everything works, but I am hearing a moderate FL noise on suspension travel sometimes and sometimes feeling a small feedback in the steering wheel.
Drivability is still good, doesn't seem to be any excessive play, instability or mistracking and the sway bar links and bushings seem OK. I have crawled around underneath front and back looking for anything out of place or worn, and couldn't find anything, and it just passed a safety inspection, but I know that something is not 100%. From what I have gathered here, my first instincts are that it may be the strut mount or maybe the steering rack bushings, but I don't really have enough experience, yet, to really narrow it down, and I could be way off.

So I was wondering if there were any visible signs of a fault of either that I could look for, or if there were any other common causes that I haven't considered?

Thanks in advance.

[Cavell]

1. Sway bar link. Sometimes you have to unbolt one end to really feel any looseness.
2. Strut top mount. Or strut itself. You can’t really tell if strut is failed until you take coil assy apart.
3. Sway bar bushings.