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By kmacgray, December 20, 2009 in Toyota Corolla (2009 until 2018-19 “TNGA”)



Good morning,

I just purchased a used 2009 Corolla last week, and for the most part, I am very happy with the car. Yesterday, I did my first highway driving with it. I immediately noticed that when I got to 65 mph or higher, I could feel a very uncomfortable vibration. It doesn't feel like something is wobbling, but more like everything I can feel from the road is amplified. Even on brand new pavement, the ride is rough. At lower speeds, this goes away.

In researching this issue, I have found a few causes:

• High tire pressure: I haven't had a chance yet to check this, but will in the morning with my gauge when the tires are cold.

• Wheel(s) out of balance: A lot of what I am reading online points back to this.

• Tires out of round: A possibility, I suppose. The car has almost 13,000 miles on it, and I assume these are the original tires.

Do others agree that these are the most likely scenarios? In any event, I plan on stopping at the dealer tomorrow to press them on this. Is something like this covered under warranty, or will I be paying for any necessary adjustments or repairs?

Thanks,

Ken

Good morning,

 

I just purchased a used 2009 Corolla last week, and for the most part, I am very happy with the car. Yesterday, I did my first highway driving with it. I immediately noticed that when I got to 65 mph or higher, I could feel a very uncomfortable vibration. It doesn't feel like something is wobbling, but more like everything I can feel from the road is amplified. Even on brand new pavement, the ride is rough. At lower speeds, this goes away.

In researching this issue, I have found a few causes:

• High tire pressure: I haven't had a chance yet to check this, but will in the morning with my gauge when the tires are cold.

• Wheel(s) out of balance: A lot of what I am reading online points back to this.

• Tires out of round: A possibility, I suppose. The car has almost 13,000 miles on it, and I assume these are the original tires.

check tire wear and belts by running your hand across and over the treads to feel if they are even.they are probably fine . take it too wally mart.have them check air pressure. lifetime balance is $7.50 per tire. that's probably all it is.

I would check tire wear, too.  Also, an alignment my be in order -- you never really know how used cars were driven, even by little old cookie-delivery ladies.

Could also be the OEM tire choice - some tires just seem to amplify road noises. Definitely check tire pressures, should be the same for all tires, the OEM placard recommends 30PSI - I would experiment a bit with tire pressures to see if you can find something that works for you - might find that slightly higher tire air pressures can "help" with tire/road noises - all depends on the tire.

Tire balance/wheel alignment are also other possibilities - tire balance issues generally manifest at speeds above 60MPH or so. Have them double check for out of round wheels and excessive weight added to balance the tires/wheels (rule of thumb is no more than 2 oz of weight).

Out of round tire is unusual, but if the car ever had locked up it's wheels and ABS failed to do its job, possible the tires got flat-spotted. A car that sat for an extended time can also flat-spot the tires as well, though that usually fixes itself through daily driving.



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