How Smooth is highway driving supposed to be?

[TheNewJanBrady]

2012 Golf TDI, brand new..Please help, dealer denies there is any vibration! Please respond and try to explain what u feel at 70+ mph on the highway!

When I get above 60 my car begins to vibrate. At 77+ you can feel the shaking in on your feet, and in your face especially. This is my 4th Golf (my previous car was a 2001 jetta wolfsburg), and I have never noticed a vibration like this before. I also rent cars a lot and drive long distances so I can definitely notice when a car is vibrating. My wife says she can feel it too but thinks its doing it because its a diesel. I guess Im OK if this is normal b/c I like the car, but its very noticeable.

When I took it to the dealer, they said they couldn't feel anything and I was pretty pissed but their position is how can they fix a problem they don't see. Car has 1400 miles on it, its always ridden like this. They checked the balancing and the engine for vibration, and the suspension and said everything looks OK. I created a video of a water bottle sitting on the seat with the water pulsating and sent it along. I didn't get a response back from the dealer. Any kind of tests someone can do on this car to prove its not right or is this normal bc of the tight suspension? To be honest, I have never driven a car with suspension this tight before. Should this thing be a little bouncy on the highway or lexus smooth like when I'm going 55 mph?

Thanks!

[chittychittybangbang]

Quick question, are the windows open? Many newer cars have wind resonance. Close windows and see if fixed.

Suspension should feel very smooth.

[DubFamily]

Ask them to rotate your tires and see if the problem changes. If it is wheel/tire related you'll feel it shift once the tires are rotated.

It may also be a bad tire; ask them what type of machine they use for tire balancing. If it isn't a Hunter Roadforce, go find a Roadforce location and pay the ~40 to have them balanced properly. Keep receipts.

[xeno555]

Yea that is not normal. I have had the vehicle up to 110mph and it feels the same as 60mph. A broken band in the tire will do that.

They didn't leave the shipping blocks in the shock towers did they?

[avs]

Yea like DubFamily said, get all 4 wheels rebalance. Maybe one of the weight on the wheel came off and threw it out of balance.

[Cogen Man]

Yes have the tires checked for balance. Should be a smooth ride.

[jfbsaratoga]

Balance tires - make sure the tires are also aligned- alignment will have a huge effect on smoothness. Make sure they check your camber as it is adjustable on your car. Get the readout before and after.

[speedracer1407]

You should balance your ti.....oh wait. Everyone already said that.

Whatever the problem is, it's definitely a problem. One of the key features of this car, and one of the ones I appreciate the most, is an unflappable and utterly smooth ride at speed. Any vibration you feel is definitely not the result of a stiff suspension (it's not really all that stiff) or the Diesel. Don't let the dealer BS you with "they all do that."

[Type_TDI]

Read this and let me know if it sounds familiar (2010 Golf TDI 60-75 mph vibration/shaking)
Keep in mind my car is almost 3 years old now, except for all the parts I've replaced I still have this shake.

The only things that rotate in my car that haven't been replaced are the clutch/flywheel. I can tell you one thing, I will be so very grateful when I can get the smoothness other folks are talking about on here! I feel like I'm missing out on what makes the golf tdi great.

[mrmmacd77]

Like everyone else has said on here... Balance the tires at a different location... Highspeed vibration tends to tell me it's in the rear end of the car.. Anything over 50mph is usually a sign of a rear tire out of balance or strut bouncing.. if it was in the front, you would feel it at lower speeds.

That being said I have noticed coming from my MKIV the suspension in the 12 is slighly more sensitive... I have noticed if the highway is washboarded I feel it. A simple lane change will tell you if this is the problem.

Remember the lowest paid employee is usually the one humping the tires on and off the car to balance them at the dealer.