Lexus GX 2004-09 :: Steering Wheel Vibration / Shaking On GX470 At Speeds Over 50mph
Jun 20, 2011
My GX470 steering wheel shakes/vibrates when I hit speeds over 50mph. What is causing it?
View 12 RepliesMy GX470 steering wheel shakes/vibrates when I hit speeds over 50mph. What is causing it?
View 12 RepliesI bought 09 GX-470 4K miles ago..has 50K on it. Ran perfect when we bought it. wife said it started doing it 1 week later. I drove it and felt like warped rotors to me. replaced front rotors and pads with cheap wearever brand...I Know...I was sort of trouble shooting..did nothing ...did the back rotors and pads and seemed to fix it..did proper bed-in of new parts but, never checked at speeds above 55mph. recent trip got us up to speeds above 55... at these faster speeds when brakes are applied we get a nasty wheel wobble and a pulsing pedal...braking below 55 it feels fine.. thought's ?? last car was a 4runner which has the the same rotors and pads and never had a problem...could it be ABS ?? should I go with new oem rotors and pads ?
View 10 RepliesI'm getting some vibration and steering wheel shake with my '04 GX... I have a 2004 GX with the differential dynamic damper installed. About 55-60mph it starts, and shakes the steering wheel back and forth. Sometimes it's completely smooth, but on other road surfaces it shakes. On full "comfort mode," the shake is much worse, but on Sport mode it dampens the shake to about 10% intensity, but it's sometimes still there. This is not bump steer, by the way.
So far, I've done:
-Brakes
-Alignment
-Front hubs
-2x wheel balancing with 2 different sets of wheels/tires
-lubed the drive shaft and prop shaft to fix the clunk (Clunk TSB has not been done)
-changed the power steering fluid
-checked all control arm bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, and sway bar bushings. All are solid.
I recently jacked up the front end and moved the wheels back and forth by hand. It seems like there is some looseness coming front the inner tie rods. However, I pushed and pulled and can't get a clunk or anything. I think it's coming from inside the steering gearbox. My VIN says it's before ST002-05, so that TSB aka "Steering Flutter" would apply, if it is that.
After 104k, are the front shocks due for a change? It does seem to nose-dive a bit on braking, but the shocks aren't leaking or anything. Would worn shocks cause steering wheel flutter on these trucks?
I have a 2003 Nissan maxima and at first it used to shake at around 50mph, took it to the shop they looked into the suspension, did wheel balance, changed 2 front tires and wheel alignment and they said it should be fixed. A week later, it started shacking at around 70 mph, what else should I do to get ride of this problem?
View 1 Repliesdrive an '05 sc430 and the steering wheel shakes at above 50mph when I lightly step on the brakes. I have recently had my brakes done and an alignment done as well as both rear shocks replaced.
View 14 RepliesI'm new to Lexus ownership and have recently purchased an 08 certified LS 460 L with the air ride suspension. It's a phenomenal car, I'm now a convert to the brand. One small thing I noticed though is a slight jiggle or vibration coming to the steering wheel at moderate speeds. It is very dependent on the road surface, Seems to dissipate on the highway. Alignment was checked before delivery and feels fine and the tires themselves feel balanced. It's not upsetting, I'm just curious if this is something normal to the air ride suspension. Other than this the car is an absolute gem with only 35,000 miles.
View 4 RepliesSo today I took the gx470 on the highway and once is approached 70mph i noticed the steering wheel shaking... never before have i noticed this but today it happened i guess sporadically... just the steering wheel and nothing else... is this just the alignment? bad road? excessive speed? funky... lmk
View 8 RepliesI had a problem with my steering wheel shaking at various speeds. Eventually I found a bad inner tie rod and replaced it. The shaking is gone, but whenever I get over 70 mph there is still a very small vibration. I had all 4 wheels aligned after changing the tie rod. Tires are brand new, less than a week old. The mechanic checked my ball joints while doing the alignment and said they were good. Could my struts be causing the vibration? They need replaced, not sure if the previous owner ever replaced them and the car has 225,000 miles.
View 3 RepliesI just bought a 2002 corolla with a salvage title. I am having trouble with the front passenger side vibration at high speeds 50mph on up. It had the vibration when I bought it and I put 4 brand new tires on it, and had the front end aligned and had a fellow mechanic look at it and and said everything up front was tight. The guy I bought it from said he had the front brakes just done but I feel a pulsating as when I apply the brakes. My fellow mechanic said he would turn the rotors next week, my question is what would be my next step if that not it, axle? I really wouldn't car but I drive this car 150 miles a day to work and its all highway.
View 2 RepliesLately my 2007 GX470's steering wheel has a shaking/vibrating problem whenever I apply the brake at speed above 50 mph or so. Without braking or with braking at slower speed, there is no problem at all -- everything is glass smooth.
1. I assume the front brake rotor is warped?
2. Will I need to change the rotor or is there a way to fix the warp (it that's the problem) without changing the rotor?
3. Approximate part & labor cost?
I plan to bring to dealer for a check up but would like to know ahead of time what to expect.
700 miles ago I got new brake pads on all 4 wheels and new rotors on the rear wheels. 700 miles later the steering wheel still shakes when braking at above 60mph speeds. Also there is still a squeak sound coming when braking. Do I need to give the new brakes and rotors more time to adjust or were they installed wrong?
View 7 RepliesMy wife just purchased an 04 w/27k miles in superb condition two months ago. This is a California car that had no mountain or winter weather service.
We live in Colorado & do a lot of mountain driving. At speeds above 65mph going down hill the steering wheel slightly vibrates or shimmies under heavy braking. The car is always heavily loaded.
Original brakes w/ well over 50% lining. I have not put a dial indicator on the disc surfaces.
CV joint boots are tight & no grease leakage.
Tires are wearing perfectly, so I do not think it is an alignment issue.
My Ford F250 XLT (HD) 2 wheel drive has recently developed a shimmy; a shaking of the steering wheel that usually occurs at medium speeds, and seems worse when going around a curve. But since it doesn't seem safe to drive, I dropped by a local shop for a diagnosis. Their thought was that I had a caliper sticking, since it pulled to the left when they test drove it and applied the brakes, and maybe rotors since the vibration indicated warped rotors. Since I hadn't mentioned shaking during braking, I paid the diagnostic and moved on.
Upon leaving, the shaking started up again going around the first curve, at about 35-40 mph. Shortly after that I took it to a dry, flat, unbusy stretch of road, and applied the brakes at about 60 mph, and brought it to a stop in it's lane with my hands off the wheel; no pull either way. Now I have it up on stands, and have visually and physically checked the parts I know and recognize, i.e., ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, etc. I don't know how to inspect gear box, or steering shaft issues, but steering wheel play is minimal.
I have a vibration in my steering wheel between 65-70 MPH. I had my wheels speed balanced with no remedy. Is this connected to the TSB for the "clunk fix"? Or could I have a bad belt in a tire? I figured if it was a bad belt than they would not be able to balance my wheels. I did recently get rear ended mildly, but there was only a scratch on my bumper- The trailer hitch took most of the impact.
View 14 RepliesI bought a new 2010 (Gen III) Prius IV one week ago. I have driven it less than 200 miles. Last night, I experienced a few seconds of steering wheel shaking while driving at highways speeds. I assumed I had hit uneven pavement. At no point was it difficult to turn the wheel. But after the shaking, the car seemed to sometimes drift to one or the other edge of the lane. I chalked that up to unfamiliarity with the car and to rain and darkness. Today, I read Forum posts that described the lighter touch that usually works and the importance of wheel alignment.
After the shaking, another 45 minutes of driving, and a half hour parked, I headed home on a slower road. That is when my wife noticed that the Electric Power Steering warning light was on. We are both pretty sure it was off before that. This morning, I pulled out of the garage and back in, and turned the wheel both ways as it moved. The light did not come on.
I called the dealer to discuss what had occurred. I made a service appointment for Monday so they can check it out. Someone in a Gen II forum (where I mistakenly posted this at first) advised me to pull over and take an evidence photo of the light if it comes on again.
The PS warning light wouldn't be too surprising to see in a Prius driven tens of thousands of miles. If yours ever came on when your Prius had low mileage, I'd be curious to know the outcome. I misidentified a benign icon as the EPS warning light.
The mechanic became suspicious when he couldn't find any code or any trouble. We sketched the icon we remembered seeing for the service supervisor. He explained that it was the cruise control light. I either forgot I had turned cc on or I had pushed it accidentally when I operated the wipers.
I'm four weeks into my 2010 LX570. From first day, I've had vibration/shaking at all speeds--the shaking/vibration is not in the steering wheel like a few others have described. The vibration/shaking is similar to what one experiences going over a railroad track in a small/lightweight vehicle, except it happens on all types of roads and at all speeds.
Two trips to two different tire installers and one trip to Toyota (the closest Lexus dealer is a couple hours for me) to speak with their Lexus-certified mechanic and it was chalked up to the Dunlop tires. The Dunlops had excessive road force (three were between 28 and 45). Three separate sessions with Lexus Customer Relations, and nearly two weeks with Lexus of Orlando (they were extraordinary, even though I did not purchase from them), all four tires were replaced with Michelins, road force balanced to less than 8 each, and the vehicle extensively tested. They bent over backwards and were exceptional. While the problem has been minimized, I still feel the vibration/shake.
I'm coming out of years with several Range Rovers, but every other vehicle I have does not vibrate/shake, from my Tundra on up. I just spent two weeks in an ES300 and it was rock solid, at half the weight and half the cost. Additionally, none of my Land Cruisers (previous generation to the current) were anything like this. The LX is a great vehicle, but the vibration/shake is a real issue.
Just rotated my tires this weekend and noticed today that the steering wheel has a vibration in it at highway speeds, 65-70mph. It did not do this at all before I rotated the tires, why it's doing it now? Tires are fairly new and Bridgestones H/Ts.
I know my rotors are warped and need replaced but the vibration I'm referring to is when I am not braking.
I've had my IS 250 F-Sport for exactly 6 months now, and over the last month I've noticed that when I'm pulling in to park or backing out (at a very low speed) with my steering wheel turned right or left from the center, I hear and feel some shaking/vibration from the car. I can't pinpoint if it only happens with the A/C on.
I live about 3 hrs away from my Lexus dealer now, and my first maintenance appointment is at the end of the month. I'm pretty disturbed. I have about 4500 miles on the car.
I have a 2005 GX470 with about 50K miles. Over the last few weeks it started exhibiting a weird problem. When accelerating above 20-25 MPH it starts shaking. Not the steering wheel. The entire car is shaking as if driving over rocks. It is pretty annoying, and I am now concerned as it seems to have gotten somewhat worse than before.
Tires are rebalanced and rotated, so i dont thing it is that. My wife is freaking out, as she is driving it with 2 small kids.
I hit a curb while making too sharp of a right hand turn a week ago and now I notice some vibration in the steering wheel as I drive down the highway. The tire I hit was the rear passenger side. If I get wheel balancing done, do I need to just balance that tire or all of them?
View 3 RepliesI bought 2012 Prius ii around 6 weeks ago. From day one I started noticing vibrations in the steering wheel most noticeable at highway speeds. I can describe this as high frequency vibrations that become very very annoying especially if you drive to work for an hour every day. This car has OEM Bridgestone Ecopia EP 20 tires. I took the car to the dealership twice already, they balanced the tires twice and road force tested it twice. They replaced front tires for me because based on the test results one tire was at 16 lb the other one at 19 lbs.
The new tires are at 8 and 10. They keep on telling me that this is by design and is a characteristic of the vehicle. However the Prius I test drove when I was buying it did not have this problem, otherwise I would never buy it. This vibration happens in any mode and I can even feel it at lower speed now though it is not as noticeable. I had a few people including Prius owners drive my car and everyone feels the vibration. With so many Prius models sold I highly doubt that everyone just accepts it as a feature.