[joeyi515]

Has anyone noticed a chassis vibration in their Atlas at highway speeds 60 - 80 MPH? I took my SE w/tech into the dealer two times for wheel balancing and the vibration is still there. It's a very subtle vibrations; you don't feel it in the wheel it's more in the chair and chassis. I can see it the most in my kids child seat and I can even see my three year old vibrating in the seat.

 

[rad484]

I have the exact same problem! They balanced the tires and it's still there. Were you able to figure it out?

 

[foothills]

I just purchased my new Volkswagen Atlas S 2.0T in Cincinnati OH and driving back home (150 miles on I-71) I noticed a vibration also between 40 to 70 MPH. The salesman called a couple days later to check to see if anything was okay and I told him about the vibration. He said to bring it in the service department and they would look at and I told him that you are 150 miles away and it would take most of a day plus the fuel for 300 miles. Later Volkswagen sent me request to fill out a customer service form and I noted problem with the vibration. A Volkswagen representative called me about the vibration problem and said they would be touch with me. The good thing was that I got 32 MPG on that trip home (150 miles).

 

[WorldAtlas]

Maybe if you have a garage buddy who's wiling to do a quick look over for free, they can figure it out? if it's not the wheel being unbalanced, I can't think of anything else aside from tire pressure, but that shouldn't be it.

 

[vramkison]

Took delivery of my new Atlas on Christmas Eve and was VERY concerned after I read this thread. However, after 200 miles on the Florida Turnpike at an average of 75-80 mph, I cannot replicate ANY chassis vibration. Was this an intermittent issue?

 

[rad484]

I still have the issue. Car has been in twice. Once regular balancing performed and second time road force balancing performed. My kids car seat still vibrates and even their voice is shaky when they talk. Going to bring it in again. Anyone have a fix?

 

[northstar]

Took delivery of my new Atlas on Christmas Eve and was VERY concerned after I read this thread. However, after 200 miles on the Florida Turnpike at an average of 75-80 mph, I cannot replicate ANY chassis vibration. Was this an intermittent issue?

Maybe it has to do with the break in process, which to me is still a bit weird but at the very least let your dealer know and maybe open a case with VW.

 

[MelanieC]

I'm experiencing same vibration. We just picked our new Atlas up on Dec 27/17. Didnt notice vinration on way home from dealership (and we opened it right up on the highway). Shiryly thereafter we had aftermarket winter tires installed so figured they created the problem. Theyve been rebalanced twice and still feeling it. Back to the dealership next?

 

[jjren]

I had similar highway vibrations on another car (not VW) and it was due to wheels, probably bent slightly running over some potholes.

 

[Simeon]

I mean if its not a balancing/alignment issue then chances are its either brakes or some sort of rim damage. I really don't like hearing that issues with a brand new car/truck are merely part of the "break in" process.

 

[Marco Brampton-Canada]

Chasis vibration highway speeds

Hi, I have experienced the same issue 5 or 6 of you posted in this Forum. I bought my Atlas 2018 Comfortline V6 3.6 lts on Nov. 30, 2017 with a set of winter tires in original VW alloy wheels. I drove for 21 days in December and I parked in my garage for my Christmas Holidays. Mid January I put it again in the road and beginning February I start to feel and shaking when the car goes between 60 to 80 Km/Hr. I went to the dealership and the service consultant went with me for a Drive Test to replicate the problem and he could replicated and then I left my car there for one day, they told me it was balancing but I insisted that the vibration was not in the steering wheel it was in the seat, floor and body of the car. I took my Atlas and during the next week in the commute Home-Office-Homo the vibration was still there. I went for second time to the dealership and a technician went with me for a Drive Test and he also could replicate the vibration, I left my Atlas there and in the afternoon they said they checked balance, pressure and inspect the winter tires and everything looked ok. So the vibration continue for a couple of weeks and I went back to the dealership for another issue with an accessory I bought for my Atlas and talked to the Service Manager about the vibration which at that time happened even between 20 to 40 Km/Hr, from 60 to 95-100 Km/Hr and at 120 Km/Hr with the cruise control in Highway (new pattern!!) and I felt the sound of the car was different and the vibration constant at 120 Km/Hr. They told me I was lucky since a VW Engineer was in the dealership that day they was going to ask him to go for a Drive Test, the VW engineer's conclusion was that the compound of the winter tire rubber was reacting in that way because of the weather which did not convince me. So I insisted and went last Monday with my summer tires in the trunk and ask them let me drive one of their two shuttles (Atlas 2018) which are equipped with the same rims and tires than mine to see if the vibration also appeared on it and the winter tires react in the same way that mine. In summary, the shuttle did not experience any vibration, they installed the summer tires in my Atlas and went for a Drive Test, and the vibration was still there. Now the found that the vibration is caused by the Drive Shaft and my Atlas is right now in the dealership waiting for the parts to be replace and see if the vibration gone. I will keep all you posted about the results.

 

[Marco Brampton-Canada]

Hi all, just to let you know that the Drive Shaft of my Atlas was replaced and the Vibration gone! I'll keep you posted on any change.

 

[1971apache]

I have the same type of vibration at 70 mph smooth asphalt . I feel what could be a very fast vibration more they the body then in the steering wheel. I have 650 miles on the Atlas. The drive shaft sounds logical . Which drive shaft or have shafts location was the problem ?

 

[DPalmerston]

Hi all, just to let you know that the Drive Shaft of my Atlas was replaced and the Vibration gone! I'll keep you posted on any change.

We are glad to hear that the vibration problem you have been dealing with seems to be fixed now...

Could you post your manufacture date and give us the list of major replaced parts (there are multiple 'drive shafts') so we may be able to 'help' our dealers out if the same problem surfaces?

Thanks very much.

 

[skarland]

Similar symptom! First I thought it's the tire balancing. Then I got the tires balanced at Walmart where they told me the front and back driver side tires were out of balance. After that, it still drives the same!!!
I can feel the driver seat vibration plus the steering wheel vibration at 65~75 MPH.
I will visit VW dealer tomorrow and let them diagnose the issue. I highly suspects the tires. The tires are Continental Cross Contact LX Sport (245/60R18).

 

[skarland]

Update on vibration.
Today I went to Onion Creek VW, Austin TX. They told me it's tire balance issue. Walmart used minimum 1/2 lb weight scale. However VW dealer can reach 1/4 lb accuracy. After they did 4 wheel balance and rotate tires front to back again, vibration reduces a lot, but it's still there in a very subtle way. Now I just call it good enough. I can't believe 1/4 lb can much such big difference. It reaffirms to me that the tires coming with the car is not that good.
I can't wait any longer to replace these junk tires with Michelin ones.

 

[WestB87]

Update on vibration.
Today I went to Onion Creek VW, Austin TX. They told me it's tire balance issue. Walmart used minimum 1/2 lb weight scale. However VW dealer can reach 1/4 lb accuracy. After they did 4 wheel balance and rotate tires front to back again, vibration reduces a lot, but it's still there in a very subtle way. Now I just call it good enough. I can't believe 1/4 lb can much such big difference. It reaffirms to me that the tires coming with the car is not that good.
I can't wait any longer to replace these junk tires with Michelin ones.

Thanks for the update! I've always enjoyed continental tires (it's only my experience, I'm sure there are those that hate them). I'm having a similar issue with the Civic I bought from my sister in law. She put very cheap ($25 per tire...) tires on the car. I've had the car aligned and wheels balanced and it still had a terrible vibration from 49-54mph. Not one to throw away usable tires, I had the tires ROAD FORCE BALANCED. You can use Hunter's (the manufacturer of the road force machines) website to locate shops that carry these machines and have the factory trained techs to use them. After having the Civic's wheels road force balanced, they had to take 3 of the 4 tires off the rim and rotate the high point of the rubber with the low point of the rim to help "true" the roundness of the assembly. I also found out that I've got a terrible lateral runout on one wheel where it had either hit a big pothole or a curb that my sister in law somehow forgot she hit. Yeah, it cost $100 for the road force and it took about 2 hours, but now I know that no matter what I do (short of replacing that rim) I'll never be ENTIRELY rid of that vibration. That's peace of mind for me and knowing exactly what will fix my problem is awesome.

In your case, it may just be a high rim/high tire problem that simply rotating the rubber/rim assembly may correct.

Hope this long winded post helps!

 

[skarland]

WestB87, thanks for sharing your experience. Next time when vibration is over my mental limit, I will try the road force balance. I have used http://www.innovativebalancing.com beads to balance big tires on motorhome. I never need to worry about tire balance again, even for >65mph. I am not sure how good it is on smaller cars.

 

[WestB87]

WestB87, thanks for sharing your experience. Next time when vibration is over my mental limit, I will try the road force balance. I have used http://www.innovativebalancing.com beads to balance big tires on motorhome. I never need to worry about tire balance again, even for >65mph. I am not sure how good it is on smaller cars.

Those beads seem really cool! Do they go inside the tire/rim assembly?

 

[skarland]

Those beads seem really cool! Do they go inside the tire/rim assembly?

When the tire bead/edge is open from the wheel, the balance beads/ sand can be tossed into the tire tube with the bead bag. Once >65 mph, bags will pop open. Some of the bead type need stem filter. But for motorhome they sell some that don't need stem filter. I asked them if it can be applied to Atlas. But they did not reply back yet.