My son’s kia sportage was working fine, until the snow yesterday. He just called and said that, when he gets to about 40 mph on the highway it starts to vibrate and is almost undrivable at 50 mph. Swears he didn’t hit anything and didn’t have to blast out of any snow drifts. I am thinking he knocked a wheel out of alignment, but could it be something else like his all wheel drive stuck on?
This is very common in the winter. the snow gets in the rim and throws the balance off a tire. once the snow is cleared off the rim or melts it should go back to normal. just be aware that the snow could have blown in behind the rim and is stuck where it cannot be seen.
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I agree with weekend-warrior, especially given the high winds that went with this last storm. If that’s what happened, the high-pressure spray wand at the nearest car wash should be able to knock off that snow or ice.
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I had that happen once in 50 years, hope that is the cause. Can you park it in a heated garage overnight?
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Could also be snow/ice buildup on the driveshaft to the rear wheels.
Run it through a car wash with an underbody rinse, that should get rid of any snow or ice that matters.
Although I’d more likely bet a balance weight on a wheel or driveshaft flew off or a tire/s has a lump in it. Most likely candidate is a lump in the tire carcass.