Vibration!... 2006 Honda CRV

I recently had new tires put on a 2006 Honda CRV with 54,000 miles by a dealership. There was a bad vibration, like driving on corrugated roadway, so I took it back and they re-balanced a wheel. The vibration remained very evident above 40mph, very evident in the feel of the steering wheel and ‘bouncing’ on the roadway. The tires have been serviced, replaced and re-balanced by 2 dealers a total of 4 times. The vibration is still there and increases at speeds above 40. The car sometimes even feels unstable around 60 or higher. They checked the tires, axles, AWD system. Nada. And this car drove silken smooth before the tire service. Thoughts? Has anyone ever had this problem before?

It’s possible to get a defective tire. It could be out of round or have an internal defect. You say “The tires have been serviced, replaced, and re-balanced . . .” Are these the same new tires that were recently installed, or have you had TWO sets of new tires? The word “replaced” is the reason I ask.

I think you should ask for your money back and start over. There’s something wrong with at least one of the tires, and all the balancing in the world isn’t going to fix it.

Mount the spare tire on one corner and drive the vehicle. Keep moving the spare from corner to corner until the vibration goes away. Then you will have found the bad tire. If there’s only one bad tire.

Well I would start with “new tires put on a 2006 Honda CRV with 54,000 miles by a dealership.” Why would anyone go to a car dealer for new tyres?

There could be a problem with the AWD, tyres, suspension etc. I would suggest taking it to an INDEPENDENT frame shop and let them check the suspension and alignment first.

You ask why anyone would go to a car dealer. My dealer is almost the same price as the local tire places, plus I can get other necessary work done in the same visit, plus I can get a loaner, plus they have a wheel repair service available if they accidentally damage the wheel. For me, that’s the best choice.

‘Defective tire(s)’ was one of my thoughts as well, but on the last go-around the dealership actually replaced a number of the tires. My original tires have long been recycled, so there’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube. I had tried the ‘put the spare on each corner’ also, and each time the vibration persisted, just seemed to be a little different.

Also annoying, both dealerships are telling me this is ‘not unusual’ for CRV’s, and the vibration is ‘not major’ and won’t affect the car. However, each time I get on the freeway I’m reminded differently.

I can’t rule tires out but they seem to have been tested and serviced repeatedly. I forgot to mention initially that the car was aligned at the first balancing. The alignment seemed correct- the car drove straight without drifting- bit is there any way that an alignment can actually induce a vibration?..

Well, SOMETHING changed. You said the car drove smooth as silk before. New tires were installed an an alignment was done. You’ve tried everything with the tires; it’s time to re-examine the alignment.