# Why does my car ride so rough? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [March 20, 2015, 6:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369 "2015-03-20T06:50:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SS2011](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ss2011/32/2932_2.png) [@SS2011](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SS2011)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/21 "2015-03-23T17:58:28Z")
@CapriRacer I’m planning to go to the dealer today, so should I try rotating the tires before I go? My car is under warranty but I really want to avoid any major costs today. ---
**Author:** ![SS2011](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ss2011/32/2932_2.png) [@SS2011](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SS2011)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/22 "2015-03-23T18:08:53Z")
@CapriRacer also, I’ve never rotated my own tires. It’s always been done at the shop. Which direction do I go? Front to back/back to front? Or diagonal? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/23 "2015-03-23T18:12:23Z")
Ask the dealer to rotate them as part of their effort to solve the problem. They should do it at no charge. ---
**Author:** ![SS2011](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ss2011/32/2932_2.png) [@SS2011](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SS2011)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/24 "2015-03-23T18:16:55Z")
Well when they did an alignment they considered that “wear” and wouldn’t cover it under my warranty so Im afraid they’ll consider this “wear” as well. But I’ll ask them. ---
**Author:** ![SS2011](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ss2011/32/2932_2.png) [@SS2011](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SS2011)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/25 "2015-03-23T22:17:47Z")
I sat up here at the dealer for over 4 hours and they checked out everything including the struts, alignment, etc. they said nothing is wrong or broken or bent. He said it could very well be the tires that are on it. I may still take it to my regular mechanic and let him drive it/ look at it. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/26 "2015-03-24T16:28:03Z")
First, the purpose of the tire rotation is a test - to see if it is the tires that are causing the vibration. If the vibration changes after the rotation, then it is the tires (or wheels) causing the vibration. If the vibration doesn’t change, then it is something else. So it doesn’t matter what pattern is used for the rotation. This is a diagnostic test, not a _Fix_. Second, it is likely the tires have developed irregular wear. The whole thread points to this. The test above is just to confirm. The cause of the irregular wear is the alignment - and even though the alignment has been fixed, the tires need to be replaced to fix the vibration. Tire wear doesn’t undo itself. Please note: Since the alignment was the cause of the irregular wear - and the alignment can go out simply by wear and tear, not only is the alignment not covered by the vehicle warranty, the tires would NOT be covered by the tire warranty. I would suggest that since money is tight, you live with the problem. It is likely to gradually get worse, but it’s not going to cause any safety issues. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/27 "2015-03-24T17:08:37Z")
Another advantage to a rotation is, if it is the tire, to get the vibrating tire/wheel to the rear of the car, so it isn’t constantly vibrating your hands through the steering wheel. ---
**Author:** ![SS2011](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ss2011/32/2932_2.png) [@SS2011](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SS2011)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/28 "2015-03-25T00:50:12Z")
Yeah I’m almost positive it’s the tires that are causing the whole issue! Frankly I think I’ll just ride them out until they need replacing. I’ll move the fronts to the back to see if it helps out with the vibration. Thanks for all your input, guys! ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/29 "2015-03-25T01:42:40Z")
In what part of the country are you located? If the problem came on gradually, it may be weather related. If you are in a colder climate and the car sits out, the ride will become stiffer because the fluid in the struts is less viscous. If your region had a particularly severe winter, the ride certainly became harder. As spring approaches, the ride may soften up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![SS2011](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ss2011/32/2932_2.png) [@SS2011](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SS2011)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/30 "2015-03-25T02:03:29Z")
I’m in Alabama. The winter was a rather cold one this year as it’s usually in the warmer temps most of the time. I did notice that the ride was TERRIBLE during the colder days/nights. I hate driving in cold weather for that reason. Now it’s about mid 60s+ everyday. It’s still not very smooth but definitely not as rough as during the winter. ---
**Author:** ![FrankSZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f475e1/32.png) [@FrankSZ](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FrankSZ)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369/31 "2019-05-09T23:34:48Z")
I have similar problems, but I also go with the slightly bent strut. I recently upgraded my wheel/tire because the original low profile tire on my Veloster turbo was extremely harsh, and upgraded to a taller sidewall tire/wheel combo. The thing is, it’s still very harsh, so wheel and tire excluded (wanted to do this anyway, the old wheels are chewed up by previous owner hitting the curb) , I am leaning towards the struts. I also noticed that the dealer site sells 2 kind of struts for the same vehicle, one for colder one for warmer climate, so there can be several things at play here why a ride can be harsh if tires/wheels are all good and balanced and aligned. Possibly wrong climate struts , possibly cheaper ones (My suspicion is, with a cheaper brand ) , possibly bent. The original wheels tell a tale, they may have seen some very bad /pothole ridden roads or the driver wasn’t careful with it. Just my story, I’m definitely getting new struts very soon. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-car-ride-so-rough/89369.md?page=1)