2015 Corolla LE Eco Premium-Extremely Rough Ride after 3,500 miles-HELP!

#1
When I bought the car, the ride was smooth and comfortable. Around 3,500 miles, This past Tuesday, I noticed after driving the car about an hour and 15 minutes the car started to shake and ride extremely rough. On the drive home from work, it rode rough again towards the end of the drive. Wednesday, it happened again but after a shorter time driving. Then by Thursday, on the return trip home (approximately a 2 hour drive) the ride was so rough and unpleasant, feeling it in the steering column and vibration in the seat. The low tire pressure light had come on when I started the car Thursday for the drive home and went off after an hour. I called in to work Friday and drove it to a dealer at 7 am as a walk-in to have this checked. The advisor who rode with me and told me this is how they drive. I drove it then I let him drive it. He and the service manager took a ride afterwards and told me the same thing. I said, if the car drove like this before I bought it, I would not have purchased it. They said they checked it out and did not observe what I reported, they checked the suspension and there were no problems. Everything checked out. So I made not to leave before I got some paperwork to note they looked at the car and found nothing wrong.

I wondered if it was the Michelin Primacy tires. I have used Goodyear Comfortred Touring Assurance tires since 2009 on my former 2002 Honda Civic. The Civic had excessive road noise issues and this tire made the drive so much nicer. So at 2:00 pm on the same day, I went to the tire dealership I have used for years. The sales advisor was baffled. He said the Primacy was a good tire and I should not be having issues on a new car with 3,500 miles and he didn't want to sell me tires if I didn't need them. So he checked the pressure in the tires and 1 was 36 psi, 2 were 32 psi, and 1 was 29 psi, 6 hours since I was told by the dealer they had checked them and they were OK. He checked the tire pressure in front of of me and showed me the readings. So he set all 4 tires at 32 psi and sent me on my way. It did improve, but the ride was still rough. So I went back on Saturday to get a set of the Comfortred Assurance, thinking I was so used to driving on these, this might be it. And I'd keep the old tires and sell them on Craigslist later. When the car was on the rack, I was told there was a serious alignment issue. Although I don't recall doing anything to knock the car out of alignment, I figured it it was a matter of getting an alignment and switching out the tires, then that would be fine and I'd go to my regular mechanics and tire dealers from now on and cut all dealership ties.

The feel of the ride reminds me of when my former 2002 Civic needed struts. I can feel every road bump in the seat and through the steering column. It is unpleasant, and at this point I hate driving the car. This is my 3rd new car in my life, previously a 1987 Honda CRX and a 2002 Honda Civic. I drove those cars of the lots and never had to go back for anything. The Civic did not hold up as long as the CRX, so that is what made me try a Corolla, as they have had such good reviews.

Sometimes I hear what sounds like a metal pop coming from the passenger rear of the car. Not sure what that might be, a single metal pop.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I went from loving this car when I bought it 7/31 to hating the thought of having to drive it. It developed a dash rattle/popping sound on the dash near the defroster grill, which the selling dealer could not diagnose. The 2nd dealership found some cushioning material that had slipped and replaced it, and that seemed to take care of it, until now that the car rides rough, it makes the dash squeak again at times. It was the second dealership that told me there was nothing wrong. Since the Service Department Manager rode in it, nothing I can do to escalate the issue at this 2nd dealership.

Thank you. Baffled in Brandon Florida.
 
#2
Take it to a real mechanic (not a toyota stealership) and have them find the issue then bring it back to dealership and have fix it.
 
#4
Hi, I have a 2015 LE CVT with only 8,000 Kms. Purchased it 11 months ago. The ride on this car is the harshest in several cars I have had in the past, very uncomfortable. I live in a country with bad roads and for sure such a stiff suspension makes the drive tiring. I think it is due to its double torsion bar, it give the car stability at faster speeds in good condition roads, but not comfy at all. I do like the car, but I feel it is pretty uncomfortable for me. I have read all kinds of reviews, taller and heavier people than I think it is comfy, fewest think it is not, including me. It is a matter that each body is different, and so on. But again I think it has to to with the fron and back torsion bars, which make suspension very rigid. Hope you can solve your problem as perhaps mine has the same one...
 
#6
The symptoms you seem to be having do no sound like normal wear and tear. I would suspect something is wrong with your tires, alignment, brake rotors, or rims. My vehicle is exceptionally smooth but that also has to do with the fact that I frequently drive my car to work using a freeway/interstate (newly renamed) that has been paved with a smooth layer of asphalt. I would also take your car to a trusted mechanic and get your car inspected and then force the dealership to fix the car through warranty.

Hope you are able to resolve your issues safely and quickly!
 
#7
My car is nothing but quiet and rides soft. Even over bumps, this thing is like a pillow. I'm on the Michelin MXV4 tires which pretty much is the best tire you can get from the factory on this car.

Sometimes steering wheel vibrations or a "knocking" sound can be due to adjusting the steering wheel too high up to its maximum point to where metal is clanking slightly on bumps. If you adjust it just slightly down from the highest point, it shouldn't have that issue.

The popping in the rear could be a metal on metal of a spot weld that wasn't quite like it should be.
 
#8
My new s with 1000 miles rides like a luxury car. An old instructor taught us newbies that to insure success when diagnosing a problem you have to ask the right questions. 1) is this a complaint on smooth pavement, rough, or any type of surface? 2) did the problem occur suddenly or gradually get your attention? 3) can you pinpoint the disturbance origin point....through the seat, steering wheel, whole car, etc? 4) any accompanying unusual sounds? My wag without more specifics in no particular order: damaged tire, motor mount, bent rim, missing tire weights, defective strut, eng/tranny internals rotating on damaged bearing etc. Final question...does the complaint seem rotational or linear movement based? Keep digging and best wishes for finding the root cause.
 
#9
In my case I know there is nothing wrong with the car, except pretty bad roads and a very firm suspension, when the road is good, car is nice and stable. Used to have a Ford Fusion which took the bad roads with comfort, but was not so stable at taking curves, very different cars of course.
 
#10
My ride is a bit stiffer but my car sits up higher as I have new 18in wheels and low profile tires. But I dont have an issue with a rough ride or bumpy one at that. Take it to the dealer like you should and tell them to fix it or you won't leave. I've done that before when I had a heat duct issue that was making noise caused by a broken piece of plastic.
 
#11
I went to a different dealership and decided my best option was to trade in the Le Eco Premium on a Camry LE. I was lucky to work with a young man I dubbed "The Corolla Whisperer". He was the one who correctly diagnosed the dash rattle and is able to distinguish 8 different Corolla dash rattles and what they are caused by (selling stealership was baffled) a while back before the car began to ride like the Flintstones car. I drove some different Corollas and Camrys today, and based upon additional research, I decided to trade it in and get a Camry LE. I drove all forms of Corollas, even a new 2015 Le Eco Premium like mine, and I still don't understand how the one I originally bought drove smooth at first, as the new ones not so much. So I guess I will have to now join the Camry forum and be booted from the Corolla Forum. There were so many other issues with this car from the selling dealership, to the entire selling process, etc. And countless issues where attempts to repair minor damage not noted on delivery with additional damage inflicted upon the car and it being in the shop a total of 9 days (nothing lemon-worthy, just annoying). Thank you for your help. Anyone want to buy a set of Goodyear Comfortred Asfsurance Touring tires that I owned 1 week? 205/55 R16. Camry came with 205/65 R16. Just kidding. Any ideas on the best places to try and sell week old tires is greatly appreciated. LOL can I stay in the Corolla Forum long enough to find out? The tires went on a Corolla.
 
#12
Congratulations, wow, a Camry! Such a nice car. They don't bring them here. Regarding the tires that you want to sell, have you considered eBay? I have never used it, but I like to surf their web and realized people selling and buying all kinds of things, even cars. Can you tell us in the future the differences between Camry and Corolla? My car has had a couple of quality issues, spent a few days at the dealer to be corrected. Mainly several noises and rattles coming from the dash and rear right door. They were almost corrected, but there still there is a rattle coming from the glove box, and from the middle arm rest. I guess I have to learn to live with this, also both headlight units had to be changed as they were completely stained in the inside. The local dealer has be great and helpful though. Congrats again!
 
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