“The steering wheel shakes when it exceeds 100 km/h”
, “The feeling of buzzing becomes stronger as you accelerate”,
“It’s unstable and scary to go straight at high speeds”
This kind of “shaking that becomes stronger as the speed increases” is one of the typical problems that VW owners are likely to notice.
Vibration in the high-speed range is also a symptom that is difficult to narrow down to one cause because many factors are involved, such as tires, wheels, undercarriage, drivetrain, engine mounting, brakes, and alignment.
In addition, since the warning lights are almost never turned on, there are many people who are worried that they have no idea what is wrong.
In this article, we summarize the common causes of vibration at high speeds and the checkpoints to smoothly proceed to individual articles that are close to the symptoms.
▼Driving problem diagnosis guide▼
👉Comprehensive summary of causes of poor running
The most common cause when vibrating at high speed
High-speed vibration is often caused by multiple elements shifting little by little, rather than “one thing breaking”.
(1) Wheel balance misalignment (most common cause)
The most common is poor wheel balance.
If the center of gravity shifts slightly, the shaking will suddenly intensify around 100 km/h.
- Boom at 80-100 km/h
- The steering wheel trembles slightly from side to side
- Occurs immediately after changing tires
In that case, it is very likely.
(2) Uneven tire wear and air failure
Uneven wear such as left and right air pressure differences, stepped wear, and external and internal wear will turn into large vibrations at high speeds.
Related: Causes of high-speed vibration after tire replacement|Common problems immediately after replacement
(3) Damage from wheel distortion and curb riding
When you get over a curb or get stuck in a deep hole, the wheel rim can warp subtly.
This is the source of the high-speed and noticeable vibration.
Related: Causes of wheel distortion and vibration after curb climbing
(4) Deterioration of the undercarriage gotten joints
Rattles, such as lower arm bushings, stabilizers, and tie rods, appear as swaying with speed.
It often occurs in combination with a decrease in straight-line stability (wobbly).
Related: Symptoms of shaking at high speed + unstable straight line|Simultaneous shaking and wobbling
(5) Brake rotor runout (judder)
Rotor distortion generally occurs “during braking”, but in severe cases, you may feel a slight shake in the steering wheel even during high-speed cruising.
(6) Deterioration of engine mount and mission mount
A pattern in which micro-vibrations from the engine are transmitted to the body and amplified at high speed.
If it only intensifies when accelerating, this is suspicious.
(7) Cases where road noise and vibration are confused
Depending on the type of tire and wear,
it is often mistaken that it looks like vibration but is actually road noise.
Related: Cases where it is easy to mistake road noise and vibration | Shaking? Isolation of the cause
(8) High-speed vibration with abnormal noise
If it occurs in combination with a specific sound such as gurgling, rumbling, or vienna, the
possibility of abnormalities in the hub bearings or tires increases.
(9) Vibration generated immediately after vehicle inspection and maintenance
In some cases, after removing parts for maintenance, the tightening and assembly were slightly misaligned.
(10) The posture of the vehicle body is disturbed (concomitant with wobbly)
Depending on the left and right balance of the car body and the loose suspension,
there may be strong shaking at high speeds.
Related: Causes of the car body buzzing at 80 to 100 km/h|Symptoms that change in the speed range
Driving feasibility and risks
High-speed vibration is not something you can ride if you get used to it, but a symptom that should not be left unattended.
- Dangerous steering wheel taken
- Accelerates wear on undercarriage components
- Uneven tire wear progresses
- Wheel distortion worsens
- Increased burden on brakes and drivetrain
In particular, the condition of “shaking if not held down by hand” is highly dangerous and requires early inspection.
Checkpoints that you can check yourself
● Tire pressure
The difference between the left and right sides is the source of vibration. Check here first.
– Wheel nut tightening
It is essential after changing tires.
●Tire wear
Be careful of stepped wear, outer and inner wear.
●Distortion of the appearance of the wheel
Even a slight scratch can be distorted.
Approximate repair cost
- Wheel balance adjustment: 1,000 to 3,000 yen
- Tire change or rotation: 5,000 to 15,000 yen
- Wheel modification: 10,000 to 30,000 yen
- Bushing and undercarriage repair: 20,000 to 60,000 yen
- Hub bearing replacement: 20,000 to 40,000 yen
The cost varies greatly depending on whether the cause is mild or severe.
▼List of individual pages about undercarriage repair and maintenance▼
Next article to read
- Causes of steering wheel shaking at 100km/h|Thorough explanation of steering wheel shake at high speeds
- Causes of the car body buzzing at 80 to 100 km/h|Symptoms that change in the speed range
- Symptoms of shaking at high speed + unstable straight driving|Simultaneous occurrence of shaking and wobbly
- Causes of vibration that becomes stronger when acceleration|Identity of shaking that occurs with increasing speed
- How to distinguish when vibration + abnormal noise (go-to) occurs|Identify the cause by the type of sound
- The difference between poor wheel balance and poor undercarriage|Checkpoints to distinguish by symptoms
- Cases where it is easy to mistake road noise for vibration|Noise? Shaking? Isolation of the cause
- Causes of high-speed vibration after tire replacement|Common problems immediately after replacement
- If vibration occurs at high speed immediately after vehicle inspection|Causes of increased shaking after maintenance
- Causes of wheel distortion and vibration after curb climbing
Defect details by vehicle type
Although the “way of getting out” the defect is similar, “which model has many problems” is slightly different for each car model.
Trends by vehicle model and common breakdown cases among other owners are summarized on the following page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is the steering wheel shaking around 100km/h always due to wheel balance?
Nope. Although it is the most common cause, it cannot be determined as one because it occurs due to multiple factors such as uneven tire wear, wheel distortion, suspension rattling, and engine mount deterioration.
Q2. Is it okay to keep running even if there is vibration?
It can be driven if it is mild, but if left unattended, it will lead to increased wear and tear on the bush bearings, which will eventually lead to serious failure. In particular, the level of “shaking if you don’t hold it down” is dangerous.
Q3. Is there a way to isolate the cause by myself?
Left-right air pressure differences, tire wear, wheel nut tightening, and visual checks of wheel distortion can be done DIY. If it still does not improve, a professional diagnosis is required.
Q4. What is suspicious if the vibration becomes stronger “only during acceleration”?
The deterioration of the engine mount and mission mount, and the problem of the drive system (hub bearing shaft system) are suspicious and cannot be explained by the wheel balance alone.
Q5. It suddenly started vibrating at high speed after changing tires. What are the common causes?
Leaks in wheel rebalancing, insufficient nut tightening, and assembly accuracy problems are especially common. Vibration immediately after replacement is often caused by factors on the maintenance side, so it is recommended to recheck with the installation shop first.
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