Current Events > Help me determine if I'm paranoid/crazy about my car having issues

(+) Yeah! (+)

Got a used car off Carvana in March, a 2020 Kia Telluride. From day one it had vibration issues, and over the months various things have been fixed that made them slightly better. All the brake rotors were warped so those (and the pads) were replaced, the passenger CV axle was broken and a caliper was sticking so those were replaced, a tire had a snapped belt so I had all four replaced (the old ones were a Walmart exclusive budget tire so figured if one was bad keeping three more of it on there wasnt a good idea). Wheels were balanced and aligned too.

So, for months Ive felt some sort of vibration in the seat, gas pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel. Now I just mainly feel it in the wheel. Its been looked over several times and they havent been able to find anything else wrong with it. Right now its sitting at the dealership for them to do a more thorough inspection (and also to finally fully fix an oil leak thats been fixed four times since March) and they gave me a loaner car.

The loaner is a brand new Sorento, only 115 miles on it. On the way home I noticed pretty much the same steering wheel vibrations. So now Im thinking the vibrations I feel in the car now are just the normal road feedback, and my mind is just conditioned to think vibration in wheel = bad due to the prior legitimate issues causing bad vibrations.

So help me, CE. When youre driving, do you feel anything in the steering wheel?

From day one, it sounds like you bought a piece of shit car. I have a 2014 Honda CR-V and I don't notice any vibrations in the steering wheel that isn't the result of road noise. Even still, it's not a vibration in the steering wheel. Sounds like you have a Kia problem.

Maybe vibrations is just the wrong descriptor then. Like if I let go of the wheel and just let it coast the wheel doesnt shake or anything like it would before when all those other problems were happening.

Kias are shit cars. Also, close your account you Trump welcher.

so to start with, kia are pretty shit cars.

my second though is that carvana is a pretty shit company. i've only heard bad things about them.

my third thought is it kind of sounds like your car was either driven by a jackass or was in an accident. warped brake rotors suggests someone fucking around. busted cv joint suggests trauma, either a bad curb strike or an accident of some sort.

bad steering calipers can cause wheel shaking, normally comes with a noise. but it can be caused by a lot of things really. poorly balanced wheels, suspension issues, and hell even a brake issue can cause it.

The problem is two-fold

1. You bought a Kia, which are notoriously crap
2. You bought a car from Carvana, which is probably the worst place to purchase a vehicle

Im currently car shopping and my understanding is that Kias suck and Carvana doesnt do a good job of inspecting their vehicles

Ive had good experiences with both Kia and Carvana in the past. Carvana definitely doesnt do shit in their vehicle inspections beyond making sure the car runs but they cover pretty much anything you find to be wrong with the it for the first 100 days after, longer if you get the extended warranty. All that work I had done was paid for by that included warranty.

Our last car was a 2021 Sorento we got new and it was flawless for the 4 years/45k miles we had it, we just wanted something bigger without dropping 50k so went with a used Telluride.

Car had a solid carfax history with regular maintenance and no accidents, and the mechanic found no evidence of accidents either.

I really think Im just overreacting to road noise/steering feedback. My wife just said she hasnt noticed anything wrong with it when she drives since having all the other shit fixed so Im probably just crazy.

You bought an overhyped Kia model that most owners overpaid and are deep sea underwater.

Car vending machines are cool.

A 5 year old used car with a broken cv axle, bent caliper, warped brake rotors, and vibration problems from day one?

Should have returned that piece of shit under warranty. That thing has been mistreated to death and/or been in an accident. I reckon it's been thrashed around off road. It isn't worth spending money on, it will never be right.

You can't drive a car that feels uncomfortable and tell yourself it's your own fault for being oversensitive. You've driven other cars, yes? You know they aren't supposed to feel like that.

ai123 posted...

You can't drive a car that feels uncomfortable and tell yourself it's your own fault for being oversensitive. You've driven other cars, yes? You know they aren't supposed to feel like that.

I have, but its been over six months now so Ive forgotten what it felt like. And Im currently driving a brand new car with less than 200 miles on it that has mostly the same sensation in the steering wheel and my wife is telling me shes not feeling anything out of the ordinary with our car either now that the other problems have been resolved.

Maybe Ill go drive some friends and family members cars around to see if it really is just all in my head

Yea, TC I think you are overthinking it. Your car is an internal combustion engine and it's creating a bunch of little explosions. The road isn't perfectly smooth either. You are gonna feel some vibration.

You should be able to feel the vibration of the engine through the steering wheel if the car is on. Nothing is wrong with the vehicle, you're just paranoid cause of the rotor vibration you had previously.

those connections between the wheels n the undercarriage may need looked at

qwerti posted...

those connections between the wheels n the undercarriage may need looked at

All checked out by multiple mechanics(dealership, Firestone, and my local guy Ive taken cars to for years), all were cleared. Figure if people who make money by fixing stuff are telling me theres nothing to fix then theres nothing to fix. My local guys brutally honest too and will straight up tell you if your car is a lost cause and to consider cutting your losses and buying a new one lol and he hasnt said that to me yet

Robot2600 posted...

Yea, TC I think you are overthinking it. Your car is an internal combustion engine and it's creating a bunch of little explosions. The road isn't perfectly smooth either. You are gonna feel some vibration.

You should be able to feel the vibration of the engine through the steering wheel if the car is on. Nothing is wrong with the vehicle, you're just paranoid cause of the rotor vibration you had previously.

Yeah this is what Im leaning toward. The dealership is going to be basically looking at every single component while they have it in for the oil pan leak so if they clear it all again then I think Ill be more inclined to believe its fine now that Ive driven another car that feels the same

ahh I see

not so sure about that; if it gets ya to your location then maybe thats it!

Robot2600 posted...

Yea, TC I think you are overthinking it. Your car is an internal combustion engine and it's creating a bunch of little explosions. The road isn't perfectly smooth either. You are gonna feel some vibration.

You should be able to feel the vibration of the engine through the steering wheel if the car is on. Nothing is wrong with the vehicle, you're just paranoid cause of the rotor vibration you had previously.

That was going to be my response. As long as you arnt having to fight to keep it on the road and have a death wobble you're good

littlebro07 posted...

Carvana definitely doesnt do shit in their vehicle inspections beyond making sure the car runs but they cover pretty much anything you find to be wrong with the it for the first 100 days after, longer if you get the extended warranty.

for cars. always go for the extended warranty. it'll screw us when problems are found later.

kingdrake2 posted...

for cars. always go for the extended warranty. it'll screw us when problems are found later.

Yeah. Another thing I didnt mention was a week after getting it the check engine light came on. It needed a new transmission lol

Bought it for $20k and the warranty has paid out nearly $14k already

Previous owner clearly ditched it at the first sign of trouble as the factory warranty had just run out.

littlebro07 posted...

Yeah. Another thing I didnt mention was a week after getting it the check engine light came on. It needed a new transmission lol

Bought it for $20k and the warranty has paid out nearly $14k already

Previous owner clearly ditched it at the first sign of trouble as the factory warranty had just run out.

fucked up rotors, cv joint issue, and a new transmission? how many miles are on this car? i'm honestly surprised your warranty doesn't just cover the blue book value of the car, shit like that is often written to fuck you over after all.

monkmith posted...

fucked up rotors, cv joint issue, and a new transmission? how many miles are on this car? i'm honestly surprised your warranty doesn't just cover the blue book value of the car, shit like that is often written to fuck you over after all.

101k when I got it. Up to 106k now, most of those were taken care of right away and it's been mostly smooth sailing the past few thousand miles

littlebro07 posted...

101k when I got it. Up to 106k now, most of those were taken care of right away and it's been mostly smooth sailing the past few thousand miles

well 100k miles in 5 yeas is a lot but not abnormal for some, but a transmission should last longer, 200k miles isn't uncommon. i'll bet they never changed the transmission fluid. you want to do that every 40k miles or so.