My wife took her 2013 Mazda CX-9 (FWD) in for a recall on the lower control arms. They replaced the arms, aligned it, and rotated the tires. She claims that shortly after that she could feel a vibration in the steering wheel. She drove it from New Orleans to Florida, and by the time she came back said the car was terrible. I drove it today, at low speeds ( <20 MPH) the steering wheel shakes. There are no unusual noises. The shake gets worse until you get on up to interstate speed, and the shake becomes more of a vibration. The vehicle does not pull to either side when driving or braking. I have looked at the front tires, and one seems more worn than the other but I cannot see and obvious bulges or flat spots. Any hints before I take it back to the dealership? I just don't believe the problem is related to the lower control arms replacement or an I wrong?
Tire knot or something else?
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Wheel weight missing or loose can cause a lot of those issues.
Wheel balance or warped disc
Move the suspected tire/wheel to the rear and see if there is still a front shake.
Wheel merely glances against a curb could do all that you describe.
You vehicle has an "X" in the name, CX-9, and it's FWD not 4WD?
You vehicle has an "X" in the name, CX-9, and it's FWD not 4WD?
Noticeable at very low speeds means it is something that is fundamentally not round, not a weight imbalance. Find some good flat pavement, hold the steering wheel loosely and drive very slowly to feel for any "once around" side to side movement.
As it got worse after driving it is most likely a faulty tire. Can also be that the wheel is not seated on the hub due to corrosion or other debris in between.
As it got worse after driving it is most likely a faulty tire. Can also be that the wheel is not seated on the hub due to corrosion or other debris in between.
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Or it could just be that they didn't torque the lug nuts of one tire properly. Seen many times this causing the steering wheel shake!
Just sounds like a bent rim or bent tire. Was on the back before and you did not notice, now that it is on the front you do.
Thanks for all the ideas. When I have time this weekend I am going to take one tire off at a time and put the spare tire on in its place (even though it is a temporary spare - not full size) and see what happens.
I had a tire knot appear and show the same symptoms. Slow driving
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