New 2016 Tahoe LTZ vibration issue

[AWJ52]

I have about 50 miles on the 20's with the Continental CrossContact LX20s, and finally got a chance to get on the highway with them yesterday.Ride is smoother, got the vehicle up to 86 mph, and vibration has appeared to have gone away at all speeds. Want to do some more driving around town to ensure this truly fixes the issue, I did lose some of the handling characteristics of the 22's-better cornering and firmer ride.Can't really comment on MPG or braking as the road conditions outside Boston have been all over the place this week. One day it's zero degrees, and yesterday it was 60 and raining. My experience with the 22 inch Bridgestones was good traction and braking in all conditions, including snow and ice.

 

Would be nice to find a solution with the 22's, but at this point the switch to 20" rims would suggest that the vibration comes from the original tire/wheel combo, noting the dealer did everything they could with the Bridgestones to get RFB numbers below 15 (but couldn't eliminate the problem). Will post again later in the weekend with an update,

[DisgustedWthChevyGM]

I too, have a 2016 Tahoe LTZ and regret buying it. I was told the vibration was flat spots and would smooth out. 1,206 miles later and 3 new tires because road force showed 3 bad ones, I still have the problem. It is slightly better after replacing the 3 tires, but not enough to brag about my purchase. This is my third Chevrolet vehicle and it's the third time I've experienced lousy GM customer service. GM does not, at all, care about service after the sale or making the customer happy. I inherited the second Chevrolet, didn't buy it. I swore after the first fiasco with an '07 Tahoe I purchased I would never purchase Chevy again. Traded that Tahoe for a Yukon. I had that Yukon for 5 years and not one single problem with it. I made a bad decision when I decided to trade it for a Tahoe. I guess you get what you pay for. GMC is more expensive, but better quality. The Yukon and Tahoe are the same vehicle, but I guess the GM models are what you call in the fashion world factory seconds. Would it really hurt GM to put quality Michelin tires on my Tahoe in order to provide customer satisfaction and to prove their statement from Chevrolet.com of "A light weight suspension helps optimize fuel economy while still being stiff enough to maintain the excellent ride Tahoe is known for." Buyer BEWARE! Don't fall for the vibration is due to flat spots and will smooth out- it's simply not true.

[AWJ52]

Sorry to hear about your issues. As outlined earlier, I had a similar experience w my LTZ, noting I have a buddy with the exact same truck with no issues at all. After 11 Bridgestone tires on the 22's, I ended up buying the 20" rims and Continental tires for short money from the dealer, and the issues for me have gone away. Decided to keep the 22's versus trading back for credit as they will go with the vehicle when I sell or trade in. The other big fix I got was the exhaust system replacement (GM service bulletin) that eliminated the buffeting. On the 22's, my RFB numbers were between 10-13, below the 15 lb spec.

 

Overall, I would still like to get the 22's riding better as they are more responsive (and look better) than the 20" continentals. but at this point I am relieved that the vibrations are gone as it was really frustrating. Got a lot of good info on another thread from SierraMyst: The topic can be found here: http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/194602-2017-tahoe-premier-noise-in-cabin-same-as-others/?view=getnewpost that you may find useful. SierraMyst thinks that upgrading to Michelin Premier LTX tires will be a big improvement over the Bridgestones, and I'm debating whether to get them for the 20's (on sale at Tire rack for ~$150/tire) or take a shot with the Michelin's on the 22's that are about $100 more per tire. As a side note, my dealer would not replace the Bridgestones with the Michelins as they had them within spec and they were not authorized replacements by GM, but I thought that the 20" replacements were a reasonable compromise.

 

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[The Zip]

Overall, I would still like to get the 22's riding better as they are more responsive (and look better) than the 20" continentals. but at this point I am relieved that the vibrations are gone as it was really frustrating. I'm debating whether to get them for the 20's (on sale at Tire rack for ~$150/tire) or take a shot with the Michelin's on the 22's that are about $100 more per tire.

 

Based on your result, the vibration on your truck was caused by the tire, wheel, or both. If the vibration stopped with the Continentals and a smaller wheel, why spend the money on a different tire for the 20s and 22s? It wouldn't be a debate for me to trade current lack of vibration for response and looks.

[AWJ52]

True...I now have the option of going either 20 or 22 inch. The 22 rims were checked and they are true to within .001 of an inch, so on the 22" configuration, it vibration appears to be coming from the Bridgestone tire with the stiff sidewall. But to your point, why spend money when it's not a guaranteed fix. At least I have that with the 20s.

[ALLABOUTLTZ]

I Have A 2016 Tahoe LTZ been having same issues, they road forced my tires all that good stuff, I love the truck but the hard ride is what kills me, I went from 20" to aftermarket 24" rims on it not as much vibration but the go-kart ride is what kills me, I wish at the very least an after market company would come up with something better. they would make a killing.

[AWJ52]

Basically the 20" rims solved my vibration issue...I have been posting my experience on a different related thread (that has some additional good info): http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/194602-2017-tahoe-premier-noise-in-cabin-same-as-others/?view=getnewpost

 

In a nutshell, I ended up calling Bridgestone and talking to their tech support. Turns out that the 35 lb PSI with the 22" tires appears to be overkill based on the GVW of the vehicle (7300 lbs). That, combined with the stiff suspension amplifies road imperfections and is a major contributor to vibration. I ended up swapping back out the 20's for the 22's, and aired down tire pressure to 30 lbs PSI and the truck rides great. Can't speak to long term tire wear at that inflation, but I was ready to give up on the truck based on the vibration, and at 30lbs PSI, it is well within spec for GVW and tire rating. I think the aired down 22" rims gives me the best compromise on overall ride and handling. Not sure why this isn't being communicated through GM's dealer service network as a possible fix or mitigation where vibration is an issue. For anybody experiencing the vibration issues with the bigger rims, I would give this a shot. Good luck and let me know if you see similar result.

[DisgustedWthChevyGM]

Hi all,

 

Mine has been back to the local dealer a few times with no resolution other than for me to purchase a set of Michelins. I failed to in include in my original post that my LTZ came with the 20" Chrome wheels with Continental CrossContact LX20's. I did state that three of the originals were bad. I was told that in spec would be 18, so 30 was definitely out of range. It got a little better with the three new tires, but not nearly enough. On another visit, they kept it for a day and ran a PICO test and thankfully, all was good. On another, I asked them to swap them with another set from another SUV that had Bridgestone Duelers to see what would happen as that's what was on my Yukon, but it was the same result. When I got it back, it was worse. Not only is the vibration worse, it seems like it is causing pressure and causing my ears to pop. I can only assume that they didn't put them back on from where they came off and that's why it's worse. I honestly don't know. Anyway, I'm taking it back to the dealer (3.5 hours away) I purchased it from tomorrow and they are providing me with a rental and will let me know when it's ready and I'll make the trip back to get it. The General Manager said he'll get it squared away. I sure hope so. I traded a 2011 Yukon that rode great, only had 50k miles on it and was paid for and I'm having major regrets. I'll let y'all know what the outcome is. Good luck everybody and thanks AWJ52 for the PSI info. On my way out tomorrow, I'll stop by and get the pressure checked. If mine is up there at 35, I'll get it reduced before I make that long drive, because that's a long ride to ride miserable. Just to give y'all an idea of how bad it is, I purchased it November 15, 2016. It's February 5th and it only has 1,281 miles on it.

[AWJ52]

DisgustedWithChevyGM- when your vehicle is at the dealer make sure they have applied the Chevy service bulletin "PIT5404B Buffeting Vibration Droan type noise exhaust". This is an exhaust system replacement that eliminated the buffeting issue in my vehicle (the symptom is like having your back window rolled down and getting the rhythmic pulsing that causes fatigue/headache, most pronounced in V4 mode). That was a big improvement for my vehicle while working through the tire/vibration issue. Hopefully the tire pressure adjustment provides some relief as well. Good luck.

[DisgustedWthChevyGM]

Thank you, AWJ52. I just sent a message to the dealership with the info you shared. The service guy didn't experience the pressure I was feeling in the head/ears, but twice he did feel a very odd vibration that he couldn't explain and he felt a little vibration, outside of those two spurts of it, but attributed the rest to the road, but not all of it feels like the road to me. I am thankful though that he drove it long enough to get that awful experience of vibration that makes my ears want to pop. They had a rental from Enterprise for me. A Suburban. It has 18" wheels and Michelin tires. It rides good. The ride home was fine. An hour into my trip to the dealer I was wishing I had had the Tahoe towed, I was so miserable. Thankful to have found this post/forum. I'll update soon.

[blackandwhitetornado]

First post on this site - I would never buy another GM vehicle. The quality control of their product is terrible. Their dealer network is in the dark ages. Complaints to corporate are acknowledged, but nothing happens.

 

I’ve purchased cars from Toyota, Honda, Dodge, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. And never before have I been treated as if no one cares.

The manufacturer delivered a 2016 Yukon Denali XL to the dealer in Toronto and it had 4 bent 22" Chrome Wheels (a $3200 upgrade).

120 Days ago I drove it off the lot and had to immediately return it because it shook so bad at 100kms/hr that it felt like the wheels were going to fall off.

As unbelievable as that sounds, it gets more unbelievable.

It took 2 weeks for the dealer to tell me it was going to be 90 days to get a replacement set of wheels. 90 days!

Instead of driving around on bent wheels, or in a 2 year old beat up rental car the dealer had arranged, I bought 4 brand new 20” GMC factory take-off wheels with winter tires, and the Yukon drives perfect. However it should be noted that neither GM or the dealer offered to give me a discount on anything. I had to solve their problem by shelling out another $3000.

I’ve logged complaints with the corporate ‘Executive Review’ and it wasn’t until I threatened to write Mary Barra a letter, that wheels showed up 60 days after purchase.

They were installed on the Yukon and I was assured that they were balanced and they were not. I returned the wheels and an embarrassed service manager left me a voice mail and said 1 wheel and 3 tires were defective!

Two weeks later, after no followup, I called the dealership and discovered the service manager left! And left my wheels and case sitting there with no followup.

The new service manager said they would get 4 more wheels and tires. They were installed. And while the Road Force Balance readout at the tire shop say they are within specs, the truck still shakes and vibrates. I have never wasted more time on a new truck. Every trip to the dealership is a half a day out of my busy schedule.

I was going on vacation for 10 days, and I called the service manager and told him he could have the Yukon for 10 days and solve the problem. He said “Why bother? We’ve put 3 sets of wheels on it, and you’re not happy. Let’s just do a factory buy-back”. Two days later, while I am on vacation, he informs me the Warranty Manager says it doesn’t qualify and the shaking and vibrating “may be as good as it gets”.

GMC’s +$90,000 flagship SUV that was delivered with 4 defective wheels, and fitted with 2 more sets of defective wheels, is expected to ride worse that a 20 year old used car?

This entire experience has been a nightmare. This company is in the dark ages when it comes to the customer experience. I’m confident that every other manufacturer I’ve dealt with would have been so embarrassed with the delivery of a defective vehicle (how does it pass quality control with 4 bent wheels in the first place?), they would have been proactive and worked to address this concern. This dealer is a Corvette dealer and doesn’t even have a road force balancing machine to balance these tires - they have to be sent out to a tire shop.

My 20" wheels with Blizzaks ride great, but when I put the 22" on (that are RFB's below tolerances), it vibrates and shakes at highway speeds.

AWJ52 - your posts at least give me some hope. I will try airing down the 22's, and writing a letter to Mary Barra. This is unbelievable on a $9000 vehicle, let alone a $90000 one.

[blackandwhitetornado]

I left it with them and they put me in a rental Yukon - it rode like a dream. Just like mine with the 20" wheels I bought.

 

They put on a 4th set of 22" hard chrome wheels. It's better, but still vibrates on the highway.

 

Sigh. This is ridiculous....

[AWJ52]

Blackandwhitetoranado- Sorry to hear that your troubles continue. Did you play around with tire pressure? I am running between 30-32 lbs PSI depending on the outside temp and got good results. The other thing I would suggest is make sure they have RFB as close to 10 as possible and ask for the results. Also, are you still on the Bridgestone's? I went through 11 of those tires before I had a full set where the RFB numbers came in at respectable numbers.

 

This will sound dumb, but the last thing I did was reduce the pressure in the air bladders on the seat bolsters (I had mine cranked up because I like the support). That effectively mitigated some of the road feel that was coming up through the cabin as the 22's tend to amplify any road imperfections.

 

Next week if I have some time I am going to switch back to the 20's again to see if there is any difference...I'll let you know what comes of it. Good luck.

[daniel044]

I hope this is not like the silverado issue. My silverado did the same thing. Dealer never could figure it out.

[blackandwhitetornado]

Update - its been a year since i drove the truck off the lot and couldn't drive it over 100km/h. Spent months and a dozen visits to the dealer and tire shops. Complained to the dealer and GM Executive review.

 

I was so frustrated with this whole issue that I just drove the truck. In August, I had the person at GM Executive Review reach out and ask me if I was happy now, and I replied back that I was so frustrated and I wasted a ton of time trying to fix something that should have been right from the factory.

 

She put me in touch with another dealer in Toronto, who specializes in fixing these issues.

 

The short version is that the dealer had my truck for a week and I got it back and it rode smooth!

 

Longer version: They replaced 3 tires and road force balanced them to around 10lbs or less. The desert duelers are terrible/defective. The dealer orders 20 tires and has to road force balance them to get them around 10lbs. They send back 17 bad tires. One person confided that he just bought Michelins and solved the problem on his Silverado. But the GM engineers don't sign off on the Michelins on that truck and therefore it's not covered under warranty. The dealer is forced to dig through 20 tires to find 3 good ones. They ran the truck with the pico meter before and after, and it was much better.

 

I've driven it for about 3 weeks and the truck rides much better.

 

I just swapped the 22' factory rims with the duelers for my snow tires (20' with Blizzaks), and I really noticed how heavy the 22's are compared to the 20's. The weight difference is pretty significant, and I can imagine the shocks and springs work overtime on the 22's and that probably contributes to the reduction in ride quality when the 22's are on.

 

In sum, the wheel balancing on the 22's is solved for me, and it took someone who acknowledged the issue, and knew how to fix it.

 

I still will never buy another new GM vehicle given my experience. But I am grateful to Holly, the GM Executive specialist, and Bob, the service manager at Roy Foss in Thornhill, who tackled the issue and fixed it.