# 2013 6mt Eco wandering at HWY speed.



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Definitely not right. The ECO doesn't wander that much even in heavy wind. Were you able to demonstrate it to your dealer so they know what to look for?


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## sndguy (Nov 17, 2011)

Mine did that for a while, as the front tires wore the edges it went away only to return when I rotated the tires. 



rescueswimmer said:


> Well our 4 day old Eco is getting looked over today for hunting and wandering. When you drive down the road at high way speeds. It feels like the car is being blown over the road. I'm sure you have all experienced it before. When there is actual wind. This happens just cruising down the interstate. Not very relaxing or fun to drive right now. We had another 6mt Eco we got to demo for a week and it did not do this, nor does the LT we have right now. We shall see what the dealer comes up with. Anybody else have this issue, the more knowledge I have the better. I'm hoping its a simple fix, tire alignment something. but not holding my breath on this one.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

sndguy said:


> Mine did that for a while, as the front tires wore the edges it went away only to return when I rotated the tires.


This indicates a front alignment issue.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

My ECO is very steady/stable on the Highway. I know at first I noticed the steering to be way more responsive on center than I was used to (2004 GTO).


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Well they called me and said they fixed it. Said the tires had 44lbs of air. Now I know before I left this morning I checked the tires cold and it read AT the 38lbs at the TMPS I'll pick it up in the morning and see what I find. I suspect it will still be doing the same thing, but possibly milder. I know over inflated tires can cause these issues, but 9Lbs over, I have never heard of this. They Said the alignment was good etc. I know the demo cruze we had did not do this with 38lbs of air pressure. I'm already seeing this turning into a nightmare issue, but hopefully its fixed.


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## Beachernaut (Mar 27, 2012)

If your dealership thinks that is the problem, I'd recommend finding a new dealership. I run 49psi in my Eco and other than a bit stiffer ride, there was absolutely 0 change in handling. If you had different pressures in your front tires it could cause a slight tug to the side, but still shouldn't wander. My first thought was alignment also. If your car doesn't have a touch of toe-in, it can cause the car to wander. If they continue to throw tire pressure excuses at you, I'd recommend getting Stacey here on the forum involved, and contact GM directly.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I agree with Beachernaut - find a different dealership. I run my tires at 45 PSI and XtremeRevolution runs his at 51 PSI cold. I have run my ECO with the tires as high as 48 PSI cold and have never had a wandering problem. XR has never reported this here either, and I can just about guarantee he would report it if his wandered.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

My car felt this same way when I first got it, probably the first 600miles(I put 600miles on in 24hrs). I just kept driving and either got used to the electric steering or it started to behave more normally. 

Best explanation of the feeling? The car seems to follow any and all groves in the road and not want to track straight, this makes the driver have to make slight corrections constantly.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

I definitely will let you know whats going on. Like I said before. I currently have an LT as a rental since we sold our car before our car was delivered. We put about 4000 miles on it and it drives straight and true not hint of wandering and I had the tires at 39. I had a 6mt Eco for a week as a demo and it drove fine. If it had not been for the fact it was built about 4 months before the antifreeze TSB we would have bought it. So we shall see how tomorrow goes. 

Spacedout, that is the exact feeling. Its like your drunk. You only have to move the wheel 1/4 of an inch back and forth and the car sways.


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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

spacedout said:


> My car felt this same way when I first got it, probably the first 600miles(I put 600miles on in 24hrs). I just kept driving and either got used to the electric steering or it started to behave more normally.
> 
> Best explanation of the feeling? The car seems to follow any and all groves in the road and not want to track straight, this makes the driver have to make slight corrections constantly.


Agreed.

Mine wanders as well, I've rotated my tires and even checked the alignment a few weeks ago. Its almost spot on.

I'm thinking I may see how it is with new(and better) tires on. I think the stock Firestones are junk honestly.. and possibly contributing to alot of wandering complaints. We've had a few at work, and even I've found no solution. It's certainly odd. I'm thinking tires may fix the problem though.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I have my OEM tires at about 44 PSI and my Eco is steady on the road. Not even the high winds we had today made the car wander. 

Did they check the lug nuts for proper torque? It's not unheard of for loose/missing lug nuts to cause a wander/vibration, although they'd have to be very loose almost to falling off to make it wander that much.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

I'm guessing they did not, so when I pick it up in the morning I'll find out more.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The electric steering was hard for me to get used to, but you've driven Cruzen before. 

When new, BOTH of our new cars wandered around a little bit. I think the suspension and perhaps tires "broke in" a little bit after 500 miles. I remember thinking "why the heck can't I keep this car straight?" and my girlfriend complained about the same thing at first. Maybe the direct response of the power steering only exaggerated the wandering feeling. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## AVCruze12 (Feb 27, 2013)

My 2012 did this until I replaced the cut engine shield with a new one.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Mine does this as well, i think it has to do with the shield as well... I need to get under there.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Just got back from the Dealer Cruze less as expected. Picked it up for test drive of the fix. Putting 35 PSI in the tires. When I got in the TPMS said 32-30 PSI on all 4 guessing it was hot when they adjusted the PSI. So filled it up to 35 and took it for the test drive.. Still does the same thing. Service manager said he drove it didn't find anything wrong with it. Then I said lets drive another eco. They only had an auto, but took it for a drive and drives like the other 3 I have driven. No wandering etc. Wandering might be a bad choice of words. The best way I can put it is that it steers like a fighter jet. You put in 2mm of steering wheel movement and the tires react with 15.

So after the 2 test drives and proving that when you move the wheels equally my cruze is all over the place and the other is not. They decided to call the GM engineer help desk. Tried to listen the best I could, but the end message relayed to me was that. GM is aware of this issue. They are going to be releasing a TSB about "wandering" The fix IIRC was something to do with the gearbox,and a new part, about .9 hours labor and needs to be realigned. Luckily they actually had the part. It was there for another car apparantly or something, and it was addressed from the engineering department with paperwork to follow? So hopefully this fixes this saga, then I can move onto the Pioneer radio sucks thread.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I wonder if you've got the steering-gear related issue.

Many of us have experienced the steering rack "sticking" in a notch, then the car breaking free of that notch and over-correcting slightly. It's super annoying to say the least, but GM is aware of an issue with the steering racks installed from the factory in these cars and released a re-designed part to correct the issue.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

It doesn't feel like it sticks. If I'm cruising at 70MPH and I take my hands at 10-2 and move the wheel slightly left and right in my car it starts to feel unstable, Not OMG I'm going to die, but enough that you need to correct every single imput in the wheel. Were as the others I have driven, barely even move and track straight. I'm hoping this is not the fix they are doing to my car. Since It was built in April of 13.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I know, but I'm wondering if it's just an early manifestation of that problem. My car used to feel like it wandered before I developed the sticking steering. I think that happened somewhere around 5-6000 miles, and it took the wandering slightly <1000 miles for that to disappear (or me to get used to it).

I swear it just drove a lot better once they re-aligned it and replaced the steering gear.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Just picked it up. Sounds like what the did was the same as the issue that some people are complaining about sticking. I can now wiggle the wheel back and forth a little without the car flying all over the road. It steel feels a little wiggly but 100 times better and its pretty windy and you know how it is when your looking for a problem it seems to be everywhere. The wife is test driving it now. Hopefully I get the thumbs up and we can start enjoying the cruze.


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## sndguy (Nov 17, 2011)

It would if I was getting uneven wear, but I'm not. Could have the toe-in brought in, add caster (not that caster is a factor on wear), or positive camber, but wear is even. 1/4" of toe-in, +2 degrees camber, it will track like it's on rails and wear the heck out of the tires... I don't know if anything is adjustable on the Cruze other than toe, is it? I'll deal with wandering for a few hundred miles until the square shoulders are scuffed off. It's already back to good now, and I just put the Goodyears back on a few weeks ago rotated front to back. It's not an issue when the Blizzaks are on for the winter. 




obermd said:


> This indicates a front alignment issue.


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## kb0sdq (Feb 17, 2013)

Just a quick question, A bunch of posters have stated they run 40 50 + psi in their tires. I was wondering why, The recommended tire pressure states tires to be inflated to 35 psi (cold) Having the higher psi doesn't that reduce the performance of the tire? Just wondering cause when I used to wrench for a living over inflation would cause the center of the tires to wear quicker then the outer edges also reduced traction


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

kb0sdq said:


> Just a quick question, A bunch of posters have stated they run 40 50 + psi in their tires. I was wondering why, The recommended tire pressure states tires to be inflated to 35 psi (cold) Having the higher psi doesn't that reduce the performance of the tire? Just wondering cause when I used to wrench for a living over inflation would cause the center of the tires to wear quicker then the outer edges also reduced traction


For Bias Ply tires, you are absolutely correct. Radial tires, on the other hand, keep their shape at higher pressures up to at least the sidewall pressure. Manufacturers set the tire pressure recommendation based on ride comfort, safety, and performance. Safety and Performance are linked and may be swapped depending on the manufacturer and vehicle in question, but ride comfort is the overriding factor. Run your tire cold pressure anywhere from the door placard to the max sidewall pressure and keep them rotated, including cross rotation unless you have unidirectional tires. Also keep the suspension aligned (which doesn't appear to be an issue with the US/Canada Cruze) and you won't have odd wear patterns. I find that cornering is improved at higher PSI and the ride quality doesn't start deteriorating until the tires are at 50+ PSI warm. So I set my tires to 45 PSI, which will warm up to 51/52 PSI on the road. XtremeRevolution is testing the impact of running the OEM Goodyear FuelMax Assurance at 51 PSI Cold. You can find his latest report at http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/12-w...tread-depth-log-max-sidewall-pressure-16.html.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Well it seems to be better, but its still not right. Its 10x better but still feels like the ass end wants to come around. I'm going to have to drive another eco and compare the 2 again. This car is going to drive me insane. The adjusted the door cause it would not close properly, now I get a howing wind noise and there is some time of Phantom buzz/rattle when I make right hand turns about 30 mphs. Up under the dash. At least I can duplicate it pretty regularly. Calling the GM rep on Monday cause buying a brand new car I should not have a list of 8 issues that need to be fixed. If it was just the 2 cosmetic items I'd be fine with it. But when You start adding up all the crap. Like A car that just rolls out of the Assembly line needs to have a TSB done to it. Is a crock of $#@%.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

rescueswimmer said:


> Well it seems to be better, but its still not right. Its 10x better but still feels like the ass end wants to come around. I'm going to have to drive another eco and compare the 2 again. This car is going to drive me insane. The adjusted the door cause it would not close properly, now I get a howing wind noise and there is some time of Phantom buzz/rattle when I make right hand turns about 30 mphs. Up under the dash. At least I can duplicate it pretty regularly. Calling the GM rep on Monday cause buying a brand new car I should not have a list of 8 issues that need to be fixed. If it was just the 2 cosmetic items I'd be fine with it. But when You start adding up all the crap. Like A car that just rolls out of the Assembly line needs to have a TSB done to it. Is a crock of $#@%.



Hi rescueswimmer, 

Check your inbox. I send you a message regarding this issue

Kindest Regards,
Crystal L
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

My 2012 ECO wanders a bit at hwy speed too. Just figured it was more of an over steer thing. Can't take my eyes off the road for more then a second or so or I'm going over a white line.


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

I had that problem and lived with it just thinking it was more the width of the tire hitting "grooves" in the pavement, because my '93 Mazda MX-6 used to do the same thing. After I put Michelin tires on the Cruze, the wandering nearly vanished. I'm not saying that the problem completely disappeared, but I sure didn't seem to notice it much unless it was a windy day, and that kind of movement was then expected. Best of luck to you.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

You guys with the wandering / Loose feeling, have you had the recall done were they remove some of the aero shield under the engine? I noticed today when reading some people are compaining of a Loose feel in the car after they had the recall performed. They said the car handles different now. I'm trying to see if maybe this is some of the issue.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

There is a definite slight loss of "planted" feeling at high speed after the engine shield slice & dice, but my ECO MT doesn't wander and it's still one of the best planted feel cars I've driven at speed.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Obermd,

That is what I'm at a loss. We had the wandering issue real bad, The did a "up and coming TSB" That seemed to fix the hyperness of the steering input, but the car still feels like the backside wants to let go when you give it a slight steering input. It does not feel planted at all, I drove 2 other ecos yesterday an Auto and a manual and they both felt firm to the road, but did not learn of the engine shield until I got home or I would have checked it out. I might have to go back tomorrow. Still waiting to hear back from GM on the list of other issues my 8 day old car has.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I'm assuming you have rotated your tires. If the backend is trying to break lose I would ensure the back of the car is aligned properly. The only time I've ever had a car try to break the back end lose is with either a tire or alignment problem.

Have you asked your dealership about swapping cars - permanently? You may want to look into Missouri's lemon laws.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Well Chevy said, out of good faith they are willing to do a swap for something else, She said they would make us whole so no money loss, but not sure how that works with Sales tax. So I have to figure out that, then I have to find something in stock, they won't order another car, Now I'm sure i won't be able to find my exact car - the issues. I'll keep you posted.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

How about the ECO you were driving while waiting for this one? I would do everything possible to make that deal work. It sounds to me like you have one of the very few true lemons.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Obermd,

We try to be smart when buying etc. We buy and run it to the wheels fall off. So we try our best to mitigate any potential issues that may arrise. The Eco that we drove is the same exact car that we ordered but it was built in 11 of 2012, So it could potentially have the TSB for the Antifreeze smell. From I had read, the fix is pretty much taking the dash out of the car to replace the HVAC components, My fear was should it need that done, The car then becomes a rattle trap, but If I can't find what the wife wants then. We will see what happens. As far as our car goes. It had to be put together on a Friday,


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

rescueswimmer said:


> Well our 4 day old Eco is getting looked over today for hunting and wandering. When you drive down the road at high way speeds. It feels like the car is being blown over the road. I'm sure you have all experienced it before. When there is actual wind. This happens just cruising down the interstate. Not very relaxing or fun to drive right now. We had another 6mt Eco we got to demo for a week and it did not do this, nor does the LT we have right now. We shall see what the dealer comes up with. Anybody else have this issue, the more knowledge I have the better. I'm hoping its a simple fix, tire alignment something. but not holding my breath on this one.


i had the exact feeling with my 2012 lt1 with 7500 miles. they reprogramed the steering modul. havent drivin it much since its been "fixed" so we will see.
also, i had the wondering issue before the shield was hacked.


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## Jfisher (Apr 21, 2013)

I just noticed this exact same issue on my 2013 Eco yesterday. If i'm not mistaken the 13's have the updated underbody shields already so I don't think that's the cause. I also don't think the car would be trammeling with these narrow'ish 215 tires.

Is there any official TSB reference number I can bring to my local dealer?

My car has about 1,800 miles on it now.


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Correct the 13's have the cut under body shields. My Service rep contacted GM about it. They replaced something with the steering gear assymbly. Not sure if they used the TSB for the nothcy feel or if this was a new one. He did say soon to be released. So I'm not sure exactly what that means. If it helps. It fixed the hypersensitivity of the steering wheel but not the uneasy feeling the car has.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

My 2011 ECO 6M tracks like it is on rails on the highway as well as on the track (Watkins Glen Cruze Meet). Tires are at 41 cold all around.


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## Chris2298 (Aug 1, 2012)

My wife had a 2010 Grand Prix GXP a few years back and she had the same problem. I drove it (thinking she was over reacting for a change) and she was right, it was down right scary in the snow.. Turns out the the rear wheels were WAY out of alignment, in fact, the rear tires had to be replaced (at 250 a pop). We aligned it and it was 100% better for about 5 months.. Then the rear tires had to be replaced (at $250 a pop) and we had to have it realigned.. We ended up getting a lifetime alignment at a Firestone dealer and just taking it in every couple months.. Anyway, the moral of the story is, have you checked the four wheel alignment?


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Jfisher said:


> I just noticed this exact same issue on my 2013 Eco yesterday. If i'm not mistaken the 13's have the updated underbody shields already so I don't think that's the cause. I also don't think the car would be trammeling with these narrow'ish 215 tires.
> 
> Is there any official TSB reference number I can bring to my local dealer?
> 
> My car has about 1,800 miles on it now.


Jfisher,

I am sorry to hear you are experiencing this concern and would like to look further into this for you. Can you please private message me your name, VIN, mileage, address, phone number, and the name of the GM dealership you are working with? I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Service


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## Jfisher (Apr 21, 2013)

Chevy Customer Service said:


> Jfisher,
> 
> I am sorry to hear you are experiencing this concern and would like to look further into this for you. Can you please private message me your name, VIN, mileage, address, phone number, and the name of the GM dealership you are working with? I look forward to hearing from you soon.
> 
> ...


Erica, PM sent with all requested information.


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