Road/tire noise.

[Royalstorm]

Also find myself seriously considering jumping to the Michelin PS3+. At this point, of the 6 Potenzas on my Stinger (4 new, 2 ordered replacements) - 3 had significant out of round issues and 2 were completely unfixable. Combined with the road noise I'm not sure they are long for this world.

I agree that the tires need to be replaced. Though I’m doubtful that Kia will do much to help. I spoke with Kia customer service this morning, who recommended that I have my service department take a look/drive first. So I’ll try and arrange that and then see what Kia is willing to do.

 

[patriotsfan82]

I can’t figure these tires out. After the Road Force Balancing and one replacement tire, things seem slightly better.

As time goes on however my analysis keeps changing. My best explanation currently is that at least one of my tires acquires a flat spot in no time at all - basically overnight every night. I hop on the highway first thing each morning and notice the vibration, but have since decided that it goes away after a few miles. Wonder if it’s the 4200 pounds sitting on the tires each night.

I highly doubt I’ll get the dealer to agree with this diagnosis, so I may just replace them.

 

[Grayt 8]

I can’t figure these tires out. After the Road Force Balancing and one replacement tire, things seem slightly better.

As time goes on however my analysis keeps changing. My best explanation currently is that at least one of my tires acquires a flat spot in no time at all - basically overnight every night. I hop on the highway first thing each morning and notice the vibration, but have since decided that it goes away after a few miles. Wonder if it’s the 4200 pounds sitting on the tires each night.

I highly doubt I’ll get the dealer to agree with this diagnosis, so I may just replace them.

In my experience, lots of tires get flat spots, even as quickly as overnight. Some tires seem better than others at avoiding this issue. More air pressure might help you a bit.

 

[4wheelpilot]

I don’t garage my GT1. Same tires, same weight and now hot outside. I don’t get flat spots. And no vibrations nor excessive road noise. None of this makes any sense and is just plain frustrating because it’s hard to be 100% sure.
I would experiment with tire pressures. Recommended cold pressures of 36 F, 39 R. I would try 3-4 above for a while, then 3-4 below to see if that makes any difference in ride and noise.

 

[Hojae84]

Hey Royal... I took my Stinger into the dealer to have them check the front end noise. The mechanic drove it with me and heard the noise and then came back to the dealership and we took out a brand new one off the lot so we could compare noises. I heard the same noise on the new car but not as loud as on mine. The service manager drove the car with the mechanic and they came to the conclusion that the tires have an “incompatible tread design”. They said that the Bridgestone tires when Kia tested at the factory were tested on a different road service (concrete) than what we find in the northeast (asphalt)...they said that the pavement up here is creating extra road noise. They encouraged me to drive it and see if it smooths out which I don’t think it will. I also noticed that my tire pressure was at 46 pounds when I got the car and reset to factory settings. I didn’t notice any improvement in front end noise. They said there were no mechanical issues with the car that could cause this noise. I now believe that the tires are the issue and either mine are defective or Kia specd the wrong tires for this car. I may write a letter to Kia and ask for assistance.
Bob

I think this makes the most sense. I do notice on some roads noise is ok. Other asphalt it's super loud. Can't wait for pilots to arrive

 

[patriotsfan82]

In my experience, lots of tires get flat spots, even as quickly as overnight. Some tires seem better than others at avoiding this issue. More air pressure might help you a bit.

Just not something I've ever experienced, although I've never personally owned a car this heavy.

 

[Royalstorm]

Yup, they are very good on snow and ice.

Here are reviews on Tire Rack:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+A/S+3++(W-+or+Y-Speed+Rated)&partnum=245YR8PSAS3PLXL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Kia&autoYear=2018&autoModel=Stinger AWD&autoModClar=

Yeah, that was me. I swapped out the crappy Bridgestones ASAP after I bought my Stinger in January, and never looked back. The Michelins are far superior.

So how would you say the Michelins perform handling-wise? The soft sidewalls on the bridgestones do not provide much confidence with even modestly aggressive turning. I don’t expect the handling of a dedicated summer sport tire in the michelins but would be happy if I can get away with an all-season that still offers the ability to drive and corner with some spirit.

 

[SEA Stinger]

So how would you say the Michelins perform handling-wise? The soft sidewalls on the bridgestones do not provide much confidence with even modestly aggressive turning. I don’t expect the handling of a dedicated summer sport tire in the michelins but would be happy if I can get away with an all-season that still offers the ability to drive and corner with some spirit.

I have been totally satisfied with how the Michelins handle. That said, my Stinger is a 2.0 Premium and I don't do a lot of highly spirited driving.

(The following may be just a fantasy. ) A while ago I drove 60 miles on a rural highway with little traffic. Great mix of twists, sweeping turns and straightaways. It was an absolute blast! My Stinger felt firmly planted - handling was quick, solid and predictable. At the same time the car felt light-footed, almost like it was shaking its legs and romping down the road. Again, I wasn't pushing it really hard but there was enough adrenalin to put a huge, lasting grin on my face. Tires didn't give me any concern, e.g., no sidewall squishiness.

Take my observations as one data point. If you have a 3.3 and push your Stinger hard enough to break the rear end loose, might be a different story.

Any other Stinger owners have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires and care to share their assessment of how the tires perform?

 

[SOCAL2.0]

I have a RWD 2.0 Premium and I have not pushed it very hard but I am very satisfied with the handling just not the tire noise on some roads. Had a worse problem with my 2012 Chrysler 300S put on Firestone Indy 500 Fire Hawks summer tires and all my handling and noise complaints either went away or almost went away. Really hoping the same will happen this time too!

 

[Royalstorm]

I have been totally satisfied with how the Michelins handle. That said, my Stinger is a 2.0 Premium and I don't do a lot of highly spirited driving.

(The following may be just a fantasy. ) A while ago I drove 60 miles on a rural highway with little traffic. Great mix of twists, sweeping turns and straightaways. It was an absolute blast! My Stinger felt firmly planted - handling was quick, solid and predictable. At the same time the car felt light-footed, almost like it was shaking its legs and romping down the road. Again, I wasn't pushing it really hard but there was enough adrenalin to put a huge, lasting grin on my face. Tires didn't give me any concern, e.g., no sidewall squishiness.

Take my observations as one data point. If you have a 3.3 and push your Stinger hard enough to break the rear end loose, might be a different story.

Any other Stinger owners have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires and care to share their assessment of how the tires perform?

Good info. I had some General Altimax on my ‘15 WRX and these Bridgestones have a similar feel. The Generals were great for snow but very unnerving with aggressive driving, which is why I always swapped back to the summer Dunlops, which were fantastic. Again, I don’t expect the Michelins to perform like dedicated summer tires but sure would like something that can handle faster cornering.

 

[Waynerm002]

I recently added a set of General G-MAX AS05 UHP AS tires to the hybrid and I think these would go well with the 2.0T. They were a bit loud when I first put them on but now they have quieted down, took about 300-500 miles to get there. It was raining the evening I had them put on, went driving for about 100 miles to get them broken in. Drove them hard in the rain and they were a bit slippery but a couple days later they got better. I did notice they felt more comfortable after the temps got warmer and the grip on them are pretty good in wet and dry. I can get them to chirp off the line with the car in Sport mode putting down all 271 lb ft of torque to the road.

Overall they are some really great tires. Never had Generals before but they were priced quite well so I took a chance on them and I’m glad I did. Might not sound like much coming from a guy that drives an Optima Hybrid but with the car now lowered and these tires, I was able to take an off ramp on the clover leaf at 60 with some mild squealing. These are more than sufficient for the 2.0T

 

[patriotsfan82]

Dealer is being a bit stubborn in checking on my vibration issues a second time. Joy.

Anyone else with the 18 All Seasons care to give a rough comment on how your Stinger feels at 45/65 on a smooth road? I tend to check three places - my seat, the wheel, and the center console arm rest. Maybe like a simple scale of vibration from 0-10? 0 being how the steering wheel feels when its not moving - e.g. no buzz/vibration at all. 10 being the type of vibration you get when you go 70 with a bunch of snow in your wheels.

 

[4wheelpilot]

As I had written before, I’ve had Potenza tires before on a 2003 Infiniti FX. They were terrible...squishy with poor handling and no snow traction. And I hate the potenzas on my GT1. Will be switching out in the fall. But I never experienced vibrations. And have no vibrations now on MT GT1. That’s why the fact that some owners are having problems with vibrations puzzles me.

 

[SOCAL2.0]

No vibrations on my 18" tires (2.0 Premium) just road noise but its getting better with miles (850) With radio playing I hear nothing from the tires!

 

[Royalstorm]

Vibration/road noise vary significantly depending on the road surface. I’m mostly displeased by the sloppy handling of the tire. I just pulled the trigger on the Michelin’s and will get them on next week. I’ll post an update after a take them for a spin.

 

[patriotsfan82]

Well, put some new Michelin Pilot Sport 3 A/S+ tires on in an attempt to alleviate my vibration issues - but as I feared I am simply $850 poorer and still rich in vibration.

The Michelins seem like an improvement over the Bridgestones at least.

This weird, intermittent, speed dependent vibration will be the death of this car for me (and probably Kia - I hold car brand grudges). Dealer doesn't want to look at it if they can't replicate it in their 5 minute test drive (it's not always there) and understandably they aren't going to start replacing things with no guarantee of a fix. For now I continue to take measurements to characterize the vibrations and hope it goes away or gets worse so that the Dealer will fix.

 

[Royalstorm]

Well, put some new Michelin Pilot Sport 3 A/S+ tires on in an attempt to alleviate my vibration issues - but as I feared I am simply $850 poorer and still rich in vibration.

The Michelins seem like an improvement over the Bridgestones at least.

This weird, intermittent, speed dependent vibration will be the death of this car for me (and probably Kia - I hold car brand grudges). Dealer doesn't want to look at it if they can't replicate it in their 5 minute test drive (it's not always there) and understandably they aren't going to start replacing things with no guarantee of a fix. For now I continue to take measurements to characterize the vibrations and hope it goes away or gets worse so that the Dealer will fix.

So I also got the Michelins and I do think the handling is markedly improved! Road noise also better but certainly not excellent. For now I’m ok with how it drives.

I too notice occasional vibrations but I really do think it’s more road surface dependent. I still think my WRX had a tighter and tuned feel across the board, though the stinger’s size and v6 make it still rise above for me.

 

[SEA Stinger]

Well, put some new Michelin Pilot Sport 3 A/S+ tires on in an attempt to alleviate my vibration issues - but as I feared I am simply $850 poorer and still rich in vibration.

The Michelins seem like an improvement over the Bridgestones at least.

This weird, intermittent, speed dependent vibration will be the death of this car for me (and probably Kia - I hold car brand grudges). Dealer doesn't want to look at it if they can't replicate it in their 5 minute test drive (it's not always there) and understandably they aren't going to start replacing things with no guarantee of a fix. For now I continue to take measurements to characterize the vibrations and hope it goes away or gets worse so that the Dealer will fix.

How do you sense the vibration? For example, do you feel it in the steering wheel or through the seat. Do you hear the vibration too? That kind of information might be helpful for diagnosing the source of the vibration.

 

[patriotsfan82]

How do you sense the vibration? For example, do you feel it in the steering wheel or through the seat. Do you hear the vibration too? That kind of information might be helpful for diagnosing the source of the vibration.

This is the information I've shared elsewhere for general car support:

2018 Kia Stinger GT1 AWD

So far I've done the following:

• Road Force Balance the original OEM Wheels (Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS-02, 225/45-R18
• Purchased new tires and have all Road Force balanced on install. (Michelin Pilot Sport 3+ A/S, 225/45-R18)

Characteristics:

• Vibration has an audible component - it can usually be heard - sometimes more than it can be felt
• This has two components. For the very first drive of most mornings it creates almost a resonant "hum" that I can "feel" in my ears. This never lasts long and may be unrelated. Otherwise it is just a sound that seems in sync with the vibration frequency
• With the Michelin noise characteristics, the once per tire revolution sound component seems slightly more pronounced. Unsure if this is an issue with the new tires or a result of the general road noise level going down with the Michelins (so that other noises are more regularly heard)
• Vibration is usually felt in multiple parts of the car, but more commonly the seat/body
• The issue is 100% related to the frequency/rpm of the wheels. I have used a vibration monitoring app on a couple of occasions and run FFTs on the results to show that the primary spikes are at the First and Second order harmonics for the wheel rotation speed.
• I haven't done many tests, but the Second order harmonic is often similar in amplitude to the first and is occasionally larger.
• Vibration is speed dependent to an extent. It can be felt most strongly at 45mph and again at 60+mph. In between and before are much less noticeable.
• Vibration comes and goes (unrelated to speed)
• Usually worse in the morning/first drive of the day (had assumed this would implicate tires)
• Can go away for stretches and have a pretty smooth ride - but then come back

Of note: the Vibration is really quite low in intensity. I would almost suggest that many people wouldn't be bothered by it. The only reason it bothers me/that I notice is that A) I have never had a car do this before, B) It comes and goes so I am unable to just "get used to it"/"have it fade away into the background", and C)Every review touted how this car was more "Grand Touring" than "Sport", but issues like this eat into that.

 

[Hojae84]

This is the information I've shared elsewhere for general car support:

2018 Kia Stinger GT1 AWD

So far I've done the following:

• Road Force Balance the original OEM Wheels (Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS-02, 225/45-R18
• Purchased new tires and have all Road Force balanced on install. (Michelin Pilot Sport 3+ A/S, 225/45-R18)

Characteristics:

• Vibration has an audible component - it can usually be heard - sometimes more than it can be felt
• This has two components. For the very first drive of most mornings it creates almost a resonant "hum" that I can "feel" in my ears. This never lasts long and may be unrelated. Otherwise it is just a sound that seems in sync with the vibration frequency
• With the Michelin noise characteristics, the once per tire revolution sound component seems slightly more pronounced. Unsure if this is an issue with the new tires or a result of the general road noise level going down with the Michelins (so that other noises are more regularly heard)
• Vibration is usually felt in multiple parts of the car, but more commonly the seat/body
• The issue is 100% related to the frequency/rpm of the wheels. I have used a vibration monitoring app on a couple of occasions and run FFTs on the results to show that the primary spikes are at the First and Second order harmonics for the wheel rotation speed.
• I haven't done many tests, but the Second order harmonic is often similar in amplitude to the first and is occasionally larger.
• Vibration is speed dependent to an extent. It can be felt most strongly at 45mph and again at 60+mph. In between and before are much less noticeable.
• Vibration comes and goes (unrelated to speed)
• Usually worse in the morning/first drive of the day (had assumed this would implicate tires)
• Can go away for stretches and have a pretty smooth ride - but then come back

Of note: the Vibration is really quite low in intensity. I would almost suggest that many people wouldn't be bothered by it. The only reason it bothers me/that I notice is that A) I have never had a car do this before, B) It comes and goes so I am unable to just "get used to it"/"have it fade away into the background", and C)Every review touted how this car was more "Grand Touring" than "Sport", but issues like this eat into that.

Sorry to hear about your issues. I have an awd and dont notice wierd vibrations. only if I'm on a crappy roads that aren't smooth or paved poorly but not to the extent something seems wrong or unbearably annoying.
Have you tried a test like e.g. use stinger vs another car on exact same roads going similar speeds and note areas where u feel the stinger vibrates wierd. Then see if the test car makes some noise or vibes st thise locations. Only suggesting coz sometimes a road looks smooth from the car but can be pretty rough when driven over. Hope you can get this fixed / figured out. Best of luck