Buffeting / Vibrations/ cabin ear pressure

[RST_wannabe]

A couple of weeks ago I drove a a 2018 leftover 6.2l RST and thought it was a qualified hit. A few days later I drove a Denali to see another take. I thought it was a more mild-mannered and chromed out RST in comparison. I preferred the more understated blacked out look the the Tahoe RST. My main concerns at that point was the expected mileage penalty for the 6.2l v8 on a heavy BOF truck versus a more fuel efficient crossover.

I took the family out today to drive the RST again thinking we had narrowed our new car search. I'm looking for an SUV with some performance that can haul the family and our gear on road trips / vacations. I had a much more keen eye and ear for today's drive and of course the wife would be looking for problems too.

While still in the dealer's lot rolling along at 10mph-15 mph we both experienced buffeting that only got worse as we took the truck up to 45mph-50mph on the road. Absolutely terrible. I cant believe I didn't notice this on my initial test drive (in the exact same truck), nor anything like it in the Yukon Denali. Today it was bad enough to make me feel nauseous. Of course, the sales guy sitting in the 3rd row claimed ignorance at first and then began to blame the air vents in the 3rd row - I wanted to punch him for that last one.

Of course I knew what it was immediately having been reading this forum for the last two weeks and having read the GM TSB; I had hoped this was an issue mostly with the 2015's....but I guess not.

So disappointed.

 

[fiatdale]

Not everyone can hear it, he may have been legit in not hearing. Yes they still have the issue but certain ones DO have it and others don’t. Maybe try another

 

[GTNator]

Go back and try the Denali again and see if you feel it. Also try some others, most newer ones don’t have the issue, but apparently some do.

I’ve driven many many 15-17’s and have only felt it in two vehicles. But it was unpleasant enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[adventurenali92]

It’s luck of the draw. Some have it and some don’t. I’ve rideen in several that had it, and I have ridden it several that don’t. Try driving a few on different lots and find one that doesn’t have it.

 

[CTSVbecker]

All,

Is it something that starts off as a brand new vehicle or gets worse over time?

I'm looking to trade my 14 Jeep SRT for a Denali and am looking at 16,17,18 models but don't want to regret it.

We miss our 12 Yukon but like the new full-size GM as well

Any info would be great as I really want a new Denali but don't know what years or what mileage to look for

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[dapapa]

I have a 2015 Yukon Denali with just 70k miles, none of that buffeting (some describe as similar to one window being open). I do have a recurring vibration (like going over a mild rumble strip) that my dealer says is the torque converter and is repairing next week under warranty.

 

[NYisles1]

What was the weather? My 16 Sub has been largely free of those issues, but I think these bodies are very sensitive to tires slightly out of round. On cold mornings, especially after sitting a full day or more like it would on a dealers lot, ive had some vibration and buffetting until the tires warm up (takes mine 7 or 8 miles). I think the tires harden up on the contact points when sitting.

Now there have definately been more widespread issues, but I think they are far less common now than they were with the ‘15’s. If you like that RST I’d take it for a long test drive and see if the tires are the issue.

 

[Mad Maxx]

I'm gonna have to raise the BS flag at hearing the buffeting sound at only 10-15mph in a parking lot. You were hearing something else. You were expecting to hear it, so you psyched yourself out, and made yourself think you were hearing the buffeting, when in reality, it was something else.

There is not 1 case of anyone complaining of hearing it going that slow. It was prob just the rumble of the exhaust.

Does it happen, yea, I had it on my 15 Suburban, but only once up to speed, and it wasn't bad.

I now have an 18 Denali, and don't have any buffeting at all.

 

[Rumblur]

I agree with NYisles1. My 2018 RST does some weird stuff for the first 10 minutes of driving. Not sure why. Sometimes a little buffeting, sometimes not. Sometimes some wierd harsh shifting, sometimes not. Sometimes some erratic acceleration, sometimes not. After 10 minutes, it's all good.

 

[fiatdale]

I'm gonna have to raise the BS flag at hearing the buffeting sound at only 10-15mph in a parking lot. You were hearing something else. You were expecting to hear it, so you psyched yourself out, and made yourself think you were hearing the buffeting, when in reality, it was something else.

I have to agree 100% on this. I don’t think anyone has ever heard it at this low of speed. Anything over 35mph yes.

 

[Chris T]

Maybe it was the booming over expansion joints or road imperfections at low speeds?

 

[4OFFSHR]

I have a late production 17 Yukon XL SLT, I thought this truck road amazing when I first bought it, now after a year, in that time I have changed out the stock 20" wheels for 22" wheels and I can honestly say that I think for sure I made a sacrifice for looks going to the 22. I just recently put on brand new Nitto TGII Tires and did a full refinish on my wheels and I don't think the buffeting thing has been an issue on my truck, but I will say that I have travelled some not so smooth freeways and roads and feel that the truck is extremely sensitive to road conditions and with the 22's you feel everything. I will say when riding on cold tires no matter what vehicle you are in, you are going to feel more road and especially with 22's it will be more noticeable to hear certain bumps and creaks in the vehicle. As time has gone on with 13k on the clock, I hear more rattles and noises, but that also can be crap in the cupholders that the kids leave, headphones hanging and banging on the panels etc. I thought for sure my wife was going to say something about the ride when I first put on the 22's and did the level in the front, but she has never said anything and still thinks it is a way smoother riding truck compared to our 2011.

 

[RST_wannabe]

To Mad Maxx,

To each their own. Not sure why you would think I had an agenda. I've been researching SUVs over the last few weeks and thought this one would be it. I clearly enjoyed my initial rides in the RST & Denali enough to go back with my wife and kids to see about buying one. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly what we were experiencing except that we felt "it" immediately upon motion at slow speeds even in the dealer's parking lot and upon exiting it to the side road. Perhaps it was reverb of engine in V4 mode? Perhaps not, but either way it left the impression of the truck being under-engineered. And with the hundreds of complaints I've read on this forum and others, you can't really say I'm wrong either. It never went away during our test drive and we could feel it and hear it all the way up to 50mph or so - we never went on the highway. It made us both feel nauseous. I thought this was a resolved issue on early year-1 trucks from my initial reading, but the fact that GM is still rolling out samples doing this...whatever *this* is, does not make me want to open up my wallet.


I even called the sales manager at the dealership this morning to talk to him about it to make sure he knew why weren't moving forward; of course the sales guy who took us out didn't tell him anything about our complaint.

 

[RST_wannabe]

To Mad Maxx,

To each their own. Not sure why you would think I had an agenda. I've been researching SUVs over the last few weeks and thought this one would be it. I clearly enjoyed my initial rides in the RST & Denali enough to go back with my wife and kids to see about buying one. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly what we were experiencing except that we felt "it" immediately upon motion at slow speeds even in the dealer's parking lot and upon exiting it to the side road. Perhaps it was reverb of engine in V4 mode? Perhaps not, but either way it left the impression of the truck being under-engineered. And with the hundreds of complaints I've read on this forum and others, you can't really say I'm wrong either. It never went away during our test drive and we could feel it and hear it all the way up to 50mph or so - we never went on the highway. It made us both feel nauseous. I thought this was a resolved issue on early year-1 trucks from my initial reading, but the fact that GM is still rolling out samples doing this...whatever *this* is, does not make me want to open up my wallet.


I even called the sales manager at the dealership this morning to talk to him about it to make sure he knew why weren't moving forward; of course the sales guy who took us out didn't tell him anything about our complaint.

 

[Mad Maxx]

To Mad Maxx,

To each their own. Not sure why you would think I had an agenda. I've been researching SUVs over the last few weeks and thought this one would be it. I clearly enjoyed my initial rides in the RST & Denali enough to go back with my wife and kids to see about buying one. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly what we were experiencing except that we felt "it" immediately upon motion at slow speeds even in the dealer's parking lot and upon exiting it to the side road. Perhaps it was reverb of engine in V4 mode? Perhaps not, but either way it left the impression of the truck being under-engineered. And with the hundreds of complaints I've read on this forum and others, you can't really say I'm wrong either. It never went away during our test drive and we could feel it and hear it all the way up to 50mph or so - we never went on the highway. It made us both feel nauseous. I thought this was a resolved issue on early year-1 trucks from my initial reading, but the fact that GM is still rolling out samples doing this...whatever *this* is, does not make me want to open up my wallet.


I even called the sales manager at the dealership this morning to talk to him about it to make sure he knew why weren't moving forward; of course the sales guy who took us out didn't tell him anything about our complaint.

I'm not saying you had an agenda or are trying to bad mouth the truck.

What I'm saying is you went in, already knowing about the buffeting problem, so any noise you heard, that sounded like buffeting, you are going to attribute it to that. Anyone would.

Now, you said you test drove the trucks the first time around and you didn't hear a sound, correct? Then you went back with the Fam, and you heard the sound, and IIRC, the Denali you felt was quieter in general. Go back and test drive the Denali with the Fam, have everyone sit in the same place they were in the RST, and see if you hear the sound in the Denali.

 

[dbbd1]

Not agenda, a pre-conceived notion or bias.

 

[ajs800]

I can see how it can happen but something else is probably causing it at that speed rather than the wind force. Maybe something else was exciting the cabin to give a similar affect like cold out of round tires? I have been in countless denalis, suburbans, escalades and have felt the buffeting in every single one, however, some were way worse and constant while some were very faint and hardly noticeable. Our 17 suburban premier is 100x better than our 15XL, but at certain speeds I can slightly hear and feel it. Was in a 17 escalade a few months ago and it was horrible and of course the owner didn't notice it one bit.

 

[RST_wannabe]

Not agenda, a pre-conceived notion or bias.

I was aware of the buffeting/vibration issue already, but it was not something I was looking out for since my initial reading said it was an issue in 2015's; I didn't think it was a current issue and was something that would have easily been rectified since that production year. It was only after that test drive I started looking into what exactly this was and how serious I should treat it.

 

[4OFFSHR]

Temps here in CA were down around 50 this morning and when I went out to take my son to school I was honestly able to feel some of the Buffeting Vibration and this was really the first time I got a hint of it, but I honestly was not really bothered as maybe it was not as bad as others have experienced but I can say it was a familiar feeling according to this problem, but 100% it was honestly cold tires. I really didn't feel it or hear it much after driving a bit. I truly think a lot of this issue could be related to tires. Just something to consider and think about. Maybe the trucks fit with 22's have this issue compared to those fit with 20's?

 

[CTSVbecker]

Grrr.... Just drove two new body styles one a 16 with 20s and a 18 with 22s. The 16 was very uncomfortable and actually made me a little queezy and my wife instantly noticed her head was pressured a bit at 30-45mph. Bumps it was amplified in both.

I didn't even warn the wife of this but it was noticeable. And I probably could get past it a little but i don't feel I should for that money.

I'm a die hard GM guy usually but we just said good bye to any full-size GM right now so I'm either looking at trucks or other full size suvs.



Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk