Prius Handling Problems at Highway Speeds

the way they tie down the cars during shipping can affect the alignment, they offer one free alignment within something like 1500 miles because of this.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ARiddle @ Apr 10 2006, 11:53 PM) [snapback]237892[/snapback]</div>

Digital steering? I think it's still a physical connection. The power assist is electric (no power steering fluid), which is really not so new. The Acura NSX started using electric power assisted steering in 1995.

 

Aye yay yayyyy..
The steering has a torque sensor and an electric assist to the mechanical linkage.
Running pressures at 42/40 will result in very even wear across the tire for 40k miles, except the driver side, outside edge will wear first.
The national sales manager at Bridgestone said running higher psi will make tracking in rain grooves WORSE.
Max toe in will not change gas mileage. Don't know about wear.
Make sure the REAR toe in-out is correct (they set my to almost zero, had to order a shim kit, no charge).
See my article in Knowledge base (click ALL articles,not just last 30 days) for more information.

 

I had the same problem with wandering on the highway and found a fix.

Forget the air presure of 35/33 and drop it to 26/24.
The car drives great and is still getting 50+ mpg.
copy1

 

I have never had that problem. I drive 70 mph 80 miles per day and have never felt that I was going to lose control (unless I hit a puddle, in which case I HATE FWD). I drive a consistent 75 when I travel anywhere (interstates) and I never have a problem.

 

First post to this thread in 6.5 years.

My wife and I bought a 2006 Prius a few months ago...the previous owner said it had just been aligned by the dealer after they installed new tires...Yokohama Avid Ascends.

The "darting around" on the highway is a real and significant problem for us...it makes driving MUCH harder than it should be. And this happens in ZERO wind on a smooth road with no grooves...when it is windy, the problem is far worse.

One thing I want to mention about the "light weight" of the Prius being the issue:

My 2009 MINI weighs 2568 pounds, and the Prius weighs 2890. My MINI tracks on the highway like is on rails...perfectly straight, true, and stable at any speed...and the Prius is the exact opposite. So weight has very little if anything to do with the Prius "darting" around on the highway.

As suggested in this thread, I will try:

1) reduce air pressure in the tires, while maintaining the front at +2 more than the rear.
2) get the alignment checked and add toe-in to the front...either .05 or .1 degrees.
3) make sure the rear alignment is correct.
4) if all that doesn't make a considerable improvement, I will try the BT plate.

And report back...

Thanks for the informative thread.

 

I ordered the G7 stiffening plate off eBay for under $60 shipped. It's only been installed for a couple of days but so far I feel the ride has improved and tightened up in my 2008 touring model. We get plenty of windy days here in Oklahoma so I have no doubt I will be able to see if the ride improves within a very short amount of time.

 

Thanks for the report.

I was thinking that even though windy conditions make the darting around or wondering around worse, perhaps this issue should be divided into two basic categories:

1) Darting around in very little if any wind, and

2) Darting around in a crosswind/similar.

No car is immune to moving around a bit in a wind...that's just physics...of course some cars handle it better than others due to the amount of cross section of the car being impacted by the wind, the weight of the car, and the tires/alignment.

The real concern is what makes the Prius sort of just wonder around on the road all on it's own...moving left and right while the driver is keeping the steering wheel still.

Some folks have said the Prius steering is exceptionally tight, and that even the slightest movement of the steering wheel, sometimes even subconsciously by the driver, has a kind of magnified effect as compared to other cars. I don't know about this...many many cars have "tight" steering...perhaps esp performance cars...and again, in the case of my MINI, in which I assume I move the steering wheel in the same way as when I drive the Prius (could be wrong of course), shows NO signs of wondering around on it's own.

There are simply too many reports of this "wondering around" that it has something to do with the driver instead of the Prius...after all, these drivers are also saying that their others cars do NOT exhibit this behavior, so they all have something to compare to.

 

The Prius is never going to handle as good as your Mini. Adding a little toe in might help. My 2005 handles like a minivan if there is a good crosswind. Don't forget to have the rear alignment checked. Its not adjustable, but that doesn't mean its correct.

 

I bought the same on off Ebay and totally agree in high wind areas in Iowa- I feel a big difference. Totally worth the money. I drive the same route everyday and I am very pleased. some think it is just in our heads, I disagree. The car stays firm on the road. Good investment.

 

I just wrote the Toyota dealer about this same problem. I live off I-69 in Michigan and they have what I jokingly refer to as "combed highways". I can't drive on them at all. My car feels like it's going to fly off the road at any second. Not all our roads are textured and I can fly well over 80 on regular freeways but these textured ones are near where I live. I find I have to allow extra time to take side roads. I never had this problem with any other car I have owned. To make matters worse they just re-did the roads with brand new texture so I can't drive on them at all. The one that were worn weren't as bad as the new ones. I guess I don't drive on I-69 but this is sad given that I just got this car. Lucky for me I have a 24 month lease so I will opt for something else. I really love the car but I can't put up with the scary feeling of almost losing control of a brand new car.