[h0lysh13t]

Just purchased a 2019 optima LX after my 2016 got stolen.
Lately whenever i’m driving at higher speeds (60-80 mph), it feels like one of my tires is constantly hitting something or wobbly. I took it into a kia dealership and told them about it , they said everything was fine after fixing the alignment but i still feel the same problem.
any advice on what it could be ?

 

[Turbonut]

I'm going to guess a possible tire problem.
Can you tell front or rear e.g. vibration in steering wheel front or vibration in seat rear?
If you can tell, then switch both tires front to rear and rear to front and see if the feeling has moved. If so tire problem. Example now if in rear and you have a full size spare, place it on the right rear and drive, if still vibration, put tire back on and place the spare on the left rear. If tire problem and tire singled out, it will need to be checked by someone qualified.

 

[h0lysh13t]

it feels like it’s coming from the driver sides rear tire. but it felt like that before i took it to kia too but they said they rotated the tires? i’ll switch them out myself just to make sure .

 

[tonester]

If it follows the tire then odds are the tire has sustained some damage that may not be visible to the naked eye or not noticeable unless looking very closely.

 

[Unit ZER0]

Go in for a wheel balancing. That'll nail down the issue real quick. If it isn't the wheels, you may want to look into the rear hub bearing.

 

[philbytx]

It could well be carcass separation. I assume the date on the tires is 2018/2019 and nothing old?
As Unit ZER0 pointed out, having the tires dynamically balanced on a Hunter GSP9700 (or similar) balancing machine could pinpoint that for you.

 

[lrgrego]

I had a very similar problem, and I was convinced the bearings were bad. Brought it to one garage and they didn't see any problems, brought it to a Kia dealer and they said the bearings were fine. Finally a tire specialist looked at the tires and noticed there was some severe cupping. Replaced the tires and runs smooth and quiet now. Most tire places will inspect for cupping for free since it is an easy check, so I recommend this before any other expensive diagnostics.

 

[Jezter]

Any resolution? Was thinking possibly a warped or damaged rotor or loose e-brake component. If you have a manual e-brake there are shoes/springs/etc inside the rear rotor that could have come loose, so would always hear/feel the issue on the same wheel location.

 

[llxxDashkingxxll]

Possibly flat spot on tires, cars at dealerships tend to sit alot so its common. If anything as a few said before, check out a tire shop. I'd personally recommend Discount tire. They usually keep up with new tech like tire balancers (used to work for them).

 

[h0lysh13t]

Possibly flat spot on tires, cars at dealerships tend to sit alot so its common. If anything as a few said before, check out a tire shop. I'd personally recommend Discount tire. They usually keep up with new tech like tire balancers (used to work for them).

I bought my Optima from Hertz Car Sales, it was a rent2buy so it was always being used.

 

[h0lysh13t]

I brought it into Kia for a service again, and they did a Service A i believe. They checked everything and drove it and said they didn't feel anything. But im still having issues. Whenever im driving on the freeway, you can feel the slightest bump in the road, uneven pavement, etc. Even passengers in the car can feel it so I know im not just going crazy lol. Could it maybe be the suspension or shocks?

 

[Unit ZER0]

Did you ever end up getting the wheels balanced?

 

[llxxDashkingxxll]

I brought it into Kia for a service again, and they did a Service A i believe. They checked everything and drove it and said they didn't feel anything. But im still having issues. Whenever im driving on the freeway, you can feel the slightest bump in the road, uneven pavement, etc. Even passengers in the car can feel it so I know im not just going crazy lol. Could it maybe be the suspension or shocks?

Might be worn shocks, my cars at 100k and this thing has no stability. Also could be worn tie rods if steering wheel is very loose at mid to high speeds, mine were garbage when I first bought the car. Changed em out myself. But thats more maintenance than actual diag

 

[Jezter]

I agree on the worn shock assessment. If they have no dampening then the springs are a direct transfer of energy from everything the tire hits. Would account for the feel, the sound and always being that corner. It is also possible the upper shock mount is loose or worn above the wheel well. Have not put my eyes on that mount but I'm sure there are vids of how to access from inside the cargo trunk area. The lower shock mount is a bushing and bolt which I highly doubt would wear out before other stuff, but also worth checking that it is tight. The classic way to test a shock is to put as much weight as you can with your body on each corner to test (make sure not to press on soft body panels or hood!) and then quickly release and the car should rise and not bounce at all or make a clunk sound.

 

[Turbonut]

If worn shock/strut one would see tire cupping.