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When driven at highway speeds, my '12 rio wanders all over the road [not an alignment issue] just like my mom's old '76 monte carlo [and other older cars]did. It's like driving a boat! Wheel doesn't center; always 1/2 click to the right or left, so you have to keep compensating for it. This makes long drives more tiring than they have to be. My wife owns a '12 accent and it doesn't have this problem at all; the steering is tight and precise.
For whatever reason, I suspect it's the electronic steering that messes it up?
I've driven 1200 miles east, and 1200 miles west, and back (to Austin), all interstate...and have *never* had *any* steering issues. Straight as an arrow. Better let the shop look at it.
Drives: '12 Kia Rio LX. '11 Toyota Tacoma, '07 Honda S2000, '11 Husaberg FS570, KTM 990 Adventure
Gallery:
0
steering on my 12' has been spot on for nearly 25,000 miles.
the shock valving is subpar, thus requiring additional inputs to keep a line mid corner over bumpy surfaces, but that has nothing to do with the steering.
i'd suggest there's a problem with the EPAS (electric steering).. the weighting is all artificial being an electric assist system, and it may be getting the wrong speed readings at higher speeds, making the steering too light and too greatly assisted at highway speeds. In ours the steering firms up considerably over 70KM/h and at 100 or 110 (freeway speed) it is quite firm, and tracks straight and true at any speed to be honest.
Is the steering very light at highway speeds?
edit: just noticed you suggested the electric steering in your op
I have the same in my Soul, which also has EPS, it through me off when I first bought it as it was so light at slow speeds compared to my conventional system in my previous KIA, but at highway speeds you can't tell the difference. As OzSLS stated the steering gets heavier the greater the speed, it even tells you this in your owners manual:
The motor driven power steering is
controlled by a power steering control
unit which senses the steering
wheel torque and vehicle speed to
command the motor.
The steering becomes heavier as
the vehicle’s speed increases and
becomes lighter as the vehicle’s
speed decreases for optimum steering
control.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power
steering checked by an authorized
Kia dealer.
Make sure the pressures are dead-on correct and try to find a newly paved road to avoid any 'crown' or 'troughing' that old roads have.
Otherwise, my '13 has been like on rails for 7k miles.
Definitely have them check and align. (Don't forget the rear may be out from the factory too. My Scion xA was out 2 degrees and the dealer had to shim one rear side. Rare, but it should be considered when they check alignment.)
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Is this steering issue typical?
Fairmont Ghia V8
Kia Rio SLS 6M
Soul
Linear Mode
