Edge sways all over the road above 70 mph.

[enigma-2]

reconfiguring .....

reconfiguring .....

reconfiguring .....

TURN RIGHT NOW ...

reconfiguring .....

wait, my bad, reconfiguring .....

 

 

ahhh, nope. no thanks. 

[TourGuide]

10 hours ago, enigma-2 said:

reconfiguring .....

reconfiguring .....

reconfiguring .....

TURN RIGHT NOW ...

reconfiguring .....

wait, my bad, reconfiguring .....

 

 

ahhh, nope. no thanks. 

 

Oh come on now - you need to get to Albuquerque and you end up in Topika and you could call that an involuntary vacation!

[lnavin818]

On 8/19/2024 at 10:18 AM, schareco5 said:

OK people, i bought a loaded brand new '22 Ford Edge ST.  The car is awesome but i agree with this post, there is something very wrong with the steering.  My steering wheel just doesn't control the car very well when doing any decent speed on the highway.  This doesn't happen all the time.  Last night i was in terrible rain and i honestly had to drive super slow to stay alive. Many cars were flying by me with no stability issue. I'm not bothering to take it into the dealer because i don't believe they will find anything wrong.  I'm just gonna ride it out for another 15 months, which is what is left on my lease. 

I replaced my Hankooks tires with 4 new Scorpion tires.  On the highway when traveling 70 + MPH the ass end sways only when I'm driving on the grooved roads.  I returned them and replaced the Scorpions with Michelans... the same thing is happening.  I wish I would have stayed with Hankooks.😞

[Jay 2019]

I recently purchased a used 2019 Ford Edge.  It has been fine driving until we got our first cold & snow today.   

It drives fine on dry roads but as soon as I got onto some slippery areas it became difficult to steer/control properly.  It felt like I was sliding sideways a bit. 

Anyone have any ideas?  I assume maybe something to do with the AWD drive or TC sensors?

[enigma-2]

Lack of traction due to the low-friction surface. First thing I'd look at are the tires.

 

(BTW, AWD or FWD)?

 

If are all 4 tires same tread?

 

Good tread? Any bald spots?

 

Are all tires set at 35 psi? (Over pressure will cause wander, even on dry roads, but will magnify on snow.)

 

Are these a good brand of tires? (Or did the dealer slap on a set of cheap junk to make it look like it had new tires?) (All tires perform worse on snow, but cheap tires tread design will perform really bad on snow.)

 

[edjunior]

On 9/10/2024 at 11:59 AM, lnavin818 said:

I replaced my Hankooks tires with 4 new Scorpion tires.  On the highway when traveling 70 + MPH the ass end sways only when I'm driving on the grooved roads.  I returned them and replaced the Scorpions with Michelans... the same thing is happening.  I wish I would have stayed with Hankooks.😞

 

I almost always have this "issue" with new tires, especially Michelins.  But after a couple of thousand miles, it goes away.  I still stick with Michelins, as I've been using them forever, and never had any problems with them (above temporary issue noted).

[TourGuide]

My current edge has this problem and I am pretty sure it is a tire tread pattern issue with grooved pavement.  The bridgestones I'm driving on came new with this car (used purchase) and they have three deep center channels that run the circumference of the tire.  It is my theory that these channel edges catch the grooves and walk with them until they change direction leading to the 'walk back and forth' motion from the rear end.  It is my belief that any tire with pronounced center channels will have this problem.  I've driven the same grooved roads before with nokian tires and not experienced the same motion.  This is my professional amateur pseudoscientific theory of tire drift on grooved pavement.

[garycrist]

Time for a bunch of you to look-up "TRAMLINING". Selling tires way back

when, taught us all about that problem with the grooved freeways in S. Cali.

Especially with the wrong sidewall configuration.

[Jay 2019]

On 11/29/2025 at 1:38 PM, enigma-2 said:

Lack of traction due to the low-friction surface. First thing I'd look at are the tires.

 

(BTW, AWD or FWD)?

 

If are all 4 tires same tread?

 

Good tread? Any bald spots?

 

Are all tires set at 35 psi? (Over pressure will cause wander, even on dry roads, but will magnify on snow.)

 

Are these a good brand of tires? (Or did the dealer slap on a set of cheap junk to make it look like it had new tires?) (All tires perform worse on snow, but cheap tires tread design will perform really bad on snow.)

 

It is an AWD, the tires are Nexen 245 - 60R18 105v M&S.   Not sure if those are good quality or not.  The look almost brand new.

I have a feeling someone replaced the tires thinking it would fix the wandering on snow covered roads but it didn't help.  They ended up just selling the vehicle instead checking more.

Could it possibly be some sensor in the AWD causing uneven power to the wheels?

 

[dabangsta]

1 hour ago, Jay 2019 said:

It is an AWD, the tires are Nexen 245 - 60R18 105v M&S.   Not sure if those are good quality or not.  The look almost brand new.

I have a feeling someone replaced the tires thinking it would fix the wandering on snow covered roads but it didn't help.  They ended up just selling the vehicle instead checking more.

Could it possibly be some sensor in the AWD causing uneven power to the wheels?

 

Nexen tires can be okay. Most of their A/S tires are M&S rated, so without knowing what model, hard to make a determination of they factor into it or not.

 

Wider low profile tires are more likely to be affected by tramlining, but there are vehicle dynamics that can affect it as well. I wouldn't suspect the AWD system to play a role in this issue.

 

I suffered from from it a bit on one of my older cars. It stock had 215 wide tires, and I put 265 wide rear, 235 front, with wider rims in the rear, that left the outer edge to edge of the rear tires over 2 inches wider than the front. Not only concrete roads, but just rutted pavement from high ambient temps would cause it also metal grated causeways were interesting. It didn't feel dangerous which is sorta what it feels you are describing, a not locked in vehicle at only 70 seems sketchy.

[edgeidiot]

I also was a tire salesperson in Southern California in the early 80's (those days are long gone - sigh.)

 

There was this one customer complaining about tramlining (that term had not been invented then.) The tires were Goodyear Custom Polysteels. There were seven circular and uniform grooves on the tires. We thought that the grooves were interlining with the grooves on the freeway. We changed them out with the Arrivas and the squirming went away.

 

I would have thought that since that time, the manufacturers would have been able to resolve the issue. In doing research, I found that it may be also caused by low profile tires, larger than OEM tires or wheels, or tires with reinforced sidewalls (which are very rare - most tires have a single-ply casing with two steel belts overlaid on the carcass.) I found some tires which do not have circular and uniform groves: Nexen N Blue 4Season2, Kumho Solus 4S, Nitto Motivo 365, Pirelli Scorpion Weatheractive, Michelin Crossclimate2 and Toyo Proxes STIII.

 

I suppose the best way to diagnose if your problem is being caused by your tires/wheels is to find a buddy with a same generation Edge with the OEM wheels and tire size, mount them on your Edge and see if the tramlining goes away.

[enigma-2]

Here's what AI says about the Ford Edge wandering, with 245 Nexen tires -

 

Tire Dimensions (Tramlining):

Wider tires, such as the 245mm size, combined with a lower aspect ratio (which wasn't specified but is common on newer vehicles), are more susceptible to tramlining. This is a normal characteristic where the tire follows grooves or ruts in the pavement, causing the vehicle to wander.

 

Vehicle Alignment: Incorrect wheel alignment, especially in the rear suspension components which are common wear parts on the Ford Edge, is a major cause of wandering or pulling. A professional alignment check is often recommended.

 

Tire Quality and Type: While some user reviews mention specific Nexen models can be slippery in the wet or have a firm ride, the brand itself isn't universally linked to wandering. The type of tire (e.g., an aggressive tread design) or a manufacturing defect/imbalance can contribute to handling issues.

 

Tire Condition and Pressure: Uneven wear, improper inflation (either over or under), or tire imbalance can all lead to wandering.

 

Suspension Components: Worn or damaged suspension parts like struts, control arm bushings, or tie rod ends can cause wandering as the vehicle loses stability.