2014 GX 460 Crosswind Stability
 

Hello my 2014 GX 460 becomes very unstable on the highway during strong head winds and cross winds. It requires lots of corrective steering to maintain control of the vehicle. I was driving at about 110 km/hour and had to slow down to under 90 km/h with many vehicles including large trucks passing me. It was very disappointing.

I am not sure if there is something wrong with my vehicle. Any comments from other owners that have experienced similar problems would be greatly appreciated.

Define very unstable....

Is this your first tallish SUV? Sure, my GX is affected by wind but not more so than other SUVs I've driven. Compared to coupes and sedans I've owned it's a very noticeable difference but not at all surprising.

Actually I have driven other SUVs, minivans, and trucks in similar conditions and it never felt as bad as the GX. I admit it was a very strong cross wind, however, other vehicles that passed me on the highway seemed to be significantly less impacted.

the GX is tall and skinny, so its easy to get it off balance.

Other suvs and cars are wider proportionally and more stable. In fact i think the new RX is even slightly wider than this and sits lower so its more stable.

I did drive the GX several hundred miles in strong crosswind with even stronger wind gusts (strong enough to twist and rip out road signs) but I have not noticed it would be any less stable than like a minivan. It is obviously more unstable than for example a sports car due to the different design and purpose they serve.

Try riding a motorcycle in the crosswinds ;)

Hard enough wind will push anything around. Just have to be careful. I was getting pushed around pretty good in a Highlander just the other day.

GX is very stable at speed, well into 150+ kph.

The crosswinds were gusting so strength was not steady which tends to shake the vehicle more. I also have a low profile ski box on the roof which compounded the problem.
Still very discouraging when I compare it to other vehicles I have owned. Maybe I will try adjusting some of the drive mode settings. I had it on sport mode with traction control on.

Appreciate all the comments!

I noticed you just added the note that you had a ski box on the roof - have you had a ski box on the roof any other suv you've owned? Just want to confirm if we're comparing apples to apples. I agree that this suv is more susceptible to strong winds but that's to be expected given its profile. Adding a ski box on the top I would assume would only compound that issue.

Yes my other vehicles also had a ski box. The box I have is an Inno and has a very low profile with about 10 inches of height. It is very aerodynamic so it would have only a small impact on the problem. Here is the link to the Inno box. http://www.innoracks.com/int/product...box/index.html

I haven't tried more air pressure because my tires are set at the specified pressure for the vehicle. During my last service check they said my alignment was out slightly. I didn't get it fixed because it steers perfectly straight under normal driving conditions. I plan to have the dealership go over everything at my next appointment. I also have speed rated winter tires on my vehicle which are softer and may contribute to the problem.

Well there's your problem. You've got a big sail on top of the car.

It might be designed to cut through the wind as best it can going forward, but these aren't exactly setup for crosswinds.

I suspect this was a particularly blustery day.

OP with all due respect you left out a few contributing factors in your original post.. We have gone from the "GX being very unstable during highway speeds during strong head & cross winds". Then in another post you say you had a ski box was installed also, which let's face it doesn't help.

Then in another post you say the dealer had told you your GX is slightly out of alignment but you decided not to have it corrected. And then to top it off you say you have softer compound winter tires on it too.

The GX is a tall, rather narrow boxy SUV to begin with. Then add all of your contributing factors and seriously how could you expect the GX to not float around during strong winds at highway speeds..

Yes that is correct but all my past vehicles - SUVs and minivans (Honda Pilot and Toyota Sienna as examples) also had a ski box (less aerodynamic version than my current one) and winter tires and never were blown around on the highway like the GX. Will see what happens after alignment is fixed. With that aside it is still the worst performing vehicle on the highway in heavy winds that I have ever owned.

I have noticed the GX is very susceptible to windy conditions, although the new ones are less so than the old ones. My 2004 was very bad, my 2012 was much better and my 2015 is about the same as the 2012. I put the suspension is "Sport" mode and that helps a lot, very noticeable difference.