From what I’ve witnessed, the chassis will only sway when being passed by a larger truck or suv.

Does your corolla pull to either side? When driving down the highway at that speed, any off noises? The stock suspension does have oversteer naturally. It does help with wider tires to keep it planted.

 

It does sway when I am passed by any car if I'm going like 60+ or they pass me going 20+ faster. It pulls to any side, and I haven't noticed any weird noises.

 

Corolla is a small lightweight car. It will be affected by wind gusts, crosswinds, passing vehicle bow waves, etc. Also highway surfaces have effects. For example, here on the freeway going north a certain section will always cause a vibration in both my '89 pickup and '08 Corolla. I'd swear that there's a unbalance wheel or driveline, but its the road surface. Concrete surface. I believe concrete finish smoothness is generally less so than asphalt in general. Tires have characteristics too. I had new Michelins installed on the Corolla a few thousand miles ago. When I'm on the freeway sections here that are concrete with longitudinal grooving, I can feel it in the steering wheel "hunting" as the tread is trying to align with the grooving. Tread is newer with sharp edges. If you worry about it, you could spend a few hundreds having the suspension, steering, wheels, and tires checked out. At that low mileage its unlikely anything wrong unless its been damaged.

 

My 98 Corolla CE is like that and so is my 2010 Le. My 07 Camry is more stable in the wind and the Michelin tires don't wallow on the rain grooves. I have Hankook Optimo tires on both Corollas and they do wallow on the rain grooves, but not to an unsafe degree.

 

I’ve also experienced this having owned mine for over a decade. It is normal for this car to be pushed at speeds over 75mph.

The reason this happens is because the car is too light. You can pack the car with 400-600lbs and you will immediately notice the gain in stability cruising 75mph+. However, at the detriment of poor braking, a little more difficulty in handling quick side to side transitions.

There is very little one can do to better your high speed cruise. Weight is key. Several scientific articles also mention aside from weight, smaller frontal area and lower center of gravity are the most important elements. Notably, weight is the defining factor.

My heavy Acura TL plows through heavy crosswinds. The corolla you have to dance in the wind. More effort for sure.

What I’ve done is lowered my car. Refreshed most of my rubber bushings to ensure handling is sound. When I have a full car, the crosswinds are more bearable.


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I’ve also experienced this having owned mine for over a decade. It is normal for this car to be pushed at speeds over 75mph.

The reason this happens is because the car is too light. You can pack the car with 400-600lbs and you will immediately notice the gain in stability cruising 75mph+. However, at the detriment of poor braking, a little more difficulty in handling quick side to side transitions.

There is very little one can do to better your high speed cruise. Weight is key. Several scientific articles also mention aside from weight, smaller frontal area and lower center of gravity are the most important elements. Notably, weight is the defining factor.

My heavy Acura TL plows through heavy crosswinds. The corolla you have to dance in the wind. More effort for sure.

What I’ve done is lowered my car. Refreshed most of my rubber bushings to ensure handling is sound. When I have a full car, the crosswinds are more bearable.


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That would make sense, as the difference in weight between the SUV and my corolla is 2000 lbs, I just checked.

 

Totally natural. I can't count how many times I've said "sorry officer, I hit 75 mph and then know, Corolla's are just naturally unstable. Next thing I knew I was bouncing off the guardrail and colliding with oncoming traffic.
Cop's usually say something like "my partner wanted to charge you with negligence and possibly vehicular manslaughter if the folks in the other vehicle succum to their injuries and die. But I told him that's a corolla, Naturally Unstable " and then we laugh and laugh. Read the brochures: 1:leather seats 2: Tilt steering 3:Four wheel Abs 4: Normally Unstable at highway speeds. 5:keyless entry

 

I drive up and down I-5 900 miles between CA and WA several times a year. My usual cruise is 77 mph. I have encountered gusty winds in northern CA, freezing rain and deep slush in OR, flooded highways in WA, and lunatics behind the wheels everywhere. I used to have to fret over snow in south-central OR and over the Sikiyous in norCAL. Now that's reversed, and its forest fires...changing world. How my Corolla "handles" is far down the list of things to be concerned about. In fact I had never thought about it until I started reading postings on this forum.

 

I would also check your tire air pressure (overinflated can lead to less surface area). I keep mine at 34 psi and feel minimal sway on highway. I run 50 miles up to work and 50 back every day with an average speed of about 80 (often times hitting high 90s). Car has 180k miles all stock, all maintained.

 

Ours doesn't sway that much but ppl don't usually pass us going 20 over. It is affected by wind like any car though. We have the s model though with some body pieces different than the typical trims.

 

When I go exactly 65 on I-95, people do, but I rarely go that slow anymore, only if I'm travelling with a friend whos following and not as comfortable with highway speeds as me, which was when I noticed it.

 

Whenever I go about 75-80 or higher on highways, I notice the car starts to sway slightly, almost like every little breeze or car that passes me is swaying the car.
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If I had to take a guess, I'd say the alignment is the issue, but thats literally just a guess, I don't know all that much about suspension.

Also, not a super high mileage car, it only has like 24.5k.

My hunch is alignment details is the root cause of the phenomenon/problem as rightly guessed.

 

My mechanic complained that ever since they legalized marijuana - exactly these kind of complaints have skyrocketed !

 

Slow down.

 

I go about 75-80 or higher on highways the car sways slightly (as if) every breeze is swaying the car. ... a Cadillac SUV which is definitely a much bigger, heavier, and more powerful car... the alignment is the issue ... I don't know all that much not a super high mileage car, about 24.5k.

Not an alignment issue - a lead foot issue.

"car that passes me is swaying the car"

Where do you drive eighty miles an hour and find 'cars passing' you? Daytona, Indianapolis?

Buy the way, yes it is normal to notice when other vehicles pass you. Bigger vehicles will have a greater impact than smaller vehicles and, I suspect the shape of the passing vehicle might impact the force noticed in the vehicle(s) so passed. Its aerodynamics, physics and such.

Exceeding speed limits is disrespectful as well as dangerous. Continuing to do so after noticing a lack of control and or stability is even more so on both counts.

Also, while 15 MPH over a 65 MPH limit would appear to represent a 23% increase in speed and correlate to a similar reduction in the time to a given destination that is seldom the case. This excess rate of speed is seldom sustainable for the majority of a lengthy trip and would prove insignificant and superfluous for a short run (eg to the store).

I often note the anal orifice that passes on the right, surprising me in the process and cuts me off moving back to the left lane at speed. Almost invariably we will see him/her exiting shortly having gained as much as three quarters of a second over us. Or, pull up behind him at at the first or second traffic light off the freeway.

If you flip a little car like that at eighty, you'll never forget it as long as you live.

 

Not an alignment issue - a lead foot issue.

"car that passes me is swaying the car"

Where do you drive eighty miles an hour and find 'cars passing' you? Daytona, Indianapolis?

Haha 80 will get you passed all day in NJ morning traffic on the garden state parkway or turnpike. Again I have virtually no issues driving these speeds. A suburban or similar passing at high speeds will sway my cadillac and even my f150 at times this is aerodynamics. If the car is running correctly, doesn't have aerodynamics causing too much lift. Then sway should be minimal/acceptable

 

Make sure tire pressure is correct and that tread depth is within operational limits. Suspension should be OK with that kind of milage. These are light cars.