40-55 mph pulse vibration

[Berky]

Hello,
I recently bought a used 2022 Explorer ST with 57K miles. Had it 2 months and I’m noticing an odd pulse or cabin vibration between 40-55mph. It comes in a wave or frequency. Most apparent with light throttle and decelerating. Only in that window of speed and it’s irritating. I have an appointment at ford in a few days, but I’m looking for some insight from members here. I don’t think it’s tires as a shift to neutral while under speed seems to calm the vibration. Sport mode doesn’t seem to do it or not as bad. It’s almost an ear pressure issue as well. Very Strange, but hard to describe. Anyone had this and had resolved? Any input would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Psyko_323]

Any chance you're still running to OEM tires? The foam inside the tires tend to come loose and cause a vibration a certain speeds. I replaced my tires due to low tread and the vibration went away.

 

[Berky]

Any chance you're still running to OEM tires? The foam inside the tires tend to come loose and cause a vibration a certain speeds. I replaced my tires due to low tread and the vibration went away.

Hello, The tires are Michelin primacy tour a/s. Not OEM and lots of meat left unfortunately (Walmart tire). They like to be run above 40psi and that makes the ride rough. I’ve played with tire pressure and it’s not the issue. Can’t wait to swap them out. Thanks for the reply

 

[Berky]

Confirmed: This issue disappears in sport mode. The whole cabin sound is quieter. Weird. Just obnoxious hard down shifts lol

 

[Berky]

Update: Ford dealer replacing the drive shaft under warranty. The technician did understand the issue, but this may be a hard gremlin to track down. I’ve read various posts here with similar issues that go unresolved.
If other owners have vibration issues:
Turn off the radio.
The fake engine note coming through the speakers makes it harder to diagnose subtle vibrations. At least in my case.

I’m not sure about the FENG. With it turned off, the driving experience is more peaceful. It would be great to have an easy way to turn it off/on without a programming procedure.

I’ll update after the driveshaft replacement. Really hoping this isn’t a saga of “maybe replacing this will help”.

 

[Gadgtfreek]

Ive seen this on my 2012 F150, 2017 Expedition and my 2019 Edge ST AWD. Not sure if it's these aluminum driveshafts or what, but it is a recurring issue.

 

[Berky]

Ive seen this on my 2012 F150, 2017 Expedition and my 2019 Edge ST AWD. Not sure if it's these aluminum driveshafts or what, but it is a recurring issue.

Thanks for your input. My previous car was a 2015 Edge sport and I loved it! Quick, quiet/smooth and hardly any issues. Traded it in at 120k for this Explorer ST. I’ve wanted one for years. I’m trying to stay positive, but a couple months in, the cool new toy rush has worn off. The build quality is not the same and I’m doubting Fords design and development team.

 

[Gadgtfreek]

I think they went through some rough patches, especially in introducing their 10spd transmissions and getting the PTUs to where they needed to be. My 8spd in the 2019 was OK, not great. The PTU had no drain plug LMAO.

 

[Berky]

I think they went through some rough patches, especially in introducing their 10spd transmissions and getting the PTUs to where they needed to be. My 8spd in the 2019 was OK, not great. The PTU had no drain plug LMAO.

Yeah I agree. My 2015 sport had a 6 speed that just worked. This 10 speed jumps around a little too often. Sport mode shifting is ridiculous. The downshifts are rather hard. Dealer says that’s normal.

 

[Gadgtfreek]

Agree. My 6spd in the 2012 F150 was fine; it was tuned too. Just helped its shifting some but it was a tank. My 2021 GT with the 10R80 was hit or miss. In sport, it shifted really hard. So far this 10r60 in 2025 has been great. Smooth, almost feels like a CVT at times, which was their goal, I believe. That's 5 years of software revisions lol.