What Causes the Bumpy Sensation When Driving the Chery Ant at Low Speed?

[JeremiahLee]

The bumpy sensation experienced when driving the Chery Ant at low speed is due to a mismatch between the spring parameters and shock absorber parameters. Below is an introduction to Chery Automobile: Introduction: Chery Automobile's manufacturing plant is located in Wuhu, in the eastern part of Anhui Province. Currently, the company has established three major passenger vehicle production bases in Wuhu, Dalian, and Ordos, with an annual production capacity of 900,000 vehicles, 900,000 sets of engines, and 800,000 transmissions. Models: Chery's automotive brands include Chery, Karry, Qoros, Cowin, as well as two premium brands, Jaguar Land Rover. Cowin and Rely have been discontinued. The Chery brand is the largest under the Chery umbrella, and the company has continuously pursued reform and innovation, achieving significant improvements in product strength and quality.

[LaAbel]

I've seen many similar cases over the years. The Chery Ant's bumpy ride at low speeds, like going over small bumps, is mostly caused by suspension system issues. The car's chassis is inherently on the stiffer side. If the shock absorbers are worn out or the springs are deformed, you'll feel even small road protrusions noticeably below 20 km/h. Another often overlooked issue is tire problems – if the tire pressure differs by more than 0.2 bar between sides, or if there's tire bulging, uneven force distribution during wheel rotation can make the whole body shake. Excessive rear axle half-shaft clearance is also a potential culprit, especially if you hear clunking noises when turning. When encountering this situation during daily school runs, I recommend first checking all four tires with a pressure gauge to rule out this simple issue.

[Alexander]

Last time I drove my friend's Little Ant, I noticed this issue—the steering wheel was shaking when maneuvering at low speeds. Later, he took it to a mechanic and found out that the front suspension's control arm bushings were cracked. These electric vehicles have a short wheelbase, so even minor play in the chassis components gets amplified, especially when going over speed bumps—the rear wheels bounce more noticeably. If the steering wheel vibrates enough to make your hands numb, you should also check the tie rod ends. When the rubber deteriorates, metal-on-metal contact will definitely cause jolts. As a side note, if you hear a clunking noise over bumps, there’s an 80% chance the brake discs, pads, or caliper brackets are loose, and you should address it immediately. Don’t tough it out like my neighbor, who waited until the wheel hubs got damaged—that’ll cost you hundreds more to fix.

[StPiper]

I've driven the Little Ant for 30,000 kilometers, and low-speed bumps are mostly tire-related issues. Excessive tire pressure feels like riding a wooden horse, while worn-out treads lead to poor grip - even crossing a manhole cover makes it wobble. Those who've upgraded to larger rims should be extra cautious: low-profile tires have worse vibration absorption, and paired with stiff suspension, it's a double whammy. When regenerative braking is set to the highest level, the sudden drag when releasing the accelerator can make the car lurch forward, which new drivers might mistake for a malfunction. Actually, many vibration issues can be spotted during car washes - just squat down to check for tire sidewall bulges or loose wheel nuts, which is much more convenient than heading straight to the repair shop.

[ClaireDella]

The mechanic at the repair shop told me that Chery eQ1 (Little Ant) owners commonly complain about low-speed vibrations in three scenarios: excessive clearance due to worn universal joints in the drive shaft, causing clunking noises and vibrations during gear shifts; loose screws in the underbody protection plate, leading to annoying resonance below 30 km/h; or warped brake discs, which make the car shake like a sieve when lightly braking. Once, I encountered an even more bizarre case—the rear motor mount rubber cushion cracked, allowing subtle vibrations from the motor to directly transmit into the cabin. Such issues can be diagnosed in just ten minutes by lifting the car at the shop, which is far better than random guesses. If the car shakes right from purchase, it might be due to improper factory wheel alignment—try getting a wheel balance check.

[AdelynMarie]

My little Ant had low-speed shaking issues just half a year after purchase, which turned out to be caused by leaking front shock absorbers. These micro EVs have thinner shock tubes - even minor oil leakage can cause failure, making small bumps feel like hitting solid metal without springs. Here's a lesser-known fact: if the rear torsion beam axle gets deformed from impact, asynchronous wheel movement on both sides can cause rhythmic bouncing. I remember it being particularly noticeable when descending parking garage ramps - diagnosis revealed loose stabilizer link ball joints. Now during every maintenance, I insist on thorough inspections of chassis rubber components, especially since the battery's underbody location makes prolonged vibration a potential wiring safety concern.