i4 Weird Jostling at Low Speeds

[EatAHelicopter]

I've had my Emira for 3 days now and I'm experiencing a weird jerkiness, that's kind of hard to describe. At low speeds (below 20mph), I cannot drive the car smoothly. The car jostles forward and backwards, almost like someone was lightly tapping the brakes. Especially when to decelerating to a stop or just closing the gap between me and the car in front of me in traffic, it's very jerky and not smooth driving at all. I didn't experience this when I test drove one, but that was a touring suspension and I had it on sport mode the whole time. I'm still in my break-in period, and I have sports suspension, so I'm wondering if this is just a quirk of touring mode or is someone is actually wrong with the car?

Thanks!

 

[geoffbland]

Is it this issue reported here:

Thread 'I4 - car revs "high" and sudden "launching/sudden thursting" in low gear'

Feb 28, 2025

Wondering if anyone with I4 experienced this. My car is basically brand new and less than 200 miles. Not sure how best to describe it, but this happens occasionally when accelerating from stopped or in slow traffic (all in automatic mode and in tour). I'd press on the gas (lightly and not hard at all), and the car sometimes get into a high rev (from sound but not necessarily seeing high on tach), so then I'd let off the gas a quickly and then would press again, but only for car to thrust forward and jerks like it's about to launch, which then would cause me to hesitate to press further...

• Ch0wd3r
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Lotus Emira Problems and Issues

 

[EatAHelicopter]

Is it this issue reported here:

Thread 'I4 - car revs "high" and sudden "launching/sudden thursting" in low gear'

Feb 28, 2025

Wondering if anyone with I4 experienced this. My car is basically brand new and less than 200 miles. Not sure how best to describe it, but this happens occasionally when accelerating from stopped or in slow traffic (all in automatic mode and in tour). I'd press on the gas (lightly and not hard at all), and the car sometimes get into a high rev (from sound but not necessarily seeing high on tach), so then I'd let off the gas a quickly and then would press again, but only for car to thrust forward and jerks like it's about to launch, which then would cause me to hesitate to press further...

• Ch0wd3r
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Lotus Emira Problems and Issues

Doesn't sound like it. It's not revving or launching me forward, it just jostles back and forth essentially.

 

[geoffbland]

"The car jostles forward and backwards, almost like someone was lightly tapping the brakes."

My sports suspension does not affect the driving like this. Forward progress is smooth at low speed.
I drove the touring and sports suspension back to back at test drive, I don't think there's much difference between the two and nothing like what you describe.
It sounds like there's something wrong with your car - I'd take it to a dealer or trusted local garage to be checked out.

 

[gcmak]

I think the jostling is essentially what we've been discussing - just using somewhat different words. I've met two other i4 owners in person who have brought this up (without me prompting). Some claim it's specifically in second gear at some RPM and only in Touring mode...but for me it can happen in any gear (usually 1 through 3) at speeds under 40 mph. It's infrequent and inconsistent, easiest to replicate in city traffic or stop and go on the highways (such as commute hours). It hasn't happened more or less often since break-in (at 1,5XX miles now) and the transmission in full automatic worked great on the race track. No issues on backroads either.

Suspension type shouldn't matter unless it's on a road surface that's causing you to unintentionally jab at the throttle with a bump (I have had this happen over a speed hump) and it almost exactly replicates the jostling.