I just got back into an EL after getting rid of our 2007 several years ago. My wife and I decided it was time because, frankly, we love the things. So, finding a used 2015 EL XLT with 40k miles and AWD/4WD, we jumped on it. I noticed it was missing the front skid plate so this forum pointed me to a source for replacement with an aftermarket parts. Great! Now for the only thing that seems to be wrong with the 2015 EL which the 2007 did not have. Issue: it has a strong wind buffeting noise with the windows rolled up and doors closed. Opening the rear vent windows does help alleviate the pressure. I have new Hankook tires that are balanced well, we've had the vehicle checked out and all seems fine, no damage, so I thought maybe the doors were loose or it had a bad gasket. First, I tightened the doors. The rear hatch seemed to be loose and the rear window did not seem to seal tightly enough. These were snugged up and now it takes some effort to close the rear hatch all the way. It's tight! Probably a little too tight now. All gaskets have been checked - I coated them with Vaseline and closed the doors to be sure they were sealing. All good. Got everything cleaned up and took it for a ride. The buffeting effect was greatly diminished as before it was horrendous over any little mogul or bump in the road, to the point it made my wife nauseous. Now it's at least livable but can be still present. I even tried the AC on fresh/recirculate to see if that made a difference and it's negligible. I'm grasping at straws that maybe not having a front skid plate is somehow directing wind under the EL causing the issue.
Anyone else have this problem?
