Wind Buffeting Is A Common Problem That Ford Is Tackling

For some time, wind buffeting has been one of the more annoying aspects of owning a vehicle, but this phenomenon isn’t exactly something that’s relegated to one type of make or model. Rather, the issue is quite common and worse for cars that are more aerodynamic, and that includes quite a few models from Ford. As vehicles have become more and more aerodynamic over the years, the issue of wind buffeting has become more prevalent as well, which is likely why some people think that it’s a new phenomenon, or perhaps something that only affects certain makes or models. However, it’s also a problem that Ford has been working to correct for some time now.

Wind buffering – or “Helmholtz resonance,” as it’s known in the scientific world – happens when the volume of air entering a vehicle isn’t proportional to the amount of air exiting the vehicle. Many experience this when rolling down a rear window but not a front window, but in reality, this tends to happen when any window is open on one side of the vehicle, but not the other. The result is an annoyingly loud noise that’s very much like what we hear when we blow into a bottle with an open top. The problem is worse with very aerodynamic vehicles as the air flow follows the shape of the vehicle, hitting the side windows as it comes up the windshield.

Opening another window cancels this effect and eliminates the problem, but that isn’t exactly ideal for most. Thus, Ford has been exploring ways to eliminate wind buffeting for years now, filing a patent for a wind throb mitigation system back in late 2022. This system would be capable of detecting wind throb, determining if the seat adjacent to the vehicle’s occupant is occupied or not, then opening another window to mitigate the effect. The system could also close all the windows if needed, and activate the climate control system to compensate.

Additionally, Blue Oval engineers equipped the all-new Ford Everest with specially-designed side mirrors that were developed in simulators and wind tunnels and are specifically designed to eliminate wind buffeting, or wind throb as it’s otherwise known – meaning that it’s quite likely we’ll see this same sort of technology on future Blue Oval models, too.

We’ll have more on Ford’s efforts to eliminate wind buffeting soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.