Dear Tracy,
I have recently been having problems with my car’s steering pulling to the left. As I am driving, in order to keep the care straight, I have to pull the wheel to the right. Is it normal for a car to do this as it gets older? Is it something I should have checked out?
Jeremy B.
Dear Jeremy,
If your car is pulling to one side, that is definitely a sign of trouble. Mostly likely your car is in need of a front end alignment. Misalignment is usually not the result of normal driving wear, but instead the result of a collision, driving over an obstruction, or some other type of impact.
It is important to get your car in for front end alignment service as soon as you can. Not only is it unsafe to drive a vehicle that does not steer or handle well, your tires will be subject to improper wear. When tires do not wear evenly, as they were designed to do, they wear out much faster in certain areas than they should.
When you bring in your car for a front end alignment, your auto technician will adjust the angle of the wheels to be in accordance with the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer. They will use precision equipment to set the proper front end alignment, making sure that all the necessary adjustments are made. Depending on how long your car has been out of alignment, you should ask your technician to also inspect your tires to make sure your tire tread is still in good condition.
