car pulled left, now it pulls right

labenge

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Location
toronto, ON Canada
I took my 02 Golf GL TDI to the dealership yesterday because the car was pulling slightly to the left. I noticed it the first time I took it for a long drive on the highway (had the car 2 days). Right now, the car is 16 days old (and I've racked up over 1800 k during that time...boy do I drive this car more than I expected to!)

They rotated the tires - and it stopped pulling to the left and began pulling to the right. They will keep it another day and try to figure out what's going on.

I brought it in figuring it was the alignment. Now I have no idea what it can be and wonder what the shop will tell me today. I don't imagine it's a defective tire because I don't think they switched the front tires from left to right - I think they did it back to front.

Has anyone here run into the same thing?
 

davidbru

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2001
Location
Mcdonough, GA
TDI
2000 Jetta
My 2000 Jetta did the exact same thing! The dealership rotated my tires also, but they went right to left. After a couple hundred miles everything was okay.
 

Mass. Wine Guy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2001
Location
Ipswich, Massachusetts
TDI
5-speed, 2015 Golf S 6-speed manual; 2015 Golf Sportwagen SEL 6-speed manual
Stop your belly-aching. You asked the dealer to stop your car from pulling left and they did. You didn't specify that you wanted the car to drive completely straight, did you?
 

e-VOLVed

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2001
Location
Issaquah, Washington
TDI
All deceased
Try cross rotating your front tires, they're probably not directional tires.
It could be tread pull, I'm still trying to figure that out on my car too.
 

Tor Diesel

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Location
El Paso, TX
TDI
Jetta GLS, 2001, green
I had this same problem on a car a while ago. I talked to a buddy who works at a tire shop (not the one I bought the tires at) and he told me to go back and tell them that I had a "radial pull". I immediately got a new tire at the tire place no questions asked since I sounded more intelligent than the average customer. Mention that exact term to the dealer and if not take it to whoever made your tires - Goodyear has their own shops.
 

trapper

Active member
Joined
Oct 21, 2001
Location
Dunchurch ON Canada
TDI
97 Passat Grey
I had the very same problem after buying some new tires.I wanted Michelins and was told Dunlop Remingtons were just as good so was suckered into buying 4. The very first trip, they bounced like mad (improperly balanced) Next, the car pulled to the right, so I stopped enroute and had the front end checked as I never suspected "new" tires to be at fault. Speedy could not find any alignment problems, so switched the RF to LF and vice versa. Now the car pulled to the left. I returned to the tire place and described the problem. They insisted there was nothing wrong with "THEIR" tires and sent me to "THEIR" alignment specialist who claimed to have "adjusted" the front end.When I eventually replaced these Dunplops I had to have the front end re-aligned again.
I strictly stay with Michelin or Pirelli from now on, more expensive, bust good quality.
 
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