Alignment issues

I just purchased a 2014 JSW a month ago. It has less than 1,000 miles. I made the dealer with the dealer, and due to work obligations, had to have my wife pick it up.

Long story short.... The first time I drove it I noticed it pulling hard to the left. Let go of the wheel and it will put you at the left side shoulder in less than a second. Called the dealer and had them re-align the vehicle. I assumed it was a bad alignment from the factory. Everything was fine for the last few weeks.

This morning I get a call from my wife "it is doing it again". "what" I answer... "Pulling hard to the left".

I am wondering if there is a known issue with the JSW an alignments. I do not want to start off my new car experience with trip after trip to the dealer. I am not a very patient man..

Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks.
Jeff

Take it back



tell them it pulls to the left. tell them to fix it.

I would suspect a brake problem, not an alignment issue.

They need to identify the core problem and fix it.

Had a 13 Passat if I let go of the wheel from the left lane I would go across the right 3 lanes in 5 seconds...dealer realigned the car and road balanced the tires, didn't fix the problem. good luck

In addition to alignment, check brakes to make sure not sticking and inspect tires to assure proper inflation and no wear problems.

Craptastic.. Just what I wanted to hear. I deal with stealerships every day for work. Actually, as an insurance appraiser for the last 16 years, I have an uncanny ability to make my point and talk these guys into a corner. I am just tired of it. Obviously, I should not be having alignment issues with a 2014 car with less than 1000 on the odometer. Your comments are not making me feel warm and fuzzy about what I am going to be forced to do. Especially the comment about the Passat.

So now, time to play a bit of hardball. I am going verify the problem with the car tonight (Make sure my wife didn't confuse "road crown" with "Alignment issue") and then head to the dealer tomorrow afternoon. I am going to tell them to fix it and insist that I don't want it back until it is permanently fixed. I am going to let them know that I am not the person they want to screw with, and "broad brushing" the problem with an alignment will not work with me. I want to know "why" it is having an alignment issue. I am going to request a print out from their machine and a diagnosis of the problem.

If anyone else has experience with this let me know. Like I said, it came from the factory with a bad alignment and now, it appears less than 500 miles later, it is out of alignment again.


Thanks again.
Jeff

More than likely, the transport could have messed the alignment up on a car that new (it happens).

However, it could also be something wrong with the electric steering, or even with the steering angle sensor.

In any event, I'd want to verify the complaint yourself, with a representative of the dealer (a tech or writer) in the car with you... if it really is that bad it shouldn't matter, but you never know. I've had people complain like that and driven the car all over the place and verified the picture perfect alignment and finally when I get them in the car "Oh, well it isn't doing it now"

The other thing is, alignment machines don't lie. Get a picture. I'd also want to make sure all the suspension and steering fasteners are tight.

oilhammer said:

More than likely, the transport could have messed the alignment up on a car that new (it happens).

However, it could also be something wrong with the electric steering, or even with the steering angle sensor.

In any event, I'd want to verify the complaint yourself, with a representative of the dealer (a tech or writer) in the car with you... if it really is that bad it shouldn't matter, but you never know. I've had people complain like that and driven the car all over the place and verified the picture perfect alignment and finally when I get them in the car "Oh, well it isn't doing it now"

The other thing is, alignment machines don't lie. Get a picture. I'd also want to make sure all the suspension and steering fasteners are tight.

Click to expand...

10-4 Oilhammer. I am going to add the items you listed above to my "Make them check" list. I am going to try the car tonight when my wife gets home to verify the issue. When I drove it the last time she was complaining (less than a month ago when it was BRAND NEW) I had to hold the steering wheel at 2 o'clock to get the car to drive straight down the expressway. I will travel the same bit of road tonight to see what I find. As suggested, I am also going to check the air pressure in the tires. Who knows, I may have a small leak that will make me look like an idiot at the dealer

If the same issue is present, and the tire pressure is as it should be, I am going to hand the dealer a list and tell them to check the following:
- All four brake calipers
- Electric Steering
- Steering Angle Sensor
- Alignment
- Suspension/steering fasteners

I want a print out from an alignment machine showing caster, camber, toe and SAI. I also what a diagnosis regarding why this is happening. I am not going to allow them to simply throw another alignment at it.

Thanks!!
Jeff

It sounds like you told them what to check once.

I repeat my suggestion that if you can repeat the issue, have them drive it with you and tell them to figure out what is wrong.

a list is interesting, and you do want to know what is wrong and what they changed, but I do not think you want to be in series with the diagnosis.

meerschm said:

It sounds like you told them what to check once.

I repeat my suggestion that if you can repeat the issue, have them drive it with you and tell them to figure out what is wrong.

a list is interesting, and you do want to know what is wrong and what they changed, but I do not think you want to be in series with the diagnosis.

Click to expand...

I know.. I also know how VW dealer service departments treat their customers. There are many "the dealer misdiagnosed my issue" threads on this forum. I wish I had a guru in my next of the woods. Closest one is is over 100 miles away (one way). Matt from Whitbread performance is about 10 minutes from me, but I dont think he deals with anything other than custom mods etc. Being under warranty, I am reluctantly taking it to the dealer.

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1585_1611-23885--,00.html

Michigan lemon law says four tries and it is fixed or you get a different car (or other relief)

Keep copies of the paperwork. Make a file.It is their job to fix the car. Your job is to verify the fix or bring it back. (if you want, you can write up the specific problem and give it to them in writing, so they don't record it as some mumbo jumbo, like customer courtesy check)

A car that pulls as much as you say is unsafe to drive and a menace to anyone else on the road.

You need to make it clear that the problem is it pulls to the left. (or it does not track straight) if it still does it, it is the second try to get them to fix the pulls to the left is the same issue.

If your complaint is first that it needs an alignment, and then that the steering sensor may be off, and then that the brakes could have a problem, that sounds like three different problems to me.

I feel for you that you have to deal with this in a new car. I know it is a pain. but if you don't get it taken care of right, it will haunt you.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

well.... I am happy and a bit embarrassed to say... false alarm. I took the car for a 20 mile drive tonight and it tracks fine. I think my wife may have possibly been driving on some heavily crowned roads and jumped to conclusions based on our initial problems with the alignment.

I would like to thank everyone that chimed in with their opinion. Nice to have a group of enthusiasts to rely on when you "think" you might have a problem.

Have a good evening!
Jeff

Buddying up on this thread, I'm taking my wagen to Firestone this Friday to have it's first alignment done. 16,500 miles in and one Chicago winter, my steering wheel is about 4-5deg counter clockwise on a true flat road, which makes me think the toe is slightly off. I should've taken it in back at 11,000 miles, but unfortunately I'm not quite rolling yet. My question is, I'll be getting the lifetime alignment deal, in which they advertise they'll check and re-align every 6000 miles or so, or whenever you think it needs to be done. I'll be throwing on my snows around the start of December. Does this small change in wheel/tire size warrant me taking the car back in after only 1,500-2,000 miles? My stock setup is the 225/45R17. Snows are 205/60R16.

Thanks!

I notice no difference with snows vs my Contis.

We had an 86' GTI (our last vw before this tdi). Loved the car but wife hit something and slightly bent the rim. Replaced that but the car could never be properly aligned again. Something threw the camber permanently off and nobody could get it right. We used to go through tires fairly regularly and it wasn't cheap. (not that that's your issue, just thought I'd throw that out there)

Good luck.