Car pulls slightly to the left since purchase

STI Nicholas · 01-04-2006, 04:18 PM

My 2006 STI has had a slight pull to the left ever since i purchased it a few weeks ago. Is this something that i can get looked at under warranty? Did anyone else have any alignment problems when they bought there 06 STI? Or is it better to have a pro align it?

forgedSTi · 01-04-2006, 04:41 PM

Just take it back to the dealer where you bought it. If they're reputable, they shouldn't have any problems re-aligning the car for you for free.

KEVS1000 · 01-04-2006, 06:50 PM

STI Nicholas.

I had the same problem when I brought my 06 home. An ever so slight pull to the left...moreso at high speeds. I kep saying I was going to get it checked but didn't get around to it. After about 1500 miles, I put on the new winter wheel and tire package that I bought. BOOM! No more pull. I haven't noticed it since. I can only assume that the tires or wheels weren't properly balanced. Just a little info in case you get it checked and the pull is still there. It may not be the alignment.

forgedSTi · 01-04-2006, 07:03 PM

the point is to get the car into the dealership asap. whether it's the alignment or tire balancing, the dealership owes it to you at NO cost.

**SoJDM.com** · 01-04-2006, 07:16 PM

If the alignment is correct then the technician should check to see if tires are causing the problem by switching them side for side or front to back. Sometimes the belts in one tire may "squirm" causing a pull because one of the tires tries to head out on its own.
Jim@SOJDM.com

SD 05 STi · 01-04-2006, 08:06 PM

i had a pulling problem when i bought my '05. i just took it to the nearest subaru dealer and they corrected it for me; free of cost.

BHazel · 01-05-2006, 02:59 AM

I was going to have my tires rotated at the dealer with one of my free oil changes...but he insisted that he could not "cross" rotate because the tires are directional.
Anyone else have this issue? I brought it home and cross rotated them. It has had zero issues. I know the tires are asymmetrical and can be cross rotated? Any answers/comments?

vroomadoo · 01-05-2006, 03:26 AM

This is funny. When my car was new it pulled to the left . Warrenty coverd the repair . I've never had another problem with anything on my car .I have now over 50K miles and besides getting my oil changed and regular maintaince everything has been perfect

woz · 01-05-2006, 03:31 AM

Check your tire pressure too

**SoJDM.com** · 01-05-2006, 08:13 AM

Uni-directional tires will clearly have that stated on the tire.

STI Nicholas · 01-05-2006, 11:01 AM

Thanks for the info guys. I have already checked the tire pressures and tried to visually check the alignment. I have an appt. with Santa Monica Subaru on the 14th to have them look at it. Do Subaru's come with suspension blocks for the boat trip to the U.S.? I am thinking that they never aligned the car after removing the suspension blocks. I bought the car before it had been dealer inspected and still had the plastic on it and the radio and whatnot disconnected. Maybe they rushed the inspection process, because they only had less than one day to do it.

'05 STi · 01-16-2006, 01:30 AM

I had my tires rotated. The dealer said nothing to me about being directional tires.......

***wdb*** · 01-16-2006, 05:47 AM

RE070's have an inside and an outside, but they are not directional.

Opinions abound as to whether side-to-side rotation is a good or bad thing, but Subaru recommends front-to-rear only.

Alignment is covered for free up to 12K miles if there is a problem. You're having a problem, so don't let the dealer d*ck around with you.

A lot of Subies leave the dealer with bad alignment. (I'm 2 for 2 so far.) Get it aligned.

denial512 · 01-16-2006, 07:28 AM

I had a slight left pull when I first bought my 06.

It turned out that the front left alignment was off, but the strange thing was that it was the camber that was screwing it up.

The tech told me that STIs do not have adjustable cambers, and they had to untighten, move, then retighten somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 bolts. Even after they finished, they were in the 'green', but it could not be dialed in perfect 0s.

***wdb*** · 01-16-2006, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by denial512

The tech told me that STIs do not have adjustable cambers, [...]

Time to get a new tech.

01-04-2006, 04:18 PM	#1
STI Nicholas Junior STI Driver Car: 06 SG STI Location: L.A., CA. Posts: 174 Join Date: Dec 2005 Trader Rating: (5)	Car pulls slightly to the left since purchase My 2006 STI has had a slight pull to the left ever since i purchased it a few weeks ago. Is this something that i can get looked at under warranty? Did anyone else have any alignment problems when they bought there 06 STI? Or is it better to have a pro align it? This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

01-04-2006, 06:50 PM	#3
KEVS1000 Silver Member Car: 06 STI WRB Fav Mod: Fumoto Valve Location: PHILLY Posts: 96 Join Date: Oct 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Maybe not alignment STI Nicholas. I had the same problem when I brought my 06 home. An ever so slight pull to the left...moreso at high speeds. I kep saying I was going to get it checked but didn't get around to it. After about 1500 miles, I put on the new winter wheel and tire package that I bought. BOOM! No more pull. I haven't noticed it since. I can only assume that the tires or wheels weren't properly balanced. Just a little info in case you get it checked and the pull is still there. It may not be the alignment.

01-04-2006, 04:41 PM	#2
forgedSTi all bOOst Car: pwn3d by bambi Fav Mod: 30R, kelfords, utec sd racegas tune Location: in front of you. ;) Posts: 1,242 Join Date: Jun 2005 Trader Rating: (3)	Just take it back to the dealer where you bought it. If they're reputable, they shouldn't have any problems re-aligning the car for you for free.

01-04-2006, 07:03 PM	#4
forgedSTi all bOOst Car: pwn3d by bambi Fav Mod: 30R, kelfords, utec sd racegas tune Location: in front of you. ;) Posts: 1,242 Join Date: Jun 2005 Trader Rating: (3)	the point is to get the car into the dealership asap. whether it's the alignment or tire balancing, the dealership owes it to you at NO cost.

01-04-2006, 07:16 PM	#5
SoJDM.com Authorized JDM Vendor Fav Mod: Anything JDM; well alot of stuff anyway Posts: 1,543 Join Date: Nov 2005 Trader Rating: (18)	If the alignment is correct then the technician should check to see if tires are causing the problem by switching them side for side or front to back. Sometimes the belts in one tire may "squirm" causing a pull because one of the tires tries to head out on its own. Jim@SOJDM.com

01-04-2006, 08:06 PM	#6
SD 05 STi Spec C Club Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Bride Zeta III >=) Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,126 Join Date: Jun 2005 Trader Rating: (7)	i had a pulling problem when i bought my '05. i just took it to the nearest subaru dealer and they corrected it for me; free of cost.

01-05-2006, 02:59 AM	#7
BHazel Professional STI Driver Car: 2005 CGM STI Fav Mod: Cobb TBE Location: Waverly, Ohio Posts: 448 Join Date: Feb 2005 Trader Rating: (4)	I was going to have my tires rotated at the dealer with one of my free oil changes...but he insisted that he could not "cross" rotate because the tires are directional. Anyone else have this issue? I brought it home and cross rotated them. It has had zero issues. I know the tires are asymmetrical and can be cross rotated? Any answers/comments?

01-05-2006, 03:26 AM	#8
vroomadoo Amateur STI Driver Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Spec C Fav Mod: Coming Soon Location: jacksonville fl Posts: 28 Join Date: Oct 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	This is funny. When my car was new it pulled to the left . Warrenty coverd the repair . I've never had another problem with anything on my car .I have now over 50K miles and besides getting my oil changed and regular maintaince everything has been perfect

01-05-2006, 03:31 AM	#9
woz Amateur STI Driver Car: 04 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: intake hack=free Location: Omaha, Ne Posts: 22 Join Date: Oct 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Check your tire pressure too

01-05-2006, 08:13 AM	#10
SoJDM.com Authorized JDM Vendor Fav Mod: Anything JDM; well alot of stuff anyway Posts: 1,543 Join Date: Nov 2005 Trader Rating: (18)	Uni-directional tires will clearly have that stated on the tire.

01-05-2006, 11:01 AM	#11
STI Nicholas Junior STI Driver Car: 06 SG STI Location: L.A., CA. Posts: 174 Join Date: Dec 2005 Trader Rating: (5)	Thanks for the info guys. I have already checked the tire pressures and tried to visually check the alignment. I have an appt. with Santa Monica Subaru on the 14th to have them look at it. Do Subaru's come with suspension blocks for the boat trip to the U.S.? I am thinking that they never aligned the car after removing the suspension blocks. I bought the car before it had been dealer inspected and still had the plastic on it and the radio and whatnot disconnected. Maybe they rushed the inspection process, because they only had less than one day to do it.

01-16-2006, 01:30 AM	#12
'05 STi Banned Car: '05 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Anything that enables me to go faster! Location: Maryland Posts: 839 Join Date: Dec 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	I had my tires rotated. The dealer said nothing to me about being directional tires.......

01-16-2006, 05:47 AM	#13
*wdb* dances with roads Posts: 5,021 Join Date: Apr 2005 Trader Rating: (8)	RE070's have an inside and an outside, but they are not directional. Opinions abound as to whether side-to-side rotation is a good or bad thing, but Subaru recommends front-to-rear only. Alignment is covered for free up to 12K miles if there is a problem. You're having a problem, so don't let the dealer dck around with you. A lot* of Subies leave the dealer with bad alignment. (I'm 2 for 2 so far.) Get it aligned.

01-16-2006, 07:28 AM	#14
denial512 Lurker Posts: 6 Join Date: Nov 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	I had a slight left pull when I first bought my 06. It turned out that the front left alignment was off, but the strange thing was that it was the camber that was screwing it up. The tech told me that STIs do not have adjustable cambers, and they had to untighten, move, then retighten somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 bolts. Even after they finished, they were in the 'green', but it could not be dialed in perfect 0s.