M3 Steering Wheel off-center

[tangerine]

I just received delivery of my M3 and have been driving it for a couple of days and noticed that the steering wheel is off-center, meaning if the steering wheel is "straight" the car will pull left.

So in essence, I'm driving with the steering wheel pointed slightly right in order to drive straight.

Wondering if this is a common issue and if others have this fixed quickly by the SC?

 

[Jeff4155]

Any Wheel balancing place should be able to fix that for you.

 

[MountainPass]

Sounds like you could use an alignment!

 

[johnster007]

Yes alignment and the SC does that all day long. Easy fix. A vibration, bounce, or shake might indicate balancing but that doesn’t sound like your issue.

 

[TW14 9LF]

If the car tracks straight but the steering wheel isn't centered, alignment probably isn't the problem. The steering wheel needs to be centered. There may be something unique in the Model 3 steering system that can be adjusted to do that without removing the steering wheel. Now, if your car veers to the right or left when you let go of the wheel, then you have an alignment problem.

 

[beastmode13]

I just received delivery of my M3 and have been driving it for a couple of days and noticed that the steering wheel is off-center, meaning if the steering wheel is "straight" the car will pull left.

So in essence, I'm driving with the steering wheel pointed slightly right in order to drive straight.

Wondering if this is a common issue and if others have this fixed quickly by the SC?

I have the same problem but to the steering wheel is off counter clockwise by a few degrees. It was dead center when I took delivery, but within 100 miles of delivery got progressively off center by 5 degrees. The car track straight, but the steering wheel is off. SC recenter the steering wheel for me at 1000 miles.

 

[nexusone]

My ModelS has this problem. Eventually I'll make them fix it along with my list of several dozen other problems.

 

[Snerruc]

Very common Tesla problem. Personally I have never seen a Tesla steering wheel that was centered.

 

[Robert_Phoenix]

My M3 tracks perfectly straight with the stering wheel centered. Sounds like you need an alignment. They will adjust the left and right tie rods to make one longer and one shorter be equal amounts. This will center the steering wheel while retaining the straight-line tracking.

 

[tangerine]

I brought the M3 to one of the SCs close by my home and they acknowledged that the steering wheel is not aligned, however they did not do any service to the car because they said it was too "new" with only about 250 miles the car. The advisor recommended me to drive the car for another 1000 miles and said it would self-straighten.

Not sure if this would necessarily work and being my second Tesla, and have owned several cars, I've never seen a steering wheel self-align itself after driving it more but am open to trying to see if this would work...

 

[TWANGnBANG]

Mine was exactly like this, about 3-5 degrees off to the right of where the tires were actually pointing. I just had it adjusted at the Service Center because it was there for something else, and they said they have to do a full alignment to straighten it. They didn’t charge for this as they found that the car was in perfect alignment, so they know I didn’t hit anything. Word of warning, it is now way worse after them “fixing” it than before. If you can live with it, I suggest you do.

 

[Perry]

I just received delivery of my M3 and have been driving it for a couple of days and noticed that the steering wheel is off-center, meaning if the steering wheel is "straight" the car will pull left.

So in essence, I'm driving with the steering wheel pointed slightly right in order to drive straight.

Wondering if this is a common issue and if others have this fixed quickly by the SC?

I recently had my signaling stock replaced by mobile service and I saw them take out my steering wheel. I noticed that the wheel has teeth on both sides (the shaft and the wheel) and is being held by one center bold that is torqued to a given specification. Take it to the SC or mobile SC and they could pop that bolt in less than 5 minutes and realign the teeth and then retorque the bolt back. The teeth are fine (like about 15 per circle) so if you are out by just one tooth you would have the result described.

 

[VT_EE]

If the car tracks straight but the steering wheel isn't centered, alignment probably isn't the problem. The steering wheel needs to be centered. There may be something unique in the Model 3 steering system that can be adjusted to do that without removing the steering wheel. Now, if your car veers to the right or left when you let go of the wheel, then you have an alignment problem.

I asked a Ranger this question while he was installing a steering wheel on my 3 (which is definitely not adjustable). He stated a cockeyed steering wheel is resolved with an alignment. (mine was not cockeyed though).

 

[VT_EE]

Very common Tesla problem. Personally I have never seen a Tesla steering wheel that was centered.

Mine is perfectly centered and has been for the last 7800miles.

 

[VT_EE]

I recently had my signaling stock replaced by mobile service and I saw them take out my steering wheel. I noticed that the wheel has teeth on both sides (the shaft and the wheel) and is being held by one center bold that is torqued to a given specification. Take it to the SC or mobile SC and they could pop that bolt in less than 5 minutes and realign the teeth and then retorque the bolt back. The teeth are fine (like about 15 per circle) so if you are out by just one tooth you would have the result described.

I looked at the teeth when the Ranger was performing this replacement on mine. It is also notched and only goes on one way so the procedure you specified above will not work. I was curious about this crooked steering wheel issue as I've had it in other cars. The solution is actually an alignment.

 

[UngaBunga1989]

I just got mine back from the SC this week to resolve the same problem (steering wheel not centered when I received the car). It DOES require a full alignment at the SC to resolve the issue. They performed this service and now the steering wheel is perfectly centered.

 

[zhu-]

My car drives straight and can stay straight but the steering wheel was never centered.

 

[Jedi2155]

I kind of have a similar issue but mainly notice it during auto-pilot. Having it checked out during my current service visit. It tracks perfectly straight.

Has anyone noticed that the AP blue steering wheel is slightly crooked on straight roads or is it just me?

 

[coleAK]

Mine is the same. Tracks straight. Steering wheel is slightly off.

 

[Vines]

Mine is perfect both on the display, the steering wheel, and the tracking of the car. No issue in 8,600 miles.