Wheel Alignment

[Skivvy]

So ever since I picked up my MY w/performance package, I've noticed the steering wheel is a bit off and Tesla won't do anything because of the pandemic since it's not a safety issue (debatable).

Well fast forward a couple months and a wild curb jumped out into the middle of the road! I trashed the uberturbines which i was going to replace anyway, no real loss there. I replaced the wheels with some Tsportlines. Fantastic company by the way.

Now i've got an issue with the steering wheel being off center and tilted to the left. The car drives straight aside from the cockeyed wheel. No other observable issues.

So now the real question, anyone in Orlando area found a place that will do an alignment on these things? Everyone is TERRIFIED to go near a Tesla, and the service center has basically told me i have to wait until they get back to me because it's not a safety issue (again extremely debatable)

OR if you know of a place that does it near you, or you know the proper specs that i could give to a small shop that has the chutzpah to do it, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[shanerpark]

Hello - I actually had a similar issue. I felt my car was always steering slightly to the right. As part of the due bill I asked the Tesla mechanic to take a look at the wheel alignment. Here was their response: "Test drove vehicle on road with no road crown, vehicle does not pull in any direction. Verified all within spec and vehicle drives as intended"

The funny thing is - I think they put the steering wheel back and it's working perfectly. Maybe you can do the same thing? Hope this helps.

 

[destructure00]

Everyone is TERRIFIED to go near a Tesla

This is so dumb, the steering and suspension is nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[DDrawer]

Yeah, honestly it's a super easy fix, it just involves loosening two bolts on a threaded rod under the nose of the car, turning it slightly (which moves your steering wheel), and then tightening those bolts back up. Any mechanic or DIY person with a floor jack could fix that for you, no need for them to be scared.

 

[Skivvy]

well i drove it probably ten or fifteen miles and i get some howling now, definitely tire noise, and it does pull to the right but not drastically. What can i tell these shops that are trying to say "oh it has to be hooked up to a supercomputer and have all the sensors calibrated and Elon has to bless it with Tesla holy water"

 

[VT_EE]

I don't understand why your SC is telling you they won't do alignments. I've had one done in Maryland using their touches drop off/pick up. There is no risk.

 

[Skivvy]

I don't understand why your SC is telling you they won't do alignments. I've had one done in Maryland using their touches drop off/pick up. There is no risk.

They're starting to do them now but right after delivery they basically said due to the county orders, they weren't doing anything that wasn't a "safety issue"

 

[thewhitewhy]

I've got the same problem. The car appears to be driving straight, but the steering wheel is tilted to the right. I've got a service appointment Tuesday to correct this (among other issues). Hopefully they fix it.

 

[VT_EE]

I've got the same problem. The car appears to be driving straight, but the steering wheel is tilted to the right. I've got a service appointment Tuesday to correct this (among other issues). Hopefully they fix it.

Tell them you want it dead-centered and that off-angle wheel drives you crazy. It's an easy fix for Tesla.

 

[NJ_M3P]

I have this on a 2020 M3P I picked up just before the lockdown here in the UK. The steering wheel is about 10-15 degrees off centre and pointing to the left when I’m driving in a straight line..

The car was in at Tesla yesterday and they’re refusing to do the alignment unless I pay (£250). They have told me such issues are not covered by the warranty and I should have reported it within 100 miles. Presumably because they could argue I’ve had a chat with a curb and created the misalignment. Thing is, the dealer I picked the car up from was over a 100 miles away so I’d already done over the mileage by the time I pulled onto my driveway for the 1st time.

I have refused to pay myself and Tesla have been in touch with the fleet manager at my company to ask them to pay (which they have also said no). However, my view is that Tesla need to sort this out as the manufacturer. I noticed the steering wheel was not on straight about 1 week in but couldn’t get it sorted due to lockdown. I logged it about a month ago and it went in yesterday but now I’m stuck and they won’t do the the work.

The service advisor I’m dealing with said he will escalate next week. Does anyone have any advice? I don’t think it’s acceptable for a new car to have a steering this far out of alignment.

Cheers
Nick

 

[egoodro85]

So ever since I picked up my MY w/performance package, I've noticed the steering wheel is a bit off and Tesla won't do anything because of the pandemic since it's not a safety issue (debatable).

Well fast forward a couple months and a wild curb jumped out into the middle of the road! I trashed the uberturbines which i was going to replace anyway, no real loss there. I replaced the wheels with some Tsportlines. Fantastic company by the way.

Now i've got an issue with the steering wheel being off center and tilted to the left. The car drives straight aside from the cockeyed wheel. No other observable issues.

So now the real question, anyone in Orlando area found a place that will do an alignment on these things? Everyone is TERRIFIED to go near a Tesla, and the service center has basically told me i have to wait until they get back to me because it's not a safety issue (again extremely debatable)

OR if you know of a place that does it near you, or you know the proper specs that i could give to a small shop that has the chutzpah to do it, it would be greatly appreciated!

As a Mercedes Benz Master Technician I can tell you that Mercedes policy is that if you have any impact damage they recommend replacing the whole steering rack. Most cars these days are electric steering and with any impact it can have serious problems that may not show its self right away.

 

[Skivvy]

As a Mercedes Benz Master Technician I can tell you that Mercedes policy is that if you have any impact damage they recommend replacing the whole steering rack. Most cars these days are electric steering and with any impact it can have serious problems that may not show its self right away.

You're probably right but luckily they repaired it and got everything sorted. They basically wrote up the service order saying that everything was to Tesla spec so I'm off the hook for any future nonsense .However it was way out of alignment when I got it back. Took it to Firestone and got it dialed in for $100.

The mobile service tech that I've dealt with (who is AMAZING) let me in on several goings on. They're basically half assing everything just to get cars out. It's basically what I figured all along. If you don't make a stink and become a "Karen" you're not going to get anywhere.

He recommends posting to Twitter constantly and physically going to the service center and demanding service. It doesn't look good when you loudly complain in the showroom