Rep Power: 0

I posted this to the Wheels, Tires, and Brakes forum, thinking the problem might be the Firestones (for those of you who hate cross-posts, I apologize). People suggested wheel balancing or perhaps a bent rim. If anyone has any other ideas, before I return to the dealer, please let me know. thanks.

for the first 1500 miles, my 02 civic drove great. then my left front wheel hit a really huge pothole (at night)while turning to the left, and since then it "wanders" when i drive straight. i've had an alignment, and three trips to two dealers, who found nothing. they claimed the car was breaking-in. so in order to get it to drive in a straight line, at both slow speeds and highway speeds, i have to turn the steering wheel left and right a lot. but cornering is still tight. its still drivable, but about the worst driving car i've had. does anyone have any suggestions? i have 7k miles and 8 months on the car, and i don't want to screw up the warranty. thanks.

 
Rep Power: 0

When you took it to the dealer did you have them drive it on the highway and show them exactly what it was doing? If a dealer told me that it was "breaking In" I'd have laughed in his face and ask to talk to the head manager because thats total B.S. There is no breaking in of a front end, it either works correctly or it doesn't. Unfortunatly a alignment on a Civic can only adjust the toe-in and possibly the Camber, but the cause of wandering is caused by Caster and this can't be adjusted thanks to front Macpherson Struts. Its very possible that when you hit the pot hole you knocked the Caster out of spec, most likely because the strut was slightly bent. Now this is where you have a problem, do you tell the dealer that you hit a pot hole which would void any warrenty work? Or do you tell them its always been this way and they need to check the Camber and Caster settings. Its your call.

Also one other thing might cause this and thats the tires, have then rotated front to back, don't cross them, and see if the problem is still there, if it goes away after the rotation then you have a bad tire. (which of course would now be on the rear)

 
Rep Power: 0

If the caster can't be adjusted, then how would a caster problem be fixed? thanks

 
Rep Power: 0

They would either replace the strut or in some cases bend it back into place. Its rare that they would bend it back, it was a alginment procedure back in the mid 1980's but I think they phased that procedure out. So most likely the strut would be replaced, but i don't know if the dealer would do it under warrenty if they notice damage to the strut from the pothole. I'd still have the tires rotated first, just to make sure, because its a lot cheaper to do and very easy.

 
Rep Power: 0

i agree w/ solar, it sounds like something is bent in the front end, whether its a strut or something else i dont know.

 
Rep Power: 0

after calling 3 dealers one finally volunteered that Honda makes a caster kit which is covered under the 12,000 mile/12 month alignment warranty if an alighnment check shows the caster is out. I'll let y'all know if everything turns out as advertised.

 
Rep Power: 0

good deal