Why does my car pull to one side? Answers from Des Moines' best auto repair

A pull that shows up only under braking usually means one side is braking harder than the other. A common cause is a sticking brake caliper that keeps a pad dragging, or brake parts that have worn unevenly. A pull while cruising is more often alignment, tire pressure, or worn steering and suspension parts. Telling the shop which one you feel speeds up the diagnosis.

An alignment sets the angles of the wheels, but it cannot hold if the parts it adjusts are worn. Loose tie rod ends, ball joints, or bushings let the wheels move out of position again soon after. That is why the shop checks steering and suspension parts before measuring alignment, so the money you spend on an alignment lasts.

A pull wears tires unevenly and shortens their life, so you end up buying tires sooner. If the cause is worn steering parts, the car can also handle worse in an emergency move. A pull is worth checking soon, and right away if it came on suddenly, keeps getting worse, or happens when you brake.

Yes. A hard hit on a pothole or curb is one of the most common reasons a car starts to pull or the steering wheel sits crooked. Iowa potholes knock a lot of cars out of line every spring. A hard hit can also bend or wear steering and suspension parts, so it is worth having those checked along with the alignment.