Honda Car Forum

...Accord, 50K miles app The tires are pretty new. A tire rotation was done recently. An oil change is going to be done very soon. The car is slightly drifting to one side. This is my husband's car. I drive a Toyota and when I thought I needed an alignment, the service station told me that I didn't and I think they were right because I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. I have about 78K miles on it.Thank you for your answers.

(1) Anytime you replace your tires(2) Anytime you have suspension work done(3) Anytime you hit a pothole, curb, etcOther than that, it doesn't hurt to get one once a year.

Looking for irregular tire wear is one way. The easiest way though is to find a nice flat straight stretch of highway at a time when there is little traffic, with the car traveling between 55 and 65 mph, remove your hands from the steering wheel. A car with a proper wheel alignment and tire pressure will not drift left or right but stay straight on course. This is only meant to be a quick unofficial check of your alignment, if you have not had a mechanic inspect your front end suspension and alignment for any length of time( 2 years or 20,000 miles) it would be a good idea to have some preventative maintenance done. It will cost you less in the long run.

If your tires are cupping or wearing out on the inside or outside.( right/left top side of tire) That's a sure sign that you need a alignment. Look for cupping. Run your hans an you can feel that. You should rotate your tires as well.

a four wheel alignment is done when the front end was removed and replaced with new bushings, brakes, struts,tires , you will know you need an alignment when the wheels wobble.squeal/shake or wear in a funny pattern ( on the side/or middle or edges , ) if the tires are wearing out fast too is another way to tell, front wheel drive vehicles need the alignment more often especially with a manual transmission

You need an alignment when certain parts of the suspension are replaced, or when getting a new tie rod (also ball joints on some cars).Also, regular use can cause a car to go out of alignment, as well as hitting a curb or a pothole too hard.If you are experiencing steering difficulty, many shops offer free safety / suspension inspections. If I suspect I problem, I always get my next oil change at a shop that offers this service and have them check the car out while it's on their lift for the oil change.

If you're driving and you were to let go of the wheel going slowly and it's not windy.... if the car immediately starts to drift to one side, you need an alignment. Also, if you have to hold your steering wheel at an angle in order to go straight.

well for a start if you have done over the time of service if not ring honda and they will tell you when to take it in ,,but if the wheels are hard to turn or there is some shaking in the steering wheel then take it to yourr dealer !asp