What Causes Wheel Misalignment?

When your Volkswagen came from the factory, its camber, caster, and toe angle were precisely aligned. Camber angle measures how far from zero degrees your wheels’ angle is when you look at your vehicle from the front or rear, while it refers to the same thing when the vehicle is seen from above or below. Caster angle refers to the angle of the steering pivot. Several things can majorly affect the alignment of your vehicle’s wheels. If you hit a curb or a pothole or have been in a fender bender, your alignment is likely to have been jolted out of whack. But it goes beyond that. Even daily driving will slowly drive the wheels out of alignment.

Are There Any Symptoms of Misaligned Wheels?

There are some notable symptoms of a car or SUV with poorly aligned wheels. You may feel your vehicle pulling to one side or the other as you drive down the road, even on straightaways. The steering wheel may be crooked, and you may even notice that your tires are wearing down unevenly. However, these are signs of severe misalignment. It’s better to have the alignment adjusted before it leads to these symptoms, which is why we also recommend regular alignment inspections.

How Bad Are Misaligned Wheels?

If the wheels on your Volkswagen aren’t aligned to factory specs, they can cost you money, make you more tired, and even put your life in danger. Constantly correcting your vehicle’s course is tiring, and you may not notice arm fatigue until your drive is over. If your tires are wearing down unevenly, your wallet will get lighter soon since the tires won’t last as long. And of course, if you constantly have to correct course, there’s a chance you may temporarily lose concentration. Even a moment’s loss of focus can cause your car to steer into a curb or the wrong lane.