Is New Car Pulling to One Side Covered by the Three Guarantees?
3 Answers
New car pulling to one side is covered by the three guarantees. Below are the reasons for a new car pulling to one side: 1. Tire pressure: Uneven tire pressure between the left and right tires. Normally, the front and rear tire pressure is around 2.0-2.5, with the front tires possibly slightly lower. During prolonged driving, the contact area and force distribution of the left and right tires become uneven, leading to inconsistent tire pressure over time, causing the car to pull towards the side with lower tire pressure. The solution is to replenish the tire pressure. 2. Tire tread: Uneven wear on the left and right tire treads. Differences in steering and road surface conditions lead to varying tire wear. When one side's tread is excessively worn, its diameter becomes smaller, causing the car to pull towards that side. The solution, apart from replacing the tire, is to swap the front tire with the rear tire on the same side if it's a front tire. 3. Shock absorber: The shock absorber springs have varying degrees of metal fatigue, meaning the travel of the springs on both sides is inconsistent. One side being higher or lower causes the car body to tilt, leading to the car pulling to one side. 4. Brake system: Brake system malfunction, commonly known as uneven braking. If one side's brake caliper is not functioning properly and the brake pads do not fully retract, that wheel remains under braking while driving, also causing the car to pull to one side.
I know exactly how you feel, as I just helped my cousin deal with a similar issue last week. His brand-new car had a crooked steering wheel right from purchase, and the 4S store initially tried to blame it on road conditions. According to China's Three Guarantees policy, steering system misalignment is classified as a major safety performance failure. If the issue isn't resolved after two repair attempts within the 2-year or 50,000-kilometer warranty period, you're entitled to a refund or replacement. The key is to keep all maintenance records and ideally establish a repair file within 30 days of purchase. Don't believe mechanics who claim 'all new cars need a break-in period'—my cousin's car turned out to have a misaligned steering shaft from the factory. Remember, proper wheel alignment and straight tracking are fundamental factory requirements.
When we first got our SUV, it also pulled to the right. The 4S store said a wheel alignment would fix it, but after three adjustments, the tire tread was worn flat and the issue still wasn't fully resolved. Later, a knowledgeable friend told me that if there's a steering system defect present from the factory, according to the Three Guarantees Law, the owner has the right to request a vehicle replacement if the cumulative repair time for the same issue exceeds 35 days or if the number of repairs exceeds five. The key is to maintain detailed repair records within the warranty period—I took photos every time they logged the repairs in the system as evidence. However, dealing with alignment issues caused by damaged suspension components is more complicated, usually starting with the warranty repair process first.
