My 04 WRX wagon has approx. 18000 miles on it. I heard that some have had alignment issues from the factory. Well, it seemed to me that the alignment was off just a little bit and my steering wheel was not centered. I brought it to the dealer because the radiator is leaking around the seams where it's clamped together. I also had them check the alignment. They said that the alignment was within spec. Of course they had to order a new radiator. I was wondering if it is possible that during the alignment process, that the whole steering wheel/column could be moved in any direction? In my case, it seems that the whole column was shifted to the left slightly. Am I losing my mind? Thanks for any help on this topic.

 

If you're talking about the steering wheel being off to the left when the car is tracking straight ahead, then yes, it is possible somebody messed this part up during the allignment. Most allignments call for the steering wheel to be positioned as close to (perceived) center as possible, then they should use a tool to lock the steering wheel in place while they go about alligning the wheels. Either the tool came loose while the allignment was being done and the wheel was allowed to shift a bit, or, the guy doing the job didn't give a crap enough to make sure your steering wheel was centered. Its probably annoying, but not serious. If your car drives straight, its best to get used to having a cocked steering wheel instead of paying for another allignment job just to fix such a small problem.

 

jcorrao sounds like the dealer just looked at the readings and assumed your alignment was ok. I would take it to an independent tire/alignment shop. Have them do the alignment and when the wheel is locked in the centered position ask them to bring you out to verify that the wheel is straight.

I did alignments for over 6 years and unless there is something seriously wrong any compentent alignment shop should be able to center your wheel. You may also what to check your air pressure. Also swap your front tires from the right to left. If the wheel is cocked the other way you may have a bad tire (broken belt). Hope this helps.

Anthony