Steering Pull, What's Causing It?

[gjswaff]

My '09 GT's steering wants to pull sometimes to the left, but mostly to the right when accelerating or slow rolling over bumps in the road. It's gotten bad enough that even my wife noticed the other day. I have 2-month old tires on the front. The alignment was checked then and was OK. Is there a steering stabilizer on these Vibes? If feels just like when I had a 4-wheel drive truck with big tires, the steering wheel just pulls really hard on bumps, but not when braking. Or is this just the nature of the type of steering the Vibes are built with. This is my first front wheel drive car, and I thought maybe I just needed to get used to it, but my wife bought a Mazda 3 H/B and the steering is fine on her car. Any advice out there before I take to shop. I'd like to look at least a little bit like I know what I'm talking about when I bring it in.

[Kincaid]

If I understand correctly, it sometimes pulls when you are coasting? Or at least not accelerating? I would check the air pressure in the tires first if you haven't already. Not sure if the behavior could be tied to an alignment issue or not.

[XRVibe10]

I've experienced the same thing with my Base 2.4 with 17" wheels - the ruts in the road can take you on a bit of a trip - from what I've seen with the Vibes coming into my work, this is a bit of a normal operating characterstic, espically with the GT's with 18" wheels - Your Vibe has electric steering & can be influenced more than a hydraulic system with uneven, bumpy rut filled roads - as Kincaid mentioned make sure your tires pressures are correct if you have had everything checked out & its fine then there probably not much more you can do - I've done it a few times where I wasn't holding the steering wheel as tight as I should & hit the ruts in the roads from the trucks & I've almost kissed the curb - also with this being a front wheel drive there will be more influence with the weight of the engine, etc - The only other thing to do is have the dealership perform a calibration of the steering motor - sometimes if an alignment has been done & the steering was out quite a bit, it still thinks the zero position is somewhere else in relation from the steering wheel to the tires - when I've replaced steering columns I've had to perform a calibration set up to tell the module where centre & zero positions are - If it checks out ok it's most likey nature of the beast - good luck, hope this helps a bit

[gjswaff]

Yes, it pulls to the right usually under 20MPH just after but not while braking, but this morning I noticed it pulling to the left when braking. Tire pressure is good. If was an alignment issue I would think that it would pull all the time but it pulls randomly, not all the time. I kind almost think my right side brake caliper is sticking. Either not closing when braking, causing it to pull to the left, and/or not releasing when it pulls the right. I guess it's time to take in. Some things are better left to the professionals, that is if I can find one.

[09vGT]

Its the ruts. I had a similar questions a few years ago. I've had my Vibe 4 years with three sets of tires and it always does it. Sometime rather violently, depending on how I hit the rut (i.e. turning left and crossing three lanes of a badly rutted road.

Just hang on tight!

[gjswaff]

XRVibe10,
Does this have anything to do with that rattle I'm hearing in my steering column? I had no rattle and the car drove just fine until I took a trip to Texas in August. Both issues (the steering pull and the rattle) seemed to start happening simultaneously after that trip, and both are getting worse. The streets in Ft Worth were so beat up, about the worse I ever seen. Coincidence or related?

[hotbug1776]

Torque... Massive amounts of torque. That's your problem. LOL

[gjswaff]

XRVibe10,
And one more thing, if I take this in to get checked out, would I be better off taking it to a Toyota dealer or a (Former Pontiac) GMC/Buick dealer. I've had this '09 GT with only 42,000 miles since late June and up till now haven't had any problems. I'd like to take it in just once for this problem and be done with it. I ask because you seem quite knowledgeable about the Vibes.

[09vGT]

XRVibe10,
And one more thing, if I take this in to get checked out, would I be better off taking it to a Toyota dealer or a (Former Pontiac) GMC/Buick dealer. I've had this '09 GT with only 42,000 miles since late June and up till now haven't had any problems. I'd like to take it in just once for this problem and be done with it. I ask because you seem quite knowledgeable about the Vibes.

I can say call ahead. I called my local Toyota dealer and when asked about my car, he responded, "I don't work on no Pontiac's".

[Nasmfell]

XRVibe10,
And one more thing, if I take this in to get checked out, would I be better off taking it to a Toyota dealer or a (Former Pontiac) GMC/Buick dealer. I've had this '09 GT with only 42,000 miles since late June and up till now haven't had any problems. I'd like to take it in just once for this problem and be done with it. I ask because you seem quite knowledgeable about the Vibes.

Probably GM dealer, though they may have "tossed out" the parts to work on it as well, since Pontiac and Vibe are no more.

[Nasmfell]

XRVibe10,
And one more thing, if I take this in to get checked out, would I be better off taking it to a Toyota dealer or a (Former Pontiac) GMC/Buick dealer. I've had this '09 GT with only 42,000 miles since late June and up till now haven't had any problems. I'd like to take it in just once for this problem and be done with it. I ask because you seem quite knowledgeable about the Vibes.

Probably GM dealer, though they may have not want to work on it as well, since Pontiac and Vibe are gone and the mechanicals are Toyota. Good luck

[XRVibe10]

The rattle in the steering column is just coincidence - I've mentioned in a few posts about noise from the steering column (same noise issue that the cobalts & pursuits/G5 suffered from) - I put 4 columns in my car for noise issues but to just have them return - the rough roads with the lower profile tires make things worse & with winter approaching & temps getting cooler the noise gets worse - the noise I wouldn't worry about (Toyota has a bulletin about I-Shaft concerns, I may give this a try when I have some free $$$) - Like 09vGT said, ruts are not your friend - as for taking it to a dealer, if you have one you prefer to deal with take it there - I was @ a Pontiac Buick GMC dealer when Pontiac was cut from the lineup & now I'm @ a Chevrolet Cadillac dealer - depends on where you are you may have to go to a former Pontiac dealer (for warranty that is) as some Chevrolet dealers are blocked by GM for performing work on certain Pontiacs (we are able to work on all Pontiacs @ my work except the G8 for some weird reason) - if your out of warranty any dealer can look @ your vehicle and advise you from there - some Toyota dealers are funny about working on Vibes for some reason (even though it is there vehicle) so you may have to call around to see if any are willing to help you out if you choose to go that route - Hope this helps out some more - let us know if they find anything

[gjswaff]

XRVibe10,
Thanks again! I filed a claim with my extended warranty company, just in case, and will look for a service dept somewhere that is not only willing to, but knowledgeable enough to work on my Vibe.

[Nasmfell]

The rattle in the steering column is just coincidence - I've mentioned in a few posts about noise from the steering column (same noise issue that the cobalts & pursuits/G5 suffered from) - I put 4 columns in my car for noise issues but to just have them return - the rough roads with the lower profile tires make things worse & with winter approaching & temps getting cooler the noise gets worse - the noise I wouldn't worry about (Toyota has a bulletin about I-Shaft concerns, I may give this a try when I have some free $$$) - Like 09vGT said, ruts are not your friend - as for taking it to a dealer, if you have one you prefer to deal with take it there - I was @ a Pontiac Buick GMC dealer when Pontiac was cut from the lineup & now I'm @ a Chevrolet Cadillac dealer - depends on where you are you may have to go to a former Pontiac dealer (for warranty that is) as some Chevrolet dealers are blocked by GM for performing work on certain Pontiacs (we are able to work on all Pontiacs @ my work except the G8 for some weird reason) - if your out of warranty any dealer can look @ your vehicle and advise you from there - some Toyota dealers are funny about working on Vibes for some reason (even though it is there vehicle) so you may have to call around to see if any are willing to help you out if you choose to go that route - Hope this helps out some more - let us know if they find anything

Vibe really is a GM product. Only Toyota parts are the drivetrain, the rest is all GM.

[leemur]

Vibe really is a GM product. Only Toyota parts are the drivetrain, the rest is all GM.

That just isn't quite so. Pretty much the entire interior other than the button in the center of the steering wheel is toyota.

I got a grin a couple months ago when I looked into an 01' toyota Celica and found the 03-08 steering wheel in it. OEM.

[Nasmfell]

Vibe really is a GM product. Only Toyota parts are the drivetrain, the rest is all GM.

That just isn't quite so. Pretty much the entire interior other than the button in the center of the steering wheel is toyota.

I got a grin a couple months ago when I looked into an 01' toyota Celica and found the 03-08 steering wheel in it. OEM.

Maybe so, but what name is on the inside page of the Service manual

[hotbug1776]

One of mine says Toyota, the other says Pontiac. I buy 99% of my parts from Toyota suppliers for the same year Corolla and Matrix. This is mostly due to the aftermarket for the Vibe being nil, and the aftermarket for the Corolla and Matrix being plentiful. That and every part on the car except for the parts that make it a "Vibe" all say "Toyota" on them

Vibe really is a GM product. Only Toyota parts are the drivetrain, the rest is all GM.