Signs You Need a Wheel Alignment

1. Your Car Pulls to One Side

The most obvious sign. On a flat, straight road, let go of the steering wheel briefly — a properly aligned car should drive straight or drift very gently. If it pulls clearly to the left or right, your alignment is almost certainly off.

Note: if your car pulls only when braking, that's more likely a brake issue. Bring it in for a check either way.

2. Your Steering Wheel Is Off-Centre

When driving in a straight line, your steering wheel should be perfectly centred — the logo in the middle of the wheel should be level. If it sits at an angle even when you're going straight, that's a strong sign of a toe or caster alignment issue.

3. Uneven Tyre Wear

This is the most expensive consequence of bad alignment. If one edge of your tyre tread is significantly more worn than the other, alignment is usually the cause:

• Excessive inner edge wear — negative camber or toe-in problem
• Excessive outer edge wear — positive camber or toe-out problem
• Feathering (sawtooth wear pattern) — toe misalignment

Run your hand across the tread from side to side — if one edge feels sharper or more worn, it needs attention.

4. Loose or Wandering Steering

If your steering feels vague, loose, or like it requires constant small corrections to drive in a straight line, alignment may be the cause. This is often described as the car "wandering" rather than tracking confidently.

5. After Hitting a Pothole, Kerb or Speed Bump Hard

A sharp impact — especially to just one wheel — can knock your alignment out immediately. If you've had a significant pothole incident and your car hasn't driven quite the same since, get it checked. Don't wait until you notice tyre wear.

6. After New Tyres or Suspension Work

Any time suspension components are replaced — springs, shocks, control arms, track rod ends — the alignment should be reset afterwards. Similarly, fitting new tyres to a misaligned car is a waste of money, as the tyres will wear unevenly from day one. We check alignment as part of every tyre fit.

How Often Should You Get Wheel Alignment Checked?

Most manufacturers recommend checking alignment every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first — or any time you notice one of the signs above. It's a small cost that protects your tyres (which are expensive) and keeps your car safe.

What Happens If You Ignore Wheel Alignment Problems?

Misalignment doesn't fix itself — it gets worse over time. The consequences of ignoring it include:

• Premature tyre wear — a significantly misaligned car can halve the life of a set of tyres, costing you hundreds of pounds sooner than necessary
• Higher fuel costs — tyres scrubbing sideways create more rolling resistance, which the engine has to overcome
• Reduced safety — impaired handling and longer stopping distances, especially in an emergency
• Suspension wear — tyres and suspension components work against each other, accelerating wear on joints, bushes and bearings

Does Wheel Alignment Affect Fuel Economy?

Yes — measurably. When your wheels aren't perfectly parallel, they resist rolling forward and force the engine to work harder. Studies suggest misalignment can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 10%. At current fuel prices, a £40 alignment check can pay for itself in fuel savings within a few months of regular driving.

What Does Wheel Alignment Cost in Ashford?

At Salek Tyre & Mechanic, alignment is priced from £40 for 2-wheel (front axle) and £65 for 4-wheel. The job usually takes 30–45 minutes. We include an alignment check with every tyre fitting as standard — because putting new tyres on a misaligned car is money wasted from day one.