Need advice on possible suspension problem

[DubiousDan]

My wife's car, 2016 Nissan Versa, pulls hard to the left under hard acceleration and of course goes back to the right when you let off the gas. I've read online that it is either tire inflation, alignment or suspension.

Tires are new and properly inflated

We've had the alignment checked/done 2x

The lower control arms were replaced a while back before the alignment was done.

As I said I read online that the suspension could be the problem but it wasn't specific. Did they mean struts or something else?

 

[jrbfishn]

Check the motor mounts as well.

Sent by an idjit coffeeholic from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

That sounds like you're dealing with torque steer. It's pretty common in FWD cars due to the difference in length between your left and right wheel drive shafts. Your left drive shaft is shorter and can deliver more torque to the wheel than your right side, longer shaft. I've heard some dealerships can give you a two-piece right side shaft to correct this issue. The outside part of the two piece shaft is the same length as your left side shaft, and the inner part of the shaft acts like an extension of your transmission. The replacement won't be considered a warranty repair, but should be covered under warranty after they do it.

Or you can just ease up on the acceleration.

 

[Dougw1515]

My wife's car, 2016 Nissan Versa, pulls hard to the left under hard acceleration and of course goes back to the right when you let off the gas. I've read online that it is either tire inflation, alignment or suspension.

Tires are new and properly inflated

We've had the alignment checked/done 2x

The lower control arms were replaced a while back before the alignment was done.

As I said I read online that the suspension could be the problem but it wasn't specific. Did they mean struts or something else?

Is this a new problem or has it always been this way?

 

[DubiousDan]

Is this a new problem or has it always been this way?

Started several months ago.

 

[TipBledsoe]

I'd be inclined to think it's a suspension/steering problem. There's likely a bushing somewhere that is shot. When you accelerate, the toe-in goes toward toe-out,; when you let off to do a constant speed or accelerate the toe-in returns toward toe-in.
I would jack up one front tire off the ground and see if there's toe-in play (movement). Or take the car to a different alignment shop and be sure they're aware of your problem so they know to take a closer look at it.

 

[Dougw1515]

Raise the hood then with the engine in drive, emergency brake applied, foot brake applied - Then have someone inside the car gradually apply the throttle while you're on the outside watching the engine. You will be looking to see if the engine lifts abnormally high on one side. If it does't conduct the same test with the transmission in reverse. You are checking for weak/broken motor mounts.

 

[MacZC7]

You could be getting more torque on one CV shaft than the other. Basically what Shotgun Jeremy post but it could be some sort of transmission issue or something.

 

[Fishkiller]

Sell or trade before it cost you a ton of money.

 

[FireInTheWire]

2016 Nissan Versa problems

The 2016 Nissan Versa has 103 problems & defects reported by Versa owners. The worst complaints are transmission, steering, and AC / heater problems.

www.carcomplaints.com

 

[MacZC7]

2016 Nissan Versa problems

The 2016 Nissan Versa has 103 problems & defects reported by Versa owners. The worst complaints are transmission, steering, and AC / heater problems.

www.carcomplaints.com

RUN IT INTO A RIVER

 

[G O B]

You have bushing that crumbled. If you had suspension work done, that is most likely where the problem is.
DO NOT TAKE IT BACK TO THE SHOP THAT JUST
SCREWED YOU!

 

[Brains]

Sounds like a bad tie rod end.

 

[Sasquatch]

You did control arms, but sounds like not the struts? If control arms went bad, chances are the struts should've been done at the same time. I have a 2016 Toyota van, did all new front suspension this year because the bushings on the control arms were going bad, and the struts were shot. The bad struts made it *seem* like I had alignment issues, as they were wearing a newish set of tires way too fast.

I wound up doing new struts, arms, and tires before leaving Oregon, and had it aligned down here (didn't wind up having time to have it aligned up there, but it wasn't too bad when we got down here and didn't adversely wear the tires)

Could also be torque steer, FWD vehicles are kind of notorious for that - and like others said you could also have motor mount issues.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Seeing as how this only started happening recently, wouldn't that remove torque steer from the equation?

 

[Sasquatch]

Seeing as how this only started happening recently, wouldn't that remove torque steer from the equation?

COuld be getting worse as parts wear out

 

[ZX9RCAM]

COuld be getting worse as parts wear out

Of course, but it's would be the parts which need to be replaced, not torque steer.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Seeing as how this only started happening recently, wouldn't that remove torque steer from the equation?

As long as it's a car he's been driving for a while and he's used to getting heavy on the gas, then yes. From there, something is causing the vehicle to lean a bit more on offending side during heavy acceleration, which could be a number of the suggestions mentioned here. It'd be easier just to find a shop that would be willing to give it a quick look over.

 

[satx78247]

My wife's car, 2016 Nissan Versa, pulls hard to the left under hard acceleration and of course goes back to the right when you let off the gas. I've read online that it is either tire inflation, alignment or suspension.

Tires are new and properly inflated

We've had the alignment checked/done 2x

The lower control arms were replaced a while back before the alignment was done.

As I said I read online that the suspension could be the problem but it wasn't specific. Did they mean struts or something else?

Dubious Dan,

ImVho, you should get at least TWO inspections of the front end & of the motor mounts, too.

On my OLD Mitsubishi LS with FWD, I had "problems" & took it to a shop that told me that the ENTIRE front suspension system was "worn out & NEEDS immediate replacement".
(I was born at night but NOT last night, so I took it to a different shop for a "second opinion".)

The second shop told me in writing that ALL that was necessary (anytime soon) was replacing the two outside tie rods.

156.20 cents later, including 55.oo in parts/supplies, the old SUV is working FINE once more.

yours, satx

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I've seen that scenario play out two ways:

Either the first shop caught things the second shop didn't...

Or the first shop is being dishonest.

Did either shop bring you under your vehicle and show you why they said what they did? It really could go either way.