Q: Steering pulls to the left, dangerous problem to have
I drive a 2013 Kia Optima that may be trying to kill me. This car (a pretty new one at that!) has only 25,000 miles on it. The steering has always been a little tricky, and you can’t really get too comfortable at highway speed because you always need to adjust the wheel. Now the thing is pulling to the left very noticeably and I am worried it will cause an accident. What is the issue here?
This seems to be a fairly common problem with the 2013 Optima. It may be caused by incorrect calibration of the Steering Angle Sensor or it may be related to a mechanical issue with the suspension or tires. I would recommend making an appointment with a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, to scan the electronic steering system for codes, perform a suspension inspection to check for damaged or mis-aligned parts and rotate the tires to try and eliminate “radial pull” as the cause. It is also possible that the vehicle is set-up with the “soft” steering setting from the factory. There is a way to reset the steering system to “sport” or “high effort” steering. This may help solve the problem and should definitely be done by a qualified mechanic. The local dealer or mechanic can also check for 2011 TSB 032 (Drift/pull issue). Originally for 2011 MY vehicles, this may still apply to 2013 models.
Get an instant quote for your car
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing