Why does my steering wheel pull or turn by itself?
Power steering malfunctions can cause the steering wheel to automatically jerk or pull hard in one direction while the engine is running, making it nearly impossible to steer the other way. This sudden loss of control prevents safe driving and can also cause the steering wheel to shake visibly when let go before pulling to the side.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Turn off the engine to disable power steering so the wheel can be turned with forceDid this help you?
- 2Get a tow to a repair shopDid this help you?
- 3Checking or adjusting vehicle alignmentDid this help you?
- 4Checking for a shifted belt in one of the front tiresDid this help you?
- 5getting it checked outDid this help you?
- 6replacing the power steering pumpDid this help you?
- 7replacing the suction side o-ringDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“when i don't have any of my hands over the steering wheel, it starts shaking, not very violently, but shakes quite visibly and after like 5 seconds starts to steer right”source ↗
“When the engine is running the car will just turn left and I cannot for love or money turn right.”source ↗
“when i don't have any of my hands over the steering, it starts shaking, not very violently, but shakes quite visibly and after like 5 seconds starts to steer right, so do i need to go check and get the alignment straight, or is this some other issue?”source ↗
“After my car has warmed up a bit, when I slow down and start to turn my power steering starts to go out.”source ↗
“My car's steering did this exact thing whenever I'd pull into a spot after a long drive. The wheel wouldn't turn without a fight and it'd make this awful groaning noise that was embarrassing as hell.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 8Why is my steering wheel shaking and wobbling by itself?
- 2Power steering goes out when it rains
- 6Why is my steering stiff after a CV axle replacement?
- 18Why is my steering wheel making noise when turning?
- 2Why do I keep losing power steering while driving?
- 9Why does my car jerk and whine when accelerating around a turn?