New 2008 Prius - Perfect, Except Steering Wheel Not Centered!

Kizzy,

That's good news! I'm going to have to do the same for my 2007 Prius before the alignment warranty runs out in February. I don't know if my alignment is off or not, but ever since I drove off the dealer's lot, my steering wheel has to be turned slightly to the right in order to stay on a straight line.

 

I noticed the same minor problem with my steering wheel during a ~150km trip. Mine is slightly off to the left.
I will call the dealer to make an appointment as soon as possible.

Thanks Bear for the info about telling them that this is NOT an alignment issue.

 

No Problem! BTW most dealers should now have the newer Hunter Laser type alignment machines which are incredibly accurate and ALMOST (but not quite) idiot proof! Even our most "out to lunch" type employees can handle getting a steering wheel straight with little effort.

 

I had my Prius aligned because the steering wheel was cocked to the right. It's fine now. A lot of people have reported this problem, but it's not clear what's causing it. They're fine after being realigned, so either they're not aligned correctly at the factory, or something in the trans-Pacific shipping is throwing them out of alignment.

 

I plan to do the same before my alignment warranty runs out. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Keep in mind that all Prii come from Japan and are TIGHTLY strapped down on the ships. Also, even a somewhat minor whack of a pothole can throw an alignment slightly out. Over time, multiple impacts can add up and cause the alignment to be substantially out. And yes, I know that toe adjustments are made by moving the tie rod ends in or out and they have locknuts to prevent unintentional movement, but they can also be slightly bent as can other components by impacts. We usually recommend an alignment check at least once a year.

 

Just wanted to let everyone know that yesterday I finally got my dealer to correct the alignment of my Prius as required by the Toyota Service Bulletin on the subject and the 2007 and 2008 Prius Warranty pamphlets.

What a difference!!! I noticed the difference within 50 feet of slowly driving away from the dealer's service bay. The steering is still sensitive and numb with very little feedback. But that "squirrely" feel that a lot of us have associated with the Prius' steering -- it (or most of it anyway) was gone. Now I hope there will be some gain in mpg.

 

Just a little side note here..... Years back, (pre 9-11) whenever techs were sent to Jacksonville for training classes at the port, we were allowed to wander certain areas of the "Land of Toyotas". Imagine Disney World's parking lot with nothing but brand new Toyotas as far as the eye could see. Anywho... There was a line of cars set off to one side on one of my trips there. The guy teaching our class told us that the ship had been caught in a major storm. One of the cars had broken loose in the hold and proceeded to tumble wildly. The result was enough to turn your stoumach. Some of those cars looked like Godzilla had been playing "SmashUp Derby".

Too bad security has gotten to the point we can't even get close anymore.....