2010 Sport's- Does your car pull to the right?

[saucyjak]

Mine was drifting right. They said the right tire was a bit low....it still pulled to right. They swapped the right and left tire. It is now straight as an arrow. What concerend me was WHY. Why would swapping ONLY the front tires correct the issue. Mechanis said if it pulled left he would of replaced tire. I had him document it in case I have an issue when I rotate tires.

 

Nothing much else I can do now as it drives perfect.

 

Is it normal for it to be so sensitive to the "lean" of the road?

[akirby]

Why would swapping ONLY the front tires correct the issue.

 

Obviously one of the front tires is bad/out of spec. Happens a lot.

[saucyjak]

They did not replace the tires just put the left on the right and vice versus

[akirby]

They did not replace the tires just put the left on the right and vice versus

 

The car is more prone to pull to the right anyway due to crown of most roads so putting a bad tire on the left side can negate the pull and make it go straight. It can also sometimes be a case where tolerances of the various components add up to cause a pull and changing one piece (the tire) cancels that out.

 

If swapping the tires fixed it then the problem is in the tire or wheel somewhere.

[fhwaske]

Hello I'm new to this forum and actually new to all forums in general as this is my first posting. If I'm not be in the correct spot then any help as to where I should post this would be greatly appreciated.

 

I just purchased a new 2011 Fusion sport. Before this I owned a 2008 SE. Loved the car but due to a unfortunate winter accident the insurance company now owns that car. After testing driving several cars, SUV's and Crossovers I did decide on another Fusion. I wanted to upgrade from the I4 to a V6 so I drove a SEL and the sport. I really liked the sport but noticed it pulled to the left when driving. I mentioned this to the dealer and went on figuring it just needed an alignment. After several test drives of different models with different packages I decided on a silver sport with with the 402a option package. The dealer I was working with didn't have the exact car I wanted on their lot but they were able to get one from a different dealer and have it transferred to them. As I was driving the car home I noticed that it pulled to the left just like the first sport I drove did. Not really a drift but a good pull on both of them. I took it back to have it aligned and was told by the service manager that all fusions are designed to pull to the left because of the crowning of the road. I asked him then why did all the other cars and Fusion I drove not pull to the left, but just the sport model. He had have a reply. They did check the alignment and even adjusted it a bit as well as moved tires around. That helped greatly as the car now just drifts to the left instead of pulling hard to the left.

 

The dealer claims there is nothing that can be done and its a factory setting. I'm concerned about tire wear as well as my old school belief that anything that takes me into oncoming traffic is a bad thing.

 

I'm curious if the dealer is right about cars being setup from the factory to pull to the left or if this could be an upper control arm or bad tire issue as discussed above. Has anyone else seen same issues? Also all the tires do have proper pressure in them.

 

Thanks for any suggestion.

[bbf2530]

Hello I'm new to this forum and actually new to all forums in general as this is my first posting. If I'm not be in the correct spot then any help as to where I should post this would be greatly appreciated.

 

I just purchased a new 2011 Fusion sport. Before this I owned a 2008 SE. Loved the car but due to a unfortunate winter accident the insurance company now owns that car. After testing driving several cars, SUV's and Crossovers I did decide on another Fusion. I wanted to upgrade from the I4 to a V6 so I drove a SEL and the sport. I really liked the sport but noticed it pulled to the left when driving. I mentioned this to the dealer and went on figuring it just needed an alignment. After several test drives of different models with different packages I decided on a silver sport with with the 402a option package. The dealer I was working with didn't have the exact car I wanted on their lot but they were able to get one from a different dealer and have it transferred to them. As I was driving the car home I noticed that it pulled to the left just like the first sport I drove did. Not really a drift but a good pull on both of them. I took it back to have it aligned and was told by the service manager that all fusions are designed to pull to the left because of the crowning of the road. I asked him then why did all the other cars and Fusion I drove not pull to the left, but just the sport model. He had have a reply. They did check the alignment and even adjusted it a bit as well as moved tires around. That helped greatly as the car now just drifts to the left instead of pulling hard to the left.

 

The dealer claims there is nothing that can be done and its a factory setting. I'm concerned about tire wear as well as my old school belief that anything that takes me into oncoming traffic is a bad thing.

 

I'm curious if the dealer is right about cars being setup from the factory to pull to the left or if this could be an upper control arm or bad tire issue as discussed above. Has anyone else seen same issues? Also all the tires do have proper pressure in them.

 

Thanks for any suggestion.

 

Hi fhwaske. :D First, welcome to theFord Fusion Forum.

 

Next, what the Service Manager told you is incorrect . The Fusion Sport (which still has hydraulic power steering assist, not electric) is not designed to "pull to the left because of the crowning of the road" or any other such nonsense. Ironically, we have had other owners tell stories of their Dealers informing them the car is "designed to pull to the right to keep the car out of oncoming traffic. So which is it? Well, neither.

 

However, there is a not entirely uncommon issue with the Fusion/Milan/MKZ cars where a particular suspension component (I forget which) is sometimes mismatched due to production tolerances. The fix is to replace it with a correctively sized one.

 

If you want to give that Service Department another shot, go ahead. Or take the car to another Ford or Lincoln Dealership and have them re-check your vehicle alignment and replace the correct components if necessary.

 

Let us know how you make out.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited February 28, 2011 by bbf2530

[drolds1]

Hello I'm new to this forum and actually new to all forums in general as this is my first posting. If I'm not be in the correct spot then any help as to where I should post this would be greatly appreciated.

 

I just purchased a new 2011 Fusion sport. Before this I owned a 2008 SE. Loved the car but due to a unfortunate winter accident the insurance company now owns that car. After testing driving several cars, SUV's and Crossovers I did decide on another Fusion. I wanted to upgrade from the I4 to a V6 so I drove a SEL and the sport. I really liked the sport but noticed it pulled to the left when driving. I mentioned this to the dealer and went on figuring it just needed an alignment. After several test drives of different models with different packages I decided on a silver sport with with the 402a option package. The dealer I was working with didn't have the exact car I wanted on their lot but they were able to get one from a different dealer and have it transferred to them. As I was driving the car home I noticed that it pulled to the left just like the first sport I drove did. Not really a drift but a good pull on both of them. I took it back to have it aligned and was told by the service manager that all fusions are designed to pull to the left because of the crowning of the road. I asked him then why did all the other cars and Fusion I drove not pull to the left, but just the sport model. He had have a reply. They did check the alignment and even adjusted it a bit as well as moved tires around. That helped greatly as the car now just drifts to the left instead of pulling hard to the left.

 

The dealer claims there is nothing that can be done and its a factory setting. I'm concerned about tire wear as well as my old school belief that anything that takes me into oncoming traffic is a bad thing.

 

I'm curious if the dealer is right about cars being setup from the factory to pull to the left or if this could be an upper control arm or bad tire issue as discussed above. Has anyone else seen same issues? Also all the tires do have proper pressure in them.

 

Thanks for any suggestion. .

 

 

Welcome. A word to the wise: take bbf2530's advice. Did you see this post above?

 

Find a dealer that knows what they're doing or go back to yours and insist on getting it fixed. I have a 2010 MKZ Sport and it goes straight as an arrow. Some roads do have a high crown, but the "crown" is in the the center of the road, for water runoff. If your car was following the crown it would drift right, not left, so there goes your SM's theory. A proper alignment compensates for the road crown:

 

A crowned road means that the outside/right hand side of the lane is lower than the left side of the lane. This improves the drainage of the road but adversely affects vehicle handling. Road crown must be compensated for in alignment settings because a vehicle driving on a crowned road leans to the right, causing some weight transfer to the right, and the camber changes slightly more positive. This combination creates a pull or drift to the right. Most alignment technicians adjust the vehicle with a slightly more positive camber, usually 1/4°, on the left to compensate for the road crown. This slightly more positive camber will not cause a noticeable pull when driving on a flat road. However, if camber is unequal from side to side with a difference greater than 1/2°, the vehicle will pull to the side with the most positive camber. If the specifications allow, 0° to ±.5° is usually best for tire life and vehicle handling.

[fhwaske]

Hello I'm new to this forum and actually new to all forums in general as this is my first posting. If I'm not be in the correct spot then any help as to where I should post this would be greatly appreciated.

 

I just purchased a new 2011 Fusion sport. Before this I owned a 2008 SE. Loved the car but due to a unfortunate winter accident the insurance company now owns that car. After testing driving several cars, SUV's and Crossovers I did decide on another Fusion. I wanted to upgrade from the I4 to a V6 so I drove a SEL and the sport. I really liked the sport but noticed it pulled to the left when driving. I mentioned this to the dealer and went on figuring it just needed an alignment. After several test drives of different models with different packages I decided on a silver sport with with the 402a option package. The dealer I was working with didn't have the exact car I wanted on their lot but they were able to get one from a different dealer and have it transferred to them. As I was driving the car home I noticed that it pulled to the left just like the first sport I drove did. Not really a drift but a good pull on both of them. I took it back to have it aligned and was told by the service manager that all fusions are designed to pull to the left because of the crowning of the road. I asked him then why did all the other cars and Fusion I drove not pull to the left, but just the sport model. He had have a reply. They did check the alignment and even adjusted it a bit as well as moved tires around. That helped greatly as the car now just drifts to the left instead of pulling hard to the left.

 

The dealer claims there is nothing that can be done and its a factory setting. I'm concerned about tire wear as well as my old school belief that anything that takes me into oncoming traffic is a bad thing.

 

I'm curious if the dealer is right about cars being setup from the factory to pull to the left or if this could be an upper control arm or bad tire issue as discussed above. Has anyone else seen same issues? Also all the tires do have proper pressure in them.

 

Thanks for any suggestion.

[fhwaske]

I will keep you informed and thanks for the advice and info. I will let you know what they say. So far I have not been impressed with the service depart there. Guess they are not use to people calling them on BS.

[fhwaske]

Update on the car pulling left. After a talk with the dealership owner and him going out to the service department with me. I left the car at the dealer last night. Called them over lunch to see if they found the problem. According the the tech the rear was out .5 deg but everything else is within spec and non adjustable. I going to test drive again tonight to check it out. Also figured I would have them print out the the alignment sheet to see what tolerance is allowed for both front and back.

[fhwaske]

Got the car back tonight. Still drifts to the left most of the time but is better. Does anyone know what the spec range is for an alignment and if changing the thrust line would help keep the car from drifting to the left. One curious thing about the way the car drive is if you set the wheel to the right by making a slight jerk to the right then it will go straight longer. Then trail off to the right. Dealer took out another Fusion sport with almost no miles on it and it performs the same way. I'm still wondering if this is normal for all 2011 fusion sports. I'm also wondering if the car needs to settle in some how and if I should wait a few thousand miles to see if it works it's self out.

[omelet1978]

Got the car back tonight. Still drifts to the left most of the time but is better. Does anyone know what the spec range is for an alignment and if changing the thrust line would help keep the car from drifting to the left. One curious thing about the way the car drive is if you set the wheel to the right by making a slight jerk to the right then it will go straight longer. Then trail off to the right. Dealer took out another Fusion sport with almost no miles on it and it performs the same way. I'm still wondering if this is normal for all 2011 fusion sports. I'm also wondering if the car needs to settle in some how and if I should wait a few thousand miles to see if it works it's self out.

 

I think this is a flaw in the Sport. My car does the same and I've had it aligned, replaced control arms, etc...I'm really pissed actually bc I paid 30k after taxes for a car that won't drive straight. First it started going right and now it's going left too.

 

I was told that it had a "sensitive frame", whatever that means. I also test drove another sport that did not drive straight either.

[Disturbed1]

I have a 2011 Sport AWD and it pulls to the right also , have to keep the wheel 3 to 4 degrees off center left for it to go straight.

[CT90GT]

I just picked up my 2010 Fusion Sport in Indiana last week. Drove it back to Connecticut over the weekend and had no problems with it pulling either way, nice and straight. Very happy with the car.

[Big Jim]

I pulled out my 2010 Ford Shop Manual to see what it had to say about alignment adjustments. It is not what I expected.

 

Front Toe is adjusted in the normal way, by adjusting the tie rod ends. Front Camber is not adjustable. Front Caster is adjusted by replacing the upper control arm or arms that have offset bushings. Upper control arms are built with a neutral setting, as installed by the factory, and in +0.4 or -0.4 degrees. The manual stresses that all other factors should be eliminated before changing the control arms.

 

Rear Toe is adjusted by adjusting the rear toe links. Rear Camber is adjusted by the use of a rear cam bolt that attaches to the rear lower control arm to the rear subframe. Rear Caster is not adjustable (actually it is not an angle of concern on rear suspension).

 

If you have a pull on a new car you should have it sorted out by the dealer. If it is not a tire problem, a simple alignment will not bring it into spec.

[Big Jim]

I forgot to mention, mine does not have a pull. It goes straight.

[FusionDiffusion]

Good info Jim, thanks for posting.

 

I just wanted to add that the caster specs are different on the left and right sides of the front suspension. Left is +3.75º and right is +4.25º I believe. Someone mentioned something about a left pull being designed into the suspension to compensate for road crown, which is why the caster angles are different. A car will always pull slightly to the side with the less positive caster angle. This is to compensate for a very slight road crown. When you drive on the right side of the road this equates to a right-hand pull, since gravity wants to pull your car the same direction as water running down to the shoulder.

 

So on a dead level surface (rare due to lack of water shedding) there will be a slight left pull, on a typically crowned road there shouldn't be hardly any pull, and on an excessively crowned road (which is moderately common) there will be a right pull while driving in the right lane. If the crown peaks between lanes, moving into the left lane will suddenly cause a left pull. Older roads tend to have more crown as the shoulders sinks with time, which increases the magnitude of the effects.

 

My car exhibits the behaviors noted above, which is "normal". A slight pull can be encountered from time to time, but once you take note of the amount of crown and prevailing wind it makes sense and becomes perfectly explainable. It's called steering feedback and is generally considered to be a good thing.

Edited March 10, 2012 by FusionDiffusion

[Big Jim]

The difference between the right and left side settings is referred to as split. It is a general rule in alignment for the right side to have more caster than the left due to road crown, and the general rule is .5 degree. A difference in camber can also be use to offset road crown, and sometimes it is necessary to use a little of both to get where you need to be. When using camber to offwet for road crown, the right side needs to be less and again the rule of thumb is .5 degree.

 

Although usually not as pronounced, rear alignment can cause a pull. If the front and rear toe are not coordinated there can be some pull cause by an excessive thrust angle. Uneven rear camber can also contribute to a pull.

 

Just for fun, I looked up the alignment specs and here they are:

 

Front

LH camber -0.03 +/- 0.75 degrees

RH camber same as LH

camber split 0 +/- 1.0 degrees

 

LH caster 3.75 +/- 1.0 degrees

RH caster 4.25 +/- 1.0 degrees

caster split -.5 +/- 1.0 degrees

 

Total front toe .20 +/- .20 degrees

(front individual RH and LH toe not specified in manual)

 

Rear

LH camber - 1.25 +/- .75 degrees

RH camber same as LH

camber split 0 degrees

 

Thrust angle 0 +/- 0.50 degrees

 

LH toe 0.12 +/- 0.12 degrees

RH toe same as LH

Total rear toe 0.24 +/- 0.20 degrees

 

Whenever you have an alignment, you should ask for a print-out so you can tell how they found it and how they left it. Leaving a car out of spec without telling you what was found is unconscionable. If there is something deeper than can be corrected by normal adjustments, the customer should be aware. If you have a print-out, your results can be posted and advice can be sought.