If the sterring wheel is still not centered once they do a mechanical alginment, there is a procedure in the FSM that they do that centers the steering wheel. An easy fix for the dealer.

 

Well went to the dealer here in Cerritos, CA yesterday and got some bad news. Looks like the steering column itself was built crooked. It has a slight angle to it, like maybe a 2 degree clockwise rotation to it, which is what I thought but didn't want to believe. The alignment is fine because the car drives straight if you keep your hands off the wheel and the steering wheel looks to be centered. It's the fact that the column itself is crooked that makes the steering wheel look off center. The tech I spoke to, Scott, was pretty nice guy. He saw the problem, but recommended that I not do anything about it because to fix the problem required them to pretty much take apart the entire column to try to tweak it. He said he would try if we wanted him to, but it would not be a good idea to take apart a brand new car like that. They would have to get pretty far down the column to adjust all the bolts holding the whole thing in place. He said it's not possible to just play with the plastic molding around the column because it fits very snug around the column itself. Any attempt to just twist the plastic would leave a gap somewhere else. I agreed because I really don't want anyone to take apart all those parts. Things never get put back right by human hands once it's all take apart. I have a 06 TL that has a slight occasional rattle coming from somewhere inside the dash that I just learned to deal with because I wasn't going to have the dash taken apart to look for a rattle. I may just have to try to forget about the whole thing. It's just kind of hard because I'm an attention to details person and I can't help but stare at the crooked steering wheel while I'm driving...haha. My girlfriend on the other hand didn't even notice until I pointed it out...and she drives it daily! Maybe they just don't want to deal with fixing it? It does seem like a pretty difficult thing to rotate a steering column but then again I'm not a mechanic. I don't know if there are any other solutions. Not like the dealer is going to give me a new car cause this one was built crooked. Might just be stuck with this. I'll try to get some pics up. Still kinda new to the forums. I don't know how to put up pics yet. Thanks for your inputs.

 

there is no reason you should have to accept a bent steering column in your brand new $40,000 car, I say make them fix it...

I am the same way not really wanting to mess with interiors, after my experience with my previous vehicle, but I took the center console out of the infiniti and it went back together perfectly

 

Mike P:

I know steering needs to be realigned every once in a while as normal maintenance. I've already had to have my TL realigned twice now in the last 45k miles. I know I hit a pothole really hard the first time. Not sure why it was off the 2nd time. What I meant is I've never seen a car built with a crooked steering column before...especially a luxury car? As for the interior being taken apart, that's what the technician told me would be done, which is why I am hesitant to have them fix it. He threw out words that you mentioned like tow, cast, and camber, which unfortunately I know nothing about. But he said that they would have to take apart the steering column from the inside too to try to shift it and the plastic may not realign property after that. If it's only from under the car I would definitely have them try to fix it. Maybe I should get a second opinion? I'm gonna try to get some pics in to post. Thanks for your input.

On a side note, you have a coupe AND a sedan?!?! Actually I wanted to buy the coupe myself and my gf thought it was ridiculous for us to have a sedan and coupe of the same car...haha. I'm gonna have to show her your avatar pic!

 

sounds like a raw deal man. They should replace the steering column...put everything back together and make it like new. No reason you should have this issue. Disregard the price we pay for these cars...even if it was a Yugo I would demand they correct it and make everything right.