Comeback After Alignment With Off-Center Steering and TPMS Light
Two days after a 60,000 km service and four-wheel alignment, a customer returns a 2021 SUV. The steering wheel sits 10–15° left when the vehicle tracks straight, and the TPMS light came on after 20 km. The job card shows alignment performed, toe set to specification, a 3 km road test, and a final inspection signed by the technician. Tire pressures were recorded as 32, 32, 32, and 33 psi; the door label specifies 35 psi. No before/after alignment printout is attached. The SUV has 19-inch wheels and tires installed at another shop 1,500 km ago. The customer is angry, says the dealer damaged the car, and demands a refund and a written report. The service manager must decide whether to release the vehicle after a quick test drive or keep it for inspection.
1. What inspection and evidence should be completed before responding to the refund demand?
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Keep the vehicle for inspection; do not release it after a quick test drive because the complaint involves both steering position and a TPMS warning. First record the current tire pressures cold and compare them with the 35 psi door label; the 32/32/32/33 psi record is already a likely TPMS trigger. Scan all modules for TPMS and steering-angle-sensor codes, and check whether the sensors were relearned after the tire installation. Put the vehicle on the alignment rack and produce a before/after printout showing toe, camber, caster, thrust angle, and steering-wheel angle. Road-test on a level road with the steering wheel centered, and note whether the pull is torque steer, tire conicity, or alignment. Inspect the tire sizes, wear patterns, and pressures side to side. Check the subframe, tie-rod ends, and steering column for recent disturbance. Photograph the printout and tire markings. Only after this evidence should the manager discuss refund or fault; the written report should state measurements, not opinions.
2. What are the likely root causes, and how would you distinguish them?
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Likely causes are: incorrect tire pressures, TPMS not relearned, steering-angle sensor not reset after alignment, toe adjusted with the steering wheel off-center, tire conicity or a radial pull from the new 19-inch tires, or a wheel-speed-sensor issue. Distinguish them by sequence. If all pressures are set to 35 psi and the TPMS light goes out after a relearn, the pressure record explains the lamp, but it does not explain the off-center wheel. If the alignment printout shows correct toe but the steering wheel is off-center, the technician likely set toe without centering the wheel or did not perform the steering-angle sensor reset. If the thrust angle is out, look for rear-axle or suspension issues. If the wheel is centered on the rack but the vehicle pulls on the road, swap the front tires left to right and re-test; a change in pull points to tire conicity. A steering-angle-sensor code plus an off-center wheel points to a reset/calibration problem, not a bent suspension part.
3. How should the manager communicate and document the outcome?
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The manager should acknowledge the inconvenience without admitting negligence before the evidence is complete: 'We need to measure the alignment and tire pressures and compare them with our job record; I will give you the printout and a written explanation today.' Explain the 32/32/32/33 psi record against the 35 psi label and that low pressure can trigger the TPMS light; explain that the off-center wheel will be checked against the alignment printout and steering-angle sensor. If the shop's work caused the off-center wheel, offer to redo the alignment and recalibrate at no charge, and provide the before/after printout. If the tire installation caused a pull or sensor issue, explain that with evidence and offer a solution. For the refund demand, follow policy: refund the alignment only if the service did not meet the agreed result, not as an admission of vehicle damage. Document the customer's complaint, all measurements, the road-test result, the corrective action, and the customer's decision. Give the customer the written report and retain a copy in the job file.