The short answer
A car that drifts or pulls on a flat road usually has an alignment problem, uneven tire pressure, or a dragging brake caliper. Pull that started after a pothole hit points at alignment; pull with a burning smell or hot wheel points at the brake. Either way it’s eating tires and attention.
Likely causes, ranked
- 01
Wheel alignment out of spec
most commonCamber or toe knocked out by potholes and curbs makes the car steer itself. The pull is annoying; the silent cost is tire shoulders being scrubbed off mile after mile.
- 02
Uneven tire pressure or tire conicity
commonA tire 8 PSI low pulls the car toward itself — check pressures first, it’s free. Occasionally a tire’s internal construction causes pull (conicity), revealed by swapping fronts side to side.
- 03
Dragging brake caliper
commonA sticking caliper brakes one corner continuously: pull, heat, burning smell, worse MPG. Common after upstate winters corrode slide pins.
- 04
Worn suspension bushings letting geometry shift
less commonCollapsed control-arm bushings let alignment change dynamically as you drive — the car may pull under braking or acceleration but track straight otherwise.
What to do right now
- 1
Check tire pressures against the door placard first — the free fix solves a surprising share of pulls.
- 2
Note the pattern: constant pull (alignment/tire), pull under braking only (brakes/suspension), pull with smell or heat (caliper — prioritize).
- 3
Book an alignment check with inspection: we verify parts are sound before aligning, because aligning around worn parts wastes your money.
What it typically costs
A four-wheel alignment at Fogg’s on our Hunter rack comes with printed before/after specs. A seized caliper runs $300–$600 for that corner. Left alone, a steady pull typically costs a pair of tires a year in accelerated wear — on a fleet of vans, that math gets expensive fast.
Our diagnosis fee goes toward the repair.
Related questions
My car pulls only when I brake — is that different?
Yes, and usefully so: braking pull points at a caliper gripping unevenly, a contaminated pad, or a collapsing suspension bushing — not base alignment. Tell the shop it’s braking-only; it changes where we look first.
Do all roads make cars drift slightly right?
Roads are crowned for drainage, so a slight right drift on a two-lane like Route 50 is normal. The test is a flat, straight, empty road: persistent pull there — or a steering wheel held off-center to track straight — is real and fixable.
What actually fixes it
If it turns out to need real work, this is what usually does it — with pricing published up front, so there are no surprises.
Same symptom on a work van or truck? Fleet units get priority bays and one monthly invoice. Fleet repair →
Still not sure how serious it is?
This guide describes common patterns, not a diagnosis of your specific vehicle — that takes an inspection. If your symptom is marked urgent, treat it as urgent. When in doubt, stop driving and call (518) 348-7764.
