akbro93704

We got a 2010 ML350 back in November, and ever since new I've noticed while going straight, the steering wheel is always slightly turned to the left...has anyone else noticed that??

The WEIRD thing is..we also have a 2010 E350 and a 2008 C300, and BOTH of these also came from the factory with mis-aligned (to the left) steering wheels... I feel like Mercedes should NOT be coming from the factory like this. All three of these cars were built at different plants as well.

roadrutz

No, it shouldn't happen with a new vehicle. You could get the dealer to fix it, but it will only take you a minute or two to do so yourself if you have a set of torx screwdrivers and some metric wrenches. Unscrew the two torx bolts on the back of the wheel and remove the airbag, balancing it on top of the steering column in front of the wheel. (Do NOT unplug the electrical connections or you'll have to go to the dealer to get the SRS warning reset!) Mark the wheel center and shaft with a felt pen so that you don't forget how they are assembled in case you make a mistake. Undo the nut that holds the wheel in place and gently rock the wheel off the splined shaft. Carefully turn it one spline to the right and reinstall it. Reinstall the airbag.

If this makes the wheel offset to the right, you will need to have the dealer do an alignment.

dgiturbo

That new I would have it repaired under warranty.
Are you sure its not the road crown or drainage slope that you are compensating for?
I visited the factory and the technicians and laser robots spend a lot of time inspecting these vehicles during assembly. Hard to imagine them missing that. Not saying its not possible, but this factory even uses lasers to measure the thickness of the silicone adhesive applied to the windshield...

RichardM98

Nut holding steering wheel on is assembled with thread lock compound for obvious reasons. Loosening it is usually a big job maybe requiring heating it with a torch. Also the number of splines on the column is low so shifting the steering wheel one spline makes a big difference in the steering wheel position. Correct way to get it centered is to get an alignment and tell dealer it is not centered.

A more plausible explanation is that most roadways are crowned to shed water. With a perfectly aligned car and properly inflated tires it may be necessary to steer slightly to the left to compensate for the car wanting to drift to the right. This results in the steering wheel being slightly off center.

Good luck.

roadrutz

I have done the operation I suggested several times. The nut is quite easy to remove and no way does it need heating, just a little muscle and a regular wrench. There are actually quite a lot of splines and moving one spline does not make a huge difference to the wheel position.

I don't argue that the problem could well be an alignment, although the OP didn't complain of pulling to one side which is typically what happens with mis-alignment, but for the sake of a simple five-minute procedure, it seems to me worth trying my fix before going to all the trouble of taking the vehicle in, leaving it, picking it up, etc.

VelociRaptor

Just take it back to the dealer to check the alignment. Shouldnt take the wheel off and move it. If you have had the airbag off and the bolt out of the steering wheel you will see two notches in the steering shaft that the wheel slips onto. They are there for proper alignment of the shaft and wheel. Also, if its moved it can damage the column. The toe settings on the alignment can me adjusted to straighten the steering the wheel. Steering wheel installation is one of my jobs on the assembly line and I am also ASE certified in suspension and steering.

melvinh

I may also tire pull problem. My 99 Lexus RX300 has tire pull problem and got replaced under warranty. My 06 R350 CPO also developed tire pull after tire rotation. Too bad, it's too long for them to admit it's tire pull. I had to spend $$ for alignment, but finally got fixed just by switch tires from left to right.