Ask an expert


psherriff

Hi, Today I test drove a 2007 Honda Accord Euro that I am looking to buy (its a private sale). The car has done about 120k and it drove perfectly (I have test driven several of these cars), except for one thing. When going around a couple of mini roundabouts (not all the ones we went though), both left and right, the wheel had a very slight wobble / jerky feeling, it would pull to a slightly sharper turn and then return back. It didn't seem to happen when turning around any other corners and the steering was smooth on the highway. There was no clicking or grinding noise either. The test drive was in the wet. The car has had new brake discs put on the front in the last few months (due to warping which I have had happen with a few Hondas as well).

I have been looking on the internet for what could cause this and it seems like it could range from something simple and cheap like a wheel alignment or low power steering fluid, through to something expensive such as replacing the power steering pump. I have though about getting an AA pre-inspection report but based on the variety of things it could be, the inspection might not find the problem.

Any ideas what the problem could be, if it is in fact a problem and not the wet conditions or the Vehicle Stability Assist kicking in?

ABayliss

It's very hard to say what this problem could be without further investigation. If there is no wheel wobble under normal circumstances, it's unlikely to be balance related, and if the car isn't pulling to either side, it's unlikely to be alignment.
It's fair to say that some Honda power steering systems do exhibit strange characteristics, but if you are certain that it isn't the same sensation as in other similar cars, it would pay to have it checked out before you buy - perhaps by a Honda dealer.