Taurus Has Me Torqued ... to the Left

Safety and suspension go hand in hand. Jim's Taurus problem is a perfect example of how skimping on regular maintenance can compromise your car's safety:

Matthew: Recently I acquired a 2002 Ford Taurus automatic. When I accelerate into a passing gear the car veers off to the left. I had it aligned, but that did not solve the problem. The car has 48,000 miles on it. Could the problem be in the axel, or should we look elsewhere? Jim -- St. Louis, Missouri

Jim, There are a couple of things going on here. When you say the car veers to the left, do you mean that you feel a slight pull in the steering wheel, or does it want to send you into the guard rail? Since the Taurus is front wheel drive, it develops what is called "torque steer." This happens because the rotation of the engine is affecting the front wheels (lots of physics basically). If it's noticeable but completely manageable, you may just be experiencing a little torque steer. If it's worse, you probably have some worn suspension components. The most likely culprits are lower ball joints or suspension bushings. Inspect all of the suspension components for play and you should find the culprit. Torque steer is magnified when you have worn bushings and other components. The Taurus SHO even had special bushings to eliminate torque steer in the more powerful engine.