Questions and Answers

Jetta Pulls Left Q. Dear Mister Ciulla, I own a 1985 VW Jetta GL. It has a 1.6 liter gas engine, and is a manual. It has about 150,000 miles on it and has been in one accident. The engine sits a little funny but is in perfect working order. The frame was bent from this accident but other than that nothing really happened to the vehicle.

I am writing you to ask about a pull to the left it has. When I accelerate, and it doesn't matter what gear I am in, it pulls to the left. I have heard this can be because of strut or shock problems so I looked at them. The back two are really bouncy and the front right seems perfect. I did find out however that the left strut is frozen. It moves a little but for the most part is stuck. I was wondering if you could tell me first off, why does my car pull to the left when I accelerate, and secondly, are my struts bad or good (the front left is definitely I think.).

Thank you so much.
Jordan in Minnesota

A. I'd be hard pressed to determine from here whether your struts are good or bad, but from what you describe to me, I would say they all need to be replaced.

I think you answered your own question when you said the car was in an accident and bent the frame. That is, almost certainly, the reason it pulls. If the frame of the car, or in this case the unibody, is not straight and true, the car will not go down the road straight and true.

What you can do to correct this is to go to a body shop that has a frame machine and have the frame checked and realigned. Then have the front struts replaced. That's about all you can do to get the car right again.

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