Intermittent Steering Issue

[normcloutier]

I have a 2013 SEL AWD with an intermittent front end problem. It started about 2 months ago. Occasionaly while driving, the vehicle would start pulling to the right. Not drastic but enough that I know that it's not just the crown in the road. Problem comes and goes. Seems to start after hitting bump, going over train tracks, etc and then will disappear just as fast but not consistently. About a month ago, the problem keeps occuring but sometimes it a hard pull to the right. If I let go of the wheel, I would completely change lanes in about 4 vehicle lengths. Sometimes a hard pull, sometimes soft and sometimes drives straight as an arrow.

 

I took it to dealer thinking alignment. They ran an alignment check on it. Said toe was out. Drove home and the problem still exists but now the steering wheel was off centre. Took it back again. Was told that they had a few alignments done the previous week that had some issues and they would put a different tech on it. Second alignment done. Drove away. Problem still exists and steering wheel is just about right but still off. Back a third time for the service manager to come for a ride. Right out of the dealership, vehicle is pulling to the right. He thinks tread is separating on the right front tire. Vehicle goes back in shop and has front tires interchanged (passenger to driver and driver to passenger). I was told to report back to see if anything changed.

 

Not 2 minutes away from dealer and vehicle is intermittently pulling hard left. OK, issue with tire. Was told that belts should come back together.

 

Two days later and pulling to left stopped but pulling to right still happens. Never hard right now but occasional slight right.

 

Back to dealer this morning to drop off. They will have it til tomorrow at least to try to determine what the issue is.

 

Anyone have ANY idea what this could be? Would tread separation be intermittent like that? Could both tires have been bad and it was just more extreme to the right? Not sure how to explain the come and go pulling to the side.