Ask an expert


motopaika

Hi, I recently took a small motorhome for a short test drive (from a dealer.)
Literally around the block didnt get out of 3rd gear. When I returned to dealers yard and parked vehicle up I noticed the steering wheel was upside down but the wheels were pointed straight ahead.
I had the vehicle checked out by a mobile AA mechanic who did pick up that a front tyre had a large split on the inner sidewall. He didn't give it a road test because the vehicle was too dangerous to drive. Totally understand that.
My question, has the incident that caused the damage to the tyre done damage to the steering? Should I be concerned?
Thanks for your reply.

Anon

Hi there,
I would think that for the steering wheel to be 180 degrees out, it may have been removed for some reason or the steering unit had been disconnected and reconnected after the steering wheel had been rotated. if the steering system had significant damage you might notice the vehicle pulling to one side and would be fighting to keep the vehicle driving in a straight line.
The vehicle might need to have the steering wheel refitting in the correct place and a wheel alignment carried out to make sure there is no damage.

motopaika

Thanks for replying. The steering wheel was 'right way up' when I drove straight and cornered. When I returned to yard and had to reverse back into the carpark with some tight manouvering, turned the key off thats when I noticed the steering wheel position. Mentioned this to a salesperson who checked the wheel position and confirmed wheels were straight. I am a little concerned that the force that caused the split tyre may have damaged the suspension or steering components.