Car question

[Popeye the Sailor]

I've seen and felt tires cause a drift... but never a pull.

They either replaced something wrong..... exaggerated a condition by straightening something..... had a rookie work on it.

do like Nick says.... call the BAR

+1. Most things can be solved by going to the bar.

[Oldfisti]

It is possible that when the bodywork was done some chucklehead could have not looked and jacked the car on a tie rod and bent it. Get it to a different shop that you trust and get a second opinion.

[Porsche Monkey]

I've seen and felt tires cause a drift... but never a pull.

They either replaced something wrong..... exaggerated a condition by straightening something..... had a rookie work on it.

do like Nick says.... call the BAR

+1 on what BP said.  I have also felt tires cause a drift but definetly not a pull.  The correct term would be radial pull and this can be checked on higher end tire balancers but this is likely not the issue. 

[Howie]

Though it is probably not the tires, it would be pretty easy to rule them out.  The fact that rotating from side to side and the pull changing from right to left does indeed indicate a tire or wheel problem.  The reasons for not accepting this is that you didn't have the pull when the car went into the shop and they did replace a suspension part.  You also don't know what they may have adjusted to try and make the pull go away.

An easy test to eliminate tires as a cause is this time rotate the tires from front to rear yourself or have another shop do it.  The problem goes away or changes, it is tires.  It is possible, though probably less likely than getting struck by lightening, tire damage and suspension/steering were cancelling each other out.

If the repair was paid for by insurance, including the other party's insurance, notify them by phone and in writing that the car repair is not proper, and, in your opinion, unsafe.  CC the letter to the body shop.  If the body shop can't resolve the problem, ask the insurance company for authorization to take the car to another shop. 

[SheMonster]

I did contact the insurance company, and they have OK'd me to take it to another shop to look at it.  If the issue is in fact due to the accident or the repairs, they will pay, if not then I do.   That's fine with me because regardless, I need to have it fixed properly whether I pay or they pay.  Now I just have to find another shop that is competant to diagnose the problem.

[Monsterlover]

Go to Honda!

[Popeye the Sailor]

On the car talk website they keep a listing of competent mechanic shops in all areas. Might be worth a shot.

[Scooter Montgomery]

Or just make lots of left hand turns 

[SheMonster]

Or just make lots of left hand turns 

Do they let Honda's in NASCAR?