Why does my car drift left after alignment on a straight road?

[Ava79]

I’ve noticed my car pulls to the left whenever I take my hands off the wheel on a flat, straight road. I had the alignment checked and the tires rotated, but the issue came back after a few weeks. Could something else be causing this persistent drift, or is it just the crown of the road?

[MasonC]

Yeah, that happened to me after a tune‑up. Even with a fresh alignment and rotated tires, my car kept pulling left. It turned out one front tire wore oddly and the balance was off enough to show up as a pull on a flat road. Replacing that tire and rebalancing stopped it for a while.

[John.W]

The crown of the road can explain some drift, but if it stays on a flat and pulls consistently, something else is probably at play like a sticking brake caliper or worn suspension components.

[Lily82]

Have you noticed if it only pulls at certain speeds or when you brake?

[OliviaUS]

I once chased the wrong culprit for ages, thinking it was alignment, and it turned into a loose tie rod/ball joint that I caught only after someone else tested the steering feel at speed.