When operating correctly, your car should steer with ease, providing a nice and comfy ride. Sometimes, however, something breaks. This is usually because so many components of your car’s suspension system are located at driving level! Rough roads, sudden turns, the elements–these all work against your car, encouraging its parts to wear out and break at a faster rate. If your car is experiencing steering problems, or if a ride in it feels like being in one of those inflatable “Bounce Houses,” chances are your suspension system is in need of some TLC.

If your car is very difficult to steer, first make sure there’s enough power steering fluid. If you’re filled up and the steering problem persists, you may have a loose power steering belt, a bad power steering pump, or a leak in your power steering rack. If the steering wheel keeps jiggling back and forth while being held, check your power steering fluid, again. In addition to the previous possible problems with a power steering pump, steering belt, and leaking rack, you could also have a broken steering rack mount. All of these issues will require diagnosis and repair by a qualified technician.

If your car keeps gravitating to one side while being driven, chances are the issue lies with the tires or braking system. Check to be sure all tires are properly inflated, and replace worn or uneven tires. Have the alignment, tie rods, and steering rack inspected. Also, check the brakes for uneven wear and replace as necessary. If your car makes a “crunching” sound when going over speed bumps, potholes, or any sort of bump, this is an indication of worn out shocks or struts, bad strut bearings, or worn out ball joints.

Lastly, if your car is making you feel like you’re bouncing up and down as you’re driving along, you probably have worn shocks or struts, or possibly a busted leaf spring. Even if you think you’ve isolated the problem, a qualified service center, like MOTEC Auto Care Clinics in San Diego, will be able to easily fix the issue in no time.