If you are asking the question: “Why is my car lower on one side”, the answer lies in a problem with the vehicle’s suspension or tires.
Problems with Suspension
The car’s suspension system quite literally suspends the vehicle, which is how it stays upright without collapsing on itself. It is also crucial for the handling characteristics of the car.
Suspension systems have multiple parts that naturally wear out with use. One such component that can lead to a car appearing lower on one side is the strut. A strut normally contains shock absorbers and a spring. They help absorb the bumps along the road to make you more comfortable while driving, as well as helping your car remain stable.
For example, without struts, the car would be free to bounce all over the place, up and down as well as side to side, so it is clear to see they are important parts of your car and need to be in working order. If these are particularly worn on one side of the vehicle, you might notice the car seems to be sagging on one side.
Another possibility is that one strut is stuck in a higher position, and the lower side of the car is actually not the one with the faulty strut.
Most owner’s manuals include a maintenance schedule, and yours might have information on when the suspension system should be inspected and serviced.
However, if you notice the car appears to be lower on one side, and you are nowhere near the recommended service interval for suspension, you should still get it checked out. The recommendations are just that: Recommendations.
Your individual experience with the car might require more frequent service, or you might have sustained damage somehow to your suspension that warrants immediate attention. This is also true if you have recently had your car’s suspension worked on. Something could have been done incorrectly, or a new issue has emerged, even though you just had the car in the shop.
Flat Tire(s)
A pretty obvious reason a car might seem lopsided is because you have one or more flat tires. Be sure to double check all your tires if you notice your car is leaning to one side.
While there are fix-a-flat kits out there, if your tire is damaged, it might be beyond repair. If unsure, have your vehicle inspected by an automotive service center to see if the tire can be repaired or not.
Tire Sizes
If your car looks like it is lower on one side, another reason could be that you have different tire sizes, causing one side of the vehicle to be lower than the other.
Often, it is not easy to just look at one tire, then another, and automatically know whether it is larger or smaller than the first one you looked at. This is why it is important to understand how to read the sizing information on a tire’s sidewall.
For example, let’s say you have a tire that is P245/45R19. The P simply means “passenger” designating that the tire is intended for use on passenger vehicles.
245 refers to the width of the tire from sidewall to sidewall. This is measured in millimeters, so 245 indicates a sidewall width of 245 millimeters.
45 is a ratio that basically informs you of the tire’s height. But unlike the first term, 245, which told us the width in millimeters, the 45 means that the tire’s height is around 45% of the width. This measure is called the aspect ratio.
The 19 indicates the rim size for the tire in inches. So 19 is equal to 19 inch rims.
While it is definitely confusing that the most important three numbers in a tire’s specifications are all measured differently, it is worth trying to remember this so you can look at each tire to see if perhaps one or more are a different size.
If you have stock wheels (the wheels that came on the car from the factory), you can be confident their sizing is appropriate for the vehicle. Check on the tires and make sure their sizes all match.
One exception to this is a staggered tire setup, which is often found on sports cars and other rear wheel drive vehicles. Normally, in this case, the rear tires are wider than those in the front. However, this will not cause the car to be lopsided. The biggest concern should be if the left tires are bigger or smaller than those on the right.
Have You Been in An Accident?
If you have recently been in an accident with your car, even if it seemed minor, there might be unseen damages causing one side to be lower than the other.
For example, upon impact with an object (or another vehicle), your car can suffer frame damage. This will upset the entire balance of the car, and can lead to things like it leaning to one side.
If you have been in any type of accident, even a small one not involving another vehicle, it is a good idea to have the car inspected by a mechanic to make sure no serious damage was sustained, especially if your car did not start leaning to one side until after said accident occurred.
Double Check The Car’s Surface
Sometimes, your car can look uneven only because it is parked on sloped pavement. Double check that the vehicle is parked on a relatively level surface before concluding it is truly leaning to one side.
This might seem obvious, but is worth considering so you do not waste time and money going to see a mechanic when not needed.
In Sum
A car lower on one side is due to an issue with either the suspension or the tires. It can be as simple as a flat tire, or as complicated as frame damage after an accident. If your vehicle is lower on one side than the other, start with inspecting the tires and work from there, or have it inspected by an automotive service center.