I have not had this car very long and when I bought it I thought there was something wrong with the steering but I had had it checked out by a Mercedes dealership and they did not report a fault with the steering. It was suggested (elsewhere) that it was probably the wrong tire pressures that were affecting the steering. However I am now beginning to think that there is something wrong with the power assisted steering since it does not correct itself after a turn and the steering is very heavy, I have to hold the wheel with a firm grip in both hands. Could you throw any light on this problem for me please?
Check the front end parts such as the ball joints and tie rod ends for
lubrication and wear. Either of these situations can cause hard steering
and too much wear on these parts can be tricky as well.
Cars like BMWs and Mercedes Benz tend to have stiffer steering due to the higher speeds that they can reach. You definently do not want loose steering when going 120mph. So it could just be the design of the car. But you could always take it to another dealership for a second opinon or to an alignment shop for inspection. Are there aftermarket rims and tires or are they factory? If the rims are larger and wider than the factory rims then this can affect the steering wheel stiffness.
You might first do a car fax report to see if the vehicle has ever been in an accident...it sounds like the caster has been over compensated for some reason since that is what is important to cause the wheel to return to straight ahead after making a turn.
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Thank you for both comments. The car has not been in an accident according to the Carfax report, but the steering does not autocorrect after a turn. The rims are factory, the tires are Continental and I have been told by at least three garages that they are quite suitable. I was hoping not to have to take it in for an expensive job so soon, but I really don't like having to hang on to the steering wheel, apart from anything else it is tiring on a long journey. The check-up it had before I bought it was something like 120 points, so it went through a fairly thorough examination. They did miss the fog lights not working though!
P.S. My car is a 2006 S500 4matic not the C class it is listed under.
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