Tips on Buying Cars: buying a 2007 xterra, jim sears, worst case scenario

Question
My new xterra swerves slightly to the right. And it makes a whistling noise in the back seats when the rear windows are rolled down. Is this normal and could it have an alignment problem due to the type of tires?  Should I have it checked or is this the way it will always be?

Answer
Hi Esther; The swerving to the right on your new Xterra could be a number of small things. The first that comes to mind is the air pressures in the front tires may be off a little. This is common on vehicles that may have set idle on the lot for awhile. Make sure the tire pressures are at the recommended level on both front tires, and check the rears while you're at it. Worst case scenario would be a front end alignment. Sometimes when new vehicles are transported on trucks, the driver may have tied the vehicle down by the front suspension, causing it to mis-align slightly. Either way, your new car shouldn't pull to either side. It is covered on your warrantee. Bring it back to your dealer and have him check it out. I'd opt for the issue to be air pressures.  As far as the whistling noise, it isn't unusual to hear the wind whistle when the windows are down. It could be coming from the wind passing over the window opening, or even a seat belt harness or a headrest. You might want to try a wind deflector kit for your side windows. These are available at most auto parts stores, as well as your dealers parts department. I can't be sure that the kit will totally solve your problem, but I'll bet it will help. Best of Luck, let me know how it turns out.   Thanks, Jim Sears.