There is nothing worse than a vehicle that handles poorly. Many factors can cause this type of issue in your Nissan. A poor-handling car is not unusual, but it can be diagnosed with a few simple procedures. You can check for a few potential issues right at home in your driveway -- with some simple tools and, in some cases, an assistant.
The most common cause of handling issues is caused by improper tire inflation. If the tires are underinflated, the car will wander all over the road and feel loose. Inflating your tires to the proper pressure can help quite a bit if your tires are low or uneven. You can access the information for proper tire inflation in the owner's manual for your Nissan model.
Front suspension components such as worn tie rods, ball joints and even struts can have a huge affect on the way the car performs. You can also check these in the driveway at home. Jack up and support the front of the car with jack stands. To check the tire rods, place your hands at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions on the tires. Wiggle the wheel back and forth to check for looseness. You can also have an assistant help watch the tie rods and ball joints to see if there is any play.
Look for leaks in the struts or lower the car and perform a bounce test. With the vehicle level, bounce the front end. It should bounce once then stabilize. If it continues to bounce, then the struts are worn and should be replaced.
You'll need to have shop check your wheel alignment, but doing so is vital. Poor wheel alignment will wear down your tires and cause poor handling. Most vehicles are four-wheel alienable, and if the front and rear tires are not pointed the same way, the car can be difficult to drive.
