Most Common Suspension Problems

Suspension is one of the main elements to make up a car, from ensuring a comfortable ride to help keep the vehicle running smoothly, it performs a number of important tasks. However, unless a problem is clearly visible, many suspension issues can be difficult to diagnose or spot. Understanding the most common issues for suspension to suffer from will help to prevent issues with your vehicle’s suspension.

When it comes to vehicles, suspension systems are highly complex as they are made up of multiple parts and connect to multiple parts of the vehicle as well. The tyres, tracking and suspension all control how the vehicle feels on the road and how it handles. Potholes are highly common in the UK and more and more roads are suffering from them due to council neglect and responsibilities being passed to multiple councils or agencies.

Suspension helps to manage the overall wear and tear your vehicle suffers from. So, if you live in an area with poorly maintained roads, then it’s important to ensure your suspension is in top condition and that it’s checked regularly to prevent any issues from occurring. Below we’ll cover some of the most common issues to occur with vehicle suspension.

Vehicle suspension needs to be well maintained and understanding the problems that can occur with it, will help you to take care of it better. No matter what type of vehicle you have, whether it’s a car, van or truck, or what the suspension system might be, it’s important to ensure you’re looking after it. Some of the most common issues for suspension to suffer from are:

• Bouncing – If you notice bouncing after hitting a bump or dipping when braking then you could be suffering from an issue with your suspension.
• Drift or Pull – When turning corners, if you notice the vehicle is drifting or pulling, then it’s important to get your vehicle checked.
• Visible Dips – When your car is parked one of the easiest ways to spot if your vehicle is suffering from suspension issues is the level of each side of the car. If the tyres are fully pumped and you can see a visible drop side to side or front to back, then it’s likely you have suspension problems.
• Steering – Steering problems can begin to occur when your suspension is suffering from issues.
• Bumpy Rides – If you’re suffering from unusual bumpy rides, even when you’re on a flat road, then you have visible signs of suspension issues and these will need to be checked immediately.

If you notice any issues with your suspension then it’s important to get it checked, this can either be done by yourself, a trained mechanic or a professional garage. Remember if it’s a new car, then you might find the suspension falls under your warranty period and if it’s older you’ll likely need to purchase things such as replacement leaf springs. Most vehicles used on an average basis will typically see their suspension last around 70,000 miles.