I've read about the alignment problems, but I can't say that I understand it. I thought that those problems were with the older models. Could you point me in the direction of some reading on those problems? Thanks.
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Some Mirages came from the factory with misaligned rear wheels, and there are no adjustments possible. Unlike earlier vehicles that use rear suspension components which are bolted together, the components on the Mirage are all welded together. Not ALL cars had this problem, others were really bad. Early on Mitsubishi dealerships were hesitant to repair this defect under warranty, but now it is absolutely covered within the 5/60 warranty period. The earlier the Mirage, the more common the problem seems to be. Mitsubishi recognized this problem in early 2016 and we were all hoping modifications were made to the rear suspension components for the '17 MY to deal with the issue. Unfortunately, some '17 models have the same problem.
If your steering wheel isn't straight, if your car is 'dog-tracking', or if your rear tires are wearing unevenly/prematurely you may have a problem. The only real way to know for sure is to have your alignment checked. I suggest doing it at an indy shop with no skin in the game.
Mitsubishi isn't the only manufacturer to have this issue.
1) Any degrees, really. The steering wheel should point straight ahead when you are going down the road.
2) Dog tracking...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmKkmcmi4_k
Thank you again cobrajet.
Man, I'm going to obsess about this steering wheel thing until I can get the alignment checked. It appears to me to be dead on, but I suppose it could be off a degree or two (which is a very small amount). It certainly is not off an amount that you would notice at first without really studying it. I think it is ok though.
On a more pleasant note, I just drove to a store about 35 miles away in a smallish town notorious for its bad traffic and when I got home, the computer tells me that I got 51.7 mpg!
I'll leave it at that because I don't want to derail the OP's thread anymore than I have already.
Don't sweat bullets about it...but do yourself a favor and get your alignment checked. Every Mirage owner should have a 4 wheel alignment check done. I don't care if your car has 5 miles or 45,000 miles. If your rear axle is out of spec, that's a $1,000+ free warranty repair you are entitled to. And if your rear end is really out of whack, you could end up wearing down your rear tires in less than 20K miles.
There have been a lot of people post alignment data, and it is rare that all 4 wheels are within spec...even on a new Mirage. So even if your rear axle is OK, there's a decent chance your front end needs some adjustment.
I had my alignment checked for free before my car had 1,000 miles on it. My rear axle was OK, but my front end was out of spec. I took it back to the dealer and they aligned it for free. It was inconvenient but it didn't cost me anything. It also saved me some unnecessary tire wear.