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So we recently got our first bit of snow and when my wife was driving home from work, she said she skidded a little and bumped a curb, but it was minor and she continued driving. While driving she noticed that to keep the car moving straight she had to crank the wheel to the left so that it looked like she was doing a left turn to keep the car straight. As well she said the indicators for tires slipping kept coming on and it felt like she was fishtailing the whole time and not keep traction. I did some basic googling and tried a few things, but nothing I tried work such as checking fuses and trying to reset the VDC controls. Before I bring it to a mechanic I just wanted to see if there was anything else I could try? I feel like we'd had issues before with the VDC and were able to reset it and this feels similar, but more pronounced.
How long has your 2012 Subaru Forester had this problem?
A few days
1 Reply
Hi, I'm one of the auto experts on RepairPal's Car Genius team! Thanks for all the detail, and glad your wife made it home safely! The symptoms you're describing could point to a few different things worth considering. If the steering wheel was pulling and off center before the curb impact, a pre-existing alignment issue combined with slippery conditions could explain the fishtailing and traction control warnings. However if the car drove straight and normally before the snow event, the more likely culprits are the road conditions themselves combined with tire performance. All season or worn tires can struggle significantly in snow and cause exactly the kind of loss of traction and fishtailing your wife experienced, and the VDC system working overtime trying to compensate would explain those warning indicators. That said, the curb impact is definitely worth having inspected regardless, as even a minor bump can affect alignment or damage suspension components in ways that aren't always immediately obvious. It would also be a good time to have the tires evaluated to make sure they have adequate tread depth and are appropriate for winter driving conditions in your area. A qualified shop can check both the suspension and tires and give you a clear picture of what's going on. If you need any further advice or would like help finding a trusted RepairPal shop in your area or even getting an appointment booked, please feel free to call us at 877-913-1554 or check out https://repairpal.com/certified