Why wheel alignment is important

Ensuring that your vehicle’s wheels are correctly aligned is a very important maintenance item in order to maintain the safety of your vehicle and its passengers.

What exactly is wheel alignment? Wheel alignment is the measurement, analysis and adjustment of your vehicle’s steering and suspension angles to ensure that the wheels of your vehicle are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other.

If the wheels of your vehicle are out of alignment, you will feel that the car seems to be pulling to one side of the road, or your steering wheel is juddering or vibrating. Your wheels can get out of alignment gradually from normal everyday driving, or from any of the following incidents:

Driving over pot holes or hitting the kerb, or running into concrete parking stalls
Minor accidents
Worn runner components as well as worn suspension components – the older your vehicle gets, the more probable it becomes that this will cause a wheel alignment problem

When your wheels are not in alignment, you will increase wear and tear on your tyres and will land up having to replace your tyres long before you would have otherwise needed to. It can also cause unnecessary wear on the suspension components of your vehicle, causing problems with the overall vehicle handling, performance and safety.

You should have your wheel alignment checked whenever you rotate your tyres, and also when you replace them. If you think that your car is not handling correctly, or the steering doesn’t feel right – take your car in to have your wheel alignment checked out.

Suspensions systems of today’s front and wheel wheel drive vehicles require precise wheel alignments that can only be delivered by specialised alignment systems. Also – more cars have special features such as stability controls, dynamic stability controls, active stability management or SAS (Steering Angle Sensors) – all requiring different methods of adjustment to the wheel alignment.

There are 5 factors involved in determining the correct wheel alignment:

Caster, which is an imaginary line drawn between the centres of the upper and lower ball joints, forming an angle with the true vertical. Caster is important to steering feel and high-speed stability.
Camber, which is the inward or outward tilt of the tyre. Camber is important for tyre-to-road contact, and takes into account the changes of force when a vehicle is turning.
Toe, which describes whether the fronts of the tyres are closer (toe-in) or further apart (toe-out) than the rears of the tyres. Toe is important to ensure that the tyres roll in parallel when the vehicle is moving.
Thrust, which is relevant for solid rear axle vehicles, and the thrust angle alignment allows all four wheels to sit square with each other.
Ride height, which is the distance between the chassis and the road, and provides a reference point of all alignment measurements.

For related vehicle-safety reading, see our guide to ANCAP safety ratings. If a tyre problem leaves you stranded, check roadside assistance information.

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What To Do If Someone Hits Your Parked Car

Coming back to find your parked car damaged is never fun, but knowing how to respond correctly can save you time, money and stress.

Firstly, understand that getting upset is natural, but taking a deep breath will help you make better decisions. Examine your car thoroughly and document any visible damage, taking multiple photos from different angles, including close-ups of dents, scratches or broken parts, and capturing the surrounding area, such as road signs and markings, for context.

Next, see if you can locate the driver responsible. Sometimes, people leave a note with their contact information and insurance details. If there’s no note, look for witnesses nearby who may have seen what happened. You can also check for CCTV from nearby businesses, homes or on the street, as some areas have coverage. If you’re unsure, consider contacting the local council to find out whether cameras are in place that might have captured the accident.

If the driver didn’t leave a note, or if they did but are unresponsive or the information they provided seems incorrect, contact the police to report the accident and provide all the information you have, including photos, footage and witness statements. Be sure to request a copy of the police report, as it can be useful when dealing with insurance.

If you’re still having a hard time getting a hold of the at-fault driver and therefore cannot claim directly through their car insurer, it’s time to lodge a claim with your own insurance provider, if you have one. Provide them with as much information as possible, including the police report. From there, your insurer can determine whether your coverage, along with the information you have, will cover the damage to your car.

If your car insurer happens to find information about the at-fault driver and is able to have them lodge a claim so the costs of the damage are recoverable, you can contact Carbiz for a replacement car while your car is being repaired or until it’s been deemed a total loss. This ensures you’re not left without a car during this time, giving you peace of mind and the ability to keep your life moving.

For help organising your next steps, read our car accident insurance claim checklist and explore accident replacement vehicle options.

What It Means When Your Car Is Declared A Write-Off After An Accident

Updated 6 October 2026.

When an insurer declares a car a write-off, it has assessed the vehicle as a total loss under the policy. The damage may make repairs unsafe, or the cost of repairing the car may make a repair uneconomical. A write-off does not always mean the car is visibly destroyed.

How is a write-off decision made?

The assessment can take account of the vehicle's value, repair costs, salvage value and the policy terms. There is no single repair-cost percentage that determines every write-off across Australia. Ask the insurer for its assessment and the basis for its decision.

A total-loss insurance decision and a vehicle's written-off registration category are related but different matters. Whether a car can return to the road depends on the damage classification and the rules of the relevant state or territory.

Statutory and repairable write-offs

Statutory write-off: the vehicle meets specified damage criteria and cannot be re-registered for road use.
Repairable write-off: repairs may be technically possible, but the vehicle has been assessed as uneconomical to repair. This label does not itself authorise repairs or guarantee re-registration.

Requirements vary across Australia. In NSW, an eligible written-off light vehicle needs an Authorisation to Repair from Transport for NSW before work begins. Only limited applications are considered, and vehicles with statutory write-off damage are excluded. Approval, compliant repairs and the required inspections are separate steps.

What happens to your insurance payout?

The settlement depends on your cover and circumstances. It may be based on an agreed value, a market value or a replacement-vehicle benefit if your policy provides one. An excess, outstanding premium or finance arrangements may affect the amount you receive. Ask for a written breakdown before accepting the settlement.

Keep the assessment, photographs, policy documents and correspondence together. If you disagree with the valuation, provide relevant evidence and use the insurer's complaints process. See AAMI's explanation of total-loss claims for an insurer's example; your own policy determines your cover.

Getting around after a not-at-fault accident

If you need a replacement vehicle, tell Carbiz that your car has been declared a write-off. Eligibility, vehicle availability, the hire period and the terms of the agreement need to be confirmed for your circumstances. A write-off does not automatically entitle everyone to unlimited hire.

Contact Carbiz to discuss your accident replacement vehicle options. For a practical checklist, read what to do after receiving a write-off decision.

9 November 2017