The Lemon IndexPulling to one side under braking usually means one side is braking harder than the other.
Fix soon. Get it checked soon, and leave more room to stop.
A sticking or seized caliper. Then: a collapsed brake hose on one side; uneven or contaminated brake pads.
Owners describe this in 1,481 complaints to the U.S. government, most often on the Toyota Sequoia.
Cars owners report it on most
Complaints describing this symptom, by model, all years. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more complaints.
Model years that report it most
| Model year | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Toyota Sequoia | 15 | 2% |
| 2001 Toyota Sequoia | 13 | 2% |
| 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 11 | 2% |
| 2000 Chevrolet Tracker | 6 | 6% |
| 2005 Chevrolet Corvette | 6 | 1% |
| 2005 Toyota Sienna | 6 | 0.5% |
| 2000 Ford F-Series | 5 | 0.3% |
| 2002 Ford F-Series | 5 | 0.4% |
| 2010 Chevrolet HHR | 5 | 1.0% |
| 2009 Mazda6 | 5 | 1% |
| 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 5 | 1.0% |
| 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe | 4 | 0.9% |
Each row is that model year's record in NHTSA complaints, not the history of any one car. Share = complaints describing this symptom out of every complaint we hold for that model year (shown when the year has 50+ complaints).
Where it makes up the biggest share
2001 Toyota Sequoia · 2% 2002 Toyota Sequoia · 2% 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class · 2%
Model years with 150+ complaints in our data and 10+ describing this symptom, ranked by share. A high share means owners of that year who complained often mentioned it.
The details
Common causes of car pulls to one side when braking
- A sticking or seized caliper
- A collapsed brake hose on one side
- Uneven or contaminated brake pads
- Worn suspension bushings or ball joints
- Uneven tire pressure
General causes, not a diagnosis. A shop should confirm the cause with tests before replacing parts.
Is it safe to drive if your car pulls to one side when braking?
Fix soon. Get it checked soon, and leave more room to stop.
Get help right away if the pull is strong; you smell burning from one wheel.
Of the 1,481 complaints describing it, 7% mention a crash, 2% say the car was towed and 3% report an injury.
What the complaints show
The parts owners filed these complaints under: service brakes, hydraulic (64%), suspension (17%), steering (13%), service brakes (12%). A complaint can list more than one.
Median odometer reading when owners reported it: 47,300 miles.
Most reports by make: Chevrolet (298), Ford (265), Dodge (243), Gmc (123), Toyota (77).
Related symptoms
Car pulls to one side Car shakes when braking Grinding noise when braking Squeaky brakes Brake pedal goes to the floor Brakes not working
Quick answers
What causes car pulls to one side when braking?
Pulling to one side under braking usually means one side is braking harder than the other. Common causes: a sticking or seized caliper; a collapsed brake hose on one side; uneven or contaminated brake pads; worn suspension bushings or ball joints; uneven tire pressure.
Is it safe to drive if your car pulls to one side when braking?
Fix soon. Get it checked soon, and leave more room to stop.
Which cars have this problem most?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners describe it most on the Toyota Sequoia, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Ford F-Series. These are raw counts, so popular models rank higher; complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Counts: NHTSA owner complaints whose text describes this symptom (we matched owners' own wording, then read samples to check the matches). A complaint is an owner's report, not a diagnosis or proof of a defect. Causes and advice are general information in our own words, not repair advice for your car. Every symptom · Engine code lookup