Poor Groove Feel

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Mercury Mariner and 2010 Ford Escape. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Poor groove feel is characterized by little or no buildup of turning effort felt in the steering wheel as the wheel is rocked slowly left and right within very small turns around center or straight-ahead (under 20 degrees of steering wheel turn). Effort may be said to be "flat on-center."

Under 20 degrees of turn, most of the turning effort that builds up comes from the mesh of the gear teeth in the steering gear. In this range, the steering wheel is not yet turned enough to feel the effort from the self-aligning forces at the road wheel or tire patch.
In the diagnosis of a driveability problem, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel.