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A great majority of collisions can cause some type of suspension damage, which means a wheel alignment will be necessary. The list of additional steps after a wheel alignment keeps growing with the addition of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These systems need to know what direction the vehicle is travelling down the road in order to accurately make safety corrections and predictions. However, there are still questions on what is required when ADAS and wheel alignments are concerned.
Vehicles equipped with ADAS, especially lane keep assist and collision braking, need to be properly aligned with how the vehicle is traveling down the road. Cameras and sensors use different inputs from the vehicle, such as inputs from the steering angle sensor. If the steering angle sensor is adjusted during a wheel alignment, the forward-facing camera, which controls the lane departure warning, may think the steering wheel is turned. This can signal the vehicle to correct the steering to stay on the road, even though the vehicle is traveling between the lines.
There are numerous OEMs that require the ADAS to be calibrated when a wheel alignment is performed. Some even go to the extent of requiring that the vehicle be placed on an alignment rack during calibration. Others have a wheel alignment as a step in the calibration process.
The RTS OEM Calibration Requirements Search has information on requirements for many different make and models. In order to find out if a calibration will be required after a wheel alignment, or if a wheel alignment is required as a step in a calibration procedure, you should always consult the OEM repair information. Also, many wheel alignment systems will warn you that calibrations may need to be performed after the wheel alignment is completed.
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Article validated in 2025