“I was driving to a meeting and wound up hitting a pothole,” Jenna said. “At first, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but then all of these dashboard lights started coming on – low tire pressure, brakes – really scary stuff to see. And the problem went from bad to worse. The car wasn’t driving right at all. It was hard to steer. When I was able to get the car pulled over, I could see that I was definitely in trouble.”
Little potholes can cause big damage. At this time of year, the local collision repair shops in Southeastern MA do are kept busy helping car owners recover from the poor state of the roads. Many people wonder what kind of damage can result from hitting a pothole. The answer includes damage to the tires, rims, and wheel assembly, as well as damage to the struts, shocks or suspension. It is not uncommon for a car to be knocked out of alignment after hitting a pothole. Damage to brakes, bumpers, or other parts such as signal lights has also been known to occur due to potholes.
If you’ve hit a pothole and then noticed a change in the way the car drives, or you see damage to the car, you’ll want to head to the local collision repair shop for repairs. The best collision repair shops will perform a thorough inspection of your vehicle. They do this because not all damage from an incident such as hitting a pot hole is immediately visible. The wheels are a very critical part of your car’s safety, so this inspection focuses on making sure your vehicle is up to the acceptable safety standards.
You will be given a report from this inspection that details what is wrong, and the estimated costs to perform the repair. Because many people pay for pothole damage repair out of pocket, costs are explained in such a way as to let you know which ones are mechanically necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle, and which are more cosmetic in nature. Pothole damage can be quite serious, so it’s better to have your car checked promptly after a serious impact.
