Car Care Tips

Tips to keep your car on the road.

Maintenance March 30, 2020

What Pothole Damage Can Do to Your Car

Pothole damage to car

It’s officially spring, which means it’s officially pothole season. As much as you may try to avoid driving over these obnoxious roadway obstructions, you’re bound to hit one eventually.

What are they? Potholes are cracked, sunken-in portions of the road that form when water weakens the soil underneath the pavement. Potholes are especially bad during early spring when temperatures start to fluctuate.

If you think back to your middle school science class, you’ll remember that when water freezes, it expands. Potholes form when water gets into the soil beneath the road, freezes, then pushes up onto the pavement. When that water thaws, the pavement remains raised, creating a gap between the pavement and the ground. Once a car drives over that cavity, the pavement surface cracks and sinks in, creating a pothole.

The combination of rain, snow, ice, and sleet from the winter plus the weight of heavy traffic makes for vulnerable road conditions. And this makes your vehicle vulnerable to damage. According to a 2016 AAA study, pothole damage costs American drivers an average of $3 billion a year.

So, before you hit the road again, make sure you’re aware of the potential effects that potholes can have on your car.

What’s Affected By Pothole Damage?

 

Tires

Pothole tire damage may be the most frequent and obvious since your tires are the only part of your vehicle that makes direct contact with the road.

Driving over a pothole puts an immense amount of pressure on your tires. And these sunken chunks of asphalt often have hard edges, meaning that upon impact, potholes can slice rubber and even snap the material that holds your tires together.

If you happen to hit a pothole, check out your tires for obvious signs of tire damage such as tread separation, sidewall bulges, or a flat tire. If you regularly experience low tire pressure or other tire-related issues, bring your vehicle to Virginia Tire & Auto and our tire techs will perform a thorough inspection.

Read: Can I Replace Just One Tire on My Car?

Exhaust

Extremely deep potholes can cause a vehicle to “bottom out.” This means that the exhaust system comes into contact with the roadway, which can rip holes into the pipes. Listen for unusual noises while you’re driving, which may indicate that your exhaust pipes have suffered damage and may need to be repaired or replaced.

Body

It’s rare that the body of your vehicle ever touches the ground. However, when it comes to potholes, anything is possible. When you hit a pothole, the bumpers or sides of your car could get scratched or chipped.

Although this damage is mostly cosmetic, it’s still a costly repair if you want to keep your vehicle looking sharp. Sportier cars that hang lower to the ground are at a higher risk of experiencing cosmetic damage from potholes.

Suspension

Sudden jolts to your vehicle can affect your car’s steering and suspension systems, causing alignment problems and harm to your shocks, struts, and ball joints.

Your car’s suspension is the system that connects the vehicle to its wheels. You may notice that your car is misaligned if it naturally pulls to one side, your steering wheel vibrates, or if you’re driving straight and your steering wheel isn’t centered. This can be extremely dangerous and should be addressed immediately.

Keep in mind that more modern vehicles made in the last several years are designed to compensate for the pull of misalignment. This means that your vehicle’s misalignment may only be noticed with an alignment check or if your tires show irregular wear patterns over time.

Virginia Tire & Auto can adjust your vehicle’s suspension and ensure that your wheels are obeying all steering commands.

Read: Wheel Alignment vs. Balance: What’s the Difference?

Wheels

Hitting a pothole can cause wheel rim damage, like chips, cracks, and bent rims. This creates a problem when the damaged wheel cannot form a solid seal with your tires or if it is not rolling smoothly.

If your tire keeps losing air pressure or your ride feels off, get your wheels checked by our tire experts to see if you need any rim repair work.

Wheel bearings can also suffer damage after a run-in with a pothole. Bearings are groupings of small steel balls contained within a metal ring called a race. They help your wheels rotate efficiently with as little friction as possible, enabling your vehicle to turn from side to side.

Not being able to turn your vehicle is clearly a big problem. If you start hearing grinding noises when you turn, this can indicate that your bearings were damaged.

Have you hit a pothole recently?

The bad news is that you might need to spend some time at the auto shop. The good news is that if your car insurance includes collision coverage, damage to your vehicle from hitting a pothole is covered by your insurance company!

It’s never safe to drive your vehicle if something seems out of the ordinary. Bring your car into a Virginia Tire & Auto location and our technicians will assess the damage and provide a quick, affordable solution.

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