Other than the inclement weather conditions, potholes and speed breakers are the worst enemies of your car. They not only speed up your car’s wear and tear but also have the ability to cause mortal harm. This is especially true in the case of potholes and motorcyclists.
While the related statistics from Pakistan are hard to find, in India, between 2018 and 2020, more than 5,600 deaths occurred due to road accidents caused by potholes.
Speed breakers are not much different. An unmarked speed breaker at night can send a motorcyclist flying in the air.
In Pakistan, during the Monsoon season, one should be particularly careful on the roads and lookout for potholes. Rain water has the tendency to wash away patches of road, so keep an eye out.
In this blog, we will help you identify whether your car has sustained pothole or speed breaker damage and how to minimize it.
How To Tell If Your Car Has Been Damaged by Potholes?
Consistently hitting the potholes can upset your car’s wheel balancing. In addition, a car may sustain damage in the shape of cracked alloys, lumps in the tyre and buckled wheels. All of this requires shock and suspension repairs, adding to your monthly/yearly wear and tear budget.
If your car has been making noises, or moving oddly and you suspect it is due to hitting the potholes and speed breakers, look for the following signs:
Is Your Steering Wheel Vibrating or Shaking?
There are a lot of interlinked components in your steering wheel. If you hit a pothole and your steering wheel starts to shake or vibrate, you need to get it checked.
Unfamiliar Exhaust Noises
Hitting the potholes can damage your car’s exhaust system, including the exhaust pipe which can get loose, clogged or bend, resulting in strange noises.
Is Your Car Pulling In One Direction?
Consistently hitting the potholes can misalign the wheels. When wheels are misaligned you cannot drive a car in a straight direction. In addition, misaligned wheels lead to uneven tyre wear.
Flat Tyre
One of the signs of hitting potholes is flat or low tyre pressure. If you are facing this problem consistently, then it is strongly advised that you get your tyres checked by a professional.
Bent Rims
Rims are usually made of aluminum and can bend due to consistent and hard pothole impact. A bent rim is a safety hazard.
Tyre Damage
Is there a bulge in your tyre? Hitting a pothole can damage the inner tyre liner, leading to a bulge. If you see a bulge, get that tyre repaired immediately as it can explode, seriously compromising your safety on the road.
In addition to causing visible damage to the tyres, potholes can seriously damage your car’s suspension, which unfortunately can’t always be seen with a naked eye.
Here are some of the signs of a damaged car suspension:
Bowing Front End
Under normal conditions when you apply brakes, your car slows down and then halts completely. However, if your suspension is damaged, when you apply brakes, the front end of the car takes a bow. This is a big giveaway that your car’s front end suspension is damaged.
Bouncing or Sliding
If your car bounces or slides when you are turning or accelerating it is also a major sign of a faulty suspension.
Front or Rear Low Sitting
As the name suggests, shock absorbers absorb shock on impact. If your car sits lower from the front or the rear then you need to get your car’s suspension checked.
How To Minimize Pothole Damage?
Potholes especially at night are hard to avoid and not every speed breaker is marked in Pakistan. So, it is not possible to avoid their damage altogether. But here is the next best option to mitigate the risk.
- Stay focused on the road while driving. This is even more important when driving on an unfamiliar road.
- Make sure your tyres are properly inflated.
- If you cannot avoid driving on a pothole, drive slowly over them while holding the steering wheel firmly.
These were some of the signs of a car damaged by potholes and speed breakers. If you are planning to buy a used car and suspect it of the same, avail OLX Pakistan’s Car Inspection and save yourself from buying a faulty car.
You may also like to read:
12 Car Noises That Are Not to Be Ignored
All About Tyre Burst: Why Does It Happen and How to Prevent It?
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