No matter where you live, potholes are a fact of life. When you drive over these obnoxious holes, it can wreak havoc on your vehicle. Even if you drive over potholes regularly and think nothing of it, these annoying holes in the road can do some serious damage to your tires, wheels, alignment, and your suspension system. If you’ve recently run over a pothole and have some concerns, here are a few warning signs that something has gone wrong and you may have pothole damage.
Loss of Control
Whether it’s one pothole or several, hitting them can cause you to feel like you’re losing control when you drive. A few warning signs include:
- Your car starts to feel like it’s swaying whenever you make a turn
- The vehicle “bottoms out” when you drive through city streets, or it bounces much more than normal when you drive on rough terrain
- These warning signs are indications that there’s a problem with your steering and suspension. These systems are extremely important to monitor since they’re directly related to your safety and your ability to handle your vehicle.
Pulling
If it suddenly feels like your car wants to pull in one direction instead of driving straight, it’s likely an issue with your alignment. Another red flag is when your tires suddenly experience uneven tread wear. When you drive over potholes, it creates vibrations that will put your alignment out of whack. Good wheel alignment is essential for the lifespan of your tires and it’s also related to safer handling. Talk to your mechanic about getting an alignment as soon as possible. This affordable service will extend the life of your tires and keep you driving on the straight and narrow.
Tire Problems
You probably already know that hitting a pothole can do some serious damage to your tires. A few warning signs include low tire pressure, dents in your wheel rim, or bulges and blistering on the tire sidewalls. Any of these signs should be investigated and remedied as soon as possible. The tires are the contact point between your vehicle and the road, so they need to be in good condition at all times. A pothole develops when water permeates the pavement through a crack. The soil underneath gets soft, creating a deep hole in the surface. Over time, weather and cars driving over this hole make it deeper, resulting in potentially serious pothole damage for your vehicle.
For all your automotive service and repair needs, contact Primary Care Auto Repair in Warwick, RI to schedule an appointment today!