How a Seemingly Minor Front-End Fender Bender Can Lead to Major Problems Down the Road
Whether someone has accidentally bumped into your vehicle, or you’ve been the one doing the rear-ending, there are a number of things that may have happened to either or both vehicles that deserve attention. Even if it looks like nothing—sometimes, especially if it looks like nothing. Save yourself from some potentially significant problems and expenses that could result from mistakenly concluding that just a little fender bender with no apparent damage is nothing to be worried about.
POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL DAMAGE
- Cameras and other sensors, which are part of the vehicle’s safety system, may have been damaged enough to affect the reliability of airbags in a future crash
- Wheels can be knocked slightly out of alignment resulting in preventable tire wear and poor handling
- It is possible that the trunk or hood latching device can be damaged, which could cause an unplanned, unexpected, and certainly unsafe opening while driving
- Alignment issues—a small bump in the tire or wheel can affect your alignment and cause tire wear. If the steering wheel is no longer centered, this might indicate your alignment is compromised.
- Damage to parts of your vehicle that are not currently in use. Say you get into an accident during the winter months. You may not realize that your a/c condenser was damaged until it’s summertime, which can leave you holding a not-so-pleasant repair bill.
TOXIC EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILURES
A compromised exhaust system may just be noisy, misaligned, or it might lead to potentially deadly fumes getting inside the vehicle. It could even cause a fire if drastically misaligned.
TIRES AND TRANSMISSION
On all-wheel-drive vehicles, the tread-depth needs to be the same on all four tires, otherwise you run the risk of causing transmission damage. So if you accidentally run over a curb have to replace a damaged tire, your other tires will need to be evaluated and potentially replaced in order to avoid more costly damage down the line.
DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES
Electrical components and expensive sensors may have been damaged enough to keep your vehicle’s sophisticated safety system from functioning as it should. And lights on the rear of the car may have failed in that they no longer give other drivers a visible signal. This could increase the possibility of a wreck as your brake lights or turn signals fail to let other drivers know your intentions on the road.
DEPRECIATION OF VALUE
Even if you think it’s nothing, and even if you are spared any of the potential issues we’ve shared so far, we have to consider whether it will be nothing to someone who might like to buy your vehicle in the future. Any of the issues we’ve discussed may cause potential buyers to choose a vehicle without such a history. But, take heart! You can offer potential buyers total peace of mind if, after your collision, you bring your vehicle into Hammer’s. Our experienced, friendly professionals will give it a thorough check-up and repair any unseen damage. Hammer’s uses state of the art equipment including Car-O-Liner unibody racks with computerized measuring to accurately return your vehicle to its factory specifications. How about that for peace of mind!
We here at Hammer’s have been helping drivers for the last 55 years. There’s truly nothing we haven’t seen when it comes to vehicle care. With our nationally-recognized OEM certified technicians working for you, you can have complete confidence that your vehicle will be expertly repaired. We work with all major insurance companies and we offer a lifetime guarantee on our work. We’re here for you when you need us. Call anytime!
