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What should I do if I hit a pothole?

It’s that time of year again - potholes are everywhere. It seems like we spend most of our time swerving around them or worse yet unexpectedly landing in one. Hitting a pothole can do damage to your vehicle. Sometimes you can see the damage such as a flat tire or bent rim, but other times it’s not so noticeable.

So, you hit a pothole – now what? Here are a few things to check right away to know if there is damage to your vehicle.

 

5 Things to check if you hit a pothole:

1. Inspect the tires and rims on your vehicle. Make sure all your tires have the proper air pressure. Look for bulges on the sidewall of the tire and/or dents to your rims.
2. Look for leaking fluid: A pothole can damage the undercarriage or engine area of your vehicle. The dashboard may have warning lights for this as well.
3. Is there a change in the steering? Is your car pulling to one side or the other? An alignment issue is often the cause of hitting a pothole.
4. Do you feel a change to the way your vehicle handles? Does your car sway when turning or dive down when braking? Does your car sink in the back when accelerating from a full stop? If so, there could be damage to your Steering & Suspension System.
5. Do you hear weird noises from your exhaust? Hitting a pothole can damage your exhaust system.

If any of these symptoms occur, contact Hilltop Tire Service ASAP for a free vehicle inspection. One of our technicians will thoroughly evaluate your vehicle and let you know if any repairs are necessary before doing any work. Or maybe you don’t notice anything unusual but are unsure, stop by today and get peace of mind.

How to prevent pothole damage

In a perfect world, it would be ideal to avoid every pothole, but unfortunately that’s not possible. The problem is, potholes are everyday road hazards and you can’t always see them until the damage is done. To minimize the chances of hitting a pothole and damaging your vehicle, follow these tips:

• Use the app. Waze provides driving directions along with real-time alerts on road hazards (including potholes), construction zones, accidents, etc.
• Maintain the manufacturers recommended air pressure in your tires. Over or under inflated tires can cause more damage when hit.
• Leave enough space between your vehicle and the one in front of you so you can see road hazards ahead of time and have time to react to them.
• Reduce speed while driving. Sometimes it’s hard to see road hazards so the extra caution could prevent hitting a pothole.