Being in a car accident is one of the most stressful experiences that can happen to any motorist. Imagine someone just read-ending you out of nowhere at a traffic light. If you are lucky, you won’t sustain any injuries but you’re not out of the woods yet.
The next thing that you will want to check is if there is any damage to your vehicle. Even when there seems to be no visible car accident damage in sight, it always pays to do a thorough check. There’s direct damage that can be seen in plain sight while the indirect damage is not always visible.
It’s all too common for people to repair the visible car accident damage while leaving the hidden ones untouched. Here are some of the ways that your vehicle can be damaged after an accident.
4 Types of Hidden Car Accident Damage
1. Problems with Alignment
So you got involved in a minor auto accident and you got away with a fender-bender. However, you notice that your car handles differently while on the road.
In this case, there’s a good chance that your vehicle’s alignment might be off. Common symptoms of misalignment are steering wobble, vibrations, and the car tends to pull to one side.
Misalignment is not the worst thing that could happen to your vehicle but it can accelerate wear and tear. This type of hidden damage can cause additional stress to the tires, suspension, brakes, and other parts of the car.
If you suspect that there’s an alignment issue with your car, take it to an Escondido auto body repair shop for inspection.
2. Frame Damage
The car’s frame is directly responsible for the safety of your car. A damaged frame can result in misalignment and can affect safety features like airbag deployment.
Your vehicle’s frame can be damaged in two ways: direct and indirect.
As mentioned, direct damage is the damage type that’s seen at the place of the accident. When checking after an accident, you know exactly what you’re looking at with a direct-damaged frame.
Indirect damage is not visible to the naked eye or at least to the average motorist. For instance, the frame might look perfect on the outside but there could be indirect damage to the body.
3. Transmission Issues
Auto collisions do not just cause damage to the vehicle’s body but they can affect the handling and mechanics. All-wheel and rear-wheel drive vehicles have their transmission parts installed near the rear which makes them more vulnerable to car accident damage.
After the collision, you should be on the lookout for slipping transmission. When your vehicle is having trouble with the transmission, you will have issues accelerating while on the road. This goes without saying that you shouldn’t drive your vehicle in this particular state.
As per usual, bring your car in for a diagnosis at the first sign of a transmission issue.
4. Trunk Damage
One of the best ways to check for read-end damage is by checking if the truck is still closing properly. Your trunk should open and close without any issues. However, a rear-end collision might damage some components that will prevent the trunk from closing properly.
Granted a damaged trunk won’t affect how the vehicle drives, it can be a safety issue since the trunk might just plop open while you are driving. Plus, a damaged trunk can severely affect the vehicle’s resale value.
If your trunk doesn’t close properly or you notice some loose hinges, you’re way due for an inspection.
Do Not Take Chances
Just because the car accident damage can’t be seen, it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. As a rule of thumb, always take your vehicle for collision repair following an auto collision.
