r/Cartalk • u/giorgionaprymer • 22h ago

Safety Question Hit a nasty deep pothole but wheels look fine, do I need to go to a mechanic for inspection?

Hi guys, I had a short drive at night yesterday and hit a nasty deep pothole (there were no warning signs) for the first time. The car made sort of a painful metal scratching sound, so I immediately stopped and put my hazard lights on and got out to look. I have very little knowledge about cars but everything looked ok, no visible damage or deformities. I drove to my destination and didn't notice any new sounds, vibrations, etc. Do I need to go to a mechanic to take a look and check whether the car's ok or should I just wait and see if anything feels off?

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u/bigeats1 22h ago edited 21h ago

You are probably ok if there if nothing is immediately noteworthy. That said, if you feel like something is off, it’s worth putting on the rack just for peace of mind.

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u/wilmayo 22h ago

For your own peace of mind if nothing else, take it to an alignment shop and pay for an alignment. Even if nothing is bent or broken, the impact could have knocked it out of alignment and you won't know until your tires start to wear unevenly.

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u/cybertruckboat 22h ago

An alignment is something people don't do often enough. I don't know why it's not part of regular maintenance.

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u/KnittinKityn 20h ago

It was recommended to me to do it annually. I live in the Chicago suburbs and we get more than our fair share of potholes.

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u/giorgionaprymer 20h ago

Thanks for the advice, I think I'm definitely gonna get an alignment done and will keep an eye out for anything suspicious

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u/Dch112 20h ago

Happened to me earlier this year. No car damage but the result I got a bulge on the tire on the side wall, had to replace it. Brand new car with only 6000 miles on it. The tires should be checked carefully

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u/ThirdSunRising 21h ago

Probably fine. You could have your alignment checked I suppose but if you didn’t pop a tire you probably didn’t hit hard enough to damage anything else. I’d just align it next time I need tires

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u/giorgionaprymer 20h ago

Gotcha, tysm!