Crashed Car Still Giving You Trouble? 4 Supplemental Repairs That The Insurance Company May Cover
After an accident, it's human nature to focus on the damage you can see. However, there's often more damage that you can't see lurking just beneath the surface. What's more, most of this damage isn't identified until days after the accident. If you take your car to get it inspected after the accident, the auto body shop and mechanic will likely find hidden issues and tell you about them. But what if you don't take your car to the shop? What if you think it's fine only to start having trouble a week or more later? Following are four problems that the insurance company may repair as supplemental repairs.
Drifting and Alignment Issues
A crash can knock your car out of alignment, and a bent frame or broken sway bar can cause your car to drift while you're driving it down the highway. If you notice anything different about your steering or handling, it may be related to the accident. At the very least, ignoring steering issues could cause more wear and tear on your car's components, such as the tires. At the worst, ignoring it could put your safety at risk.
Flickering Lights and Warnings
Your car's computer is constantly running diagnostics on all of your systems. New problems don't show up right away. For this reason, you could start having warning lights pop on several days after your accident. If your check engine or other light comes on suddenly or turns on and off, you likely have underlying issues from the accident. It could be something simple; something could have gotten knocked loose. It could also be something serious, so don't delay getting it checked out.
Leaking Fluids and Hoses
Accidents can cause seals to break, hoses to tear, and cracks to form in key components. All of these issues can lead to leaks. If you notice that your car has started leaking oil or radiator fluid in the days and weeks following the crash, chances are the leaks are a result of the crash. It's very important to keep a close eye on your fluids after an accident.
Dead and Weak Battery
The force of a collision can break components in your car's battery and cause it to short out or weaken. Any problems with battery power and life are usually a direct result of the accident.
As you can see, there are many problems that may go unnoticed in the minutes and hours after an accident. Your frame may be bent, but you can't see it. Always have your car inspected by a mechanic and auto body shop, such as Central Body Company, Inc., after an accident. Also watch out for signs that something isn't as it should be with your car.