As you drive your foreign vehicle, you encounter everyday hazards that can cause vehicle damage. Potholes are some of the most common types of hazards you may encounter while driving. Whether the weather has made it difficult for you to see a pothole or construction forces you to drive directly over one, the damage a pothole does to your vehicle can be costly. As a result, it is important to understand how potholes can affect your vehicle, how to handle the damage, and how to avoid potholes altogether. 

Effects of Potholes

Even if you're trying to miss a pothole, sometimes hitting one can be unavoidable. Some of the most common problems potholes can cause your vehicle are untimely wear to struts and shocks, engine damage, and misalignment of your steering wheel. Because of this, your vehicle can struggle to perform optimally. You may even see signs of uneven wear and tear on your tires. Should you find that your engine is damaged on your foreign vehicle, you could be looking at thousands of dollars just to replace the engine. Unfortunately, the longer you go without checking on the damage, the worse it can get.

Diagnosing the Damage

Potholes can damage your wheels, suspension, and tires if you are not careful. Unfortunately, at times, a pothole can be unavoidable. If you hit a pothole directly, check the sidewalls of your tire. You should also check the air in your tires, since hitting a pothole can instantly deflate the tires. Another area you want to check is your tire rim. A bent tire rim can make the drive very unstable and damage your tire. Finally, driving over a pothole could also damage your alignment. If you take your hands off the steering wheel and see that the car drifts to one side, your alignment is off. You should have your car realigned so that your tires wear evenly. 

Avoiding Potholes Altogether

While you cannot always avoid potholes, you can decrease your chances of hitting one. Many drivers end up hitting a pothole because they did not see it to begin with. In order to avoid missing it, you want to be sure to leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one in front of you. This way you can place the pothole down the center of the vehicle so you don't hit it directly. Another way to decrease your chances of pothole damage is to keep your tires inflated to the recommended amount. This will help your vehicle avoid suffering more damage than it should. You can find the recommended tire pressure in the vehicle owner's manual. 

If you do hit a pothole and need to repair your foreign vehicle, visit a car repair shop that specializes in foreign cars, such as Wolfe's Foreign Auto.