Just a Scratch? 4 Types of Car Damage That Are More Serious Than People Expect

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Most cars collect dings, scratches, and a certain amount of damage over time. Less noticeable scratches are often overlooked and chalked up to normal wear and tear. However, more significant surface damage should be evaluated for possible current or future problems.

Windshield Replacement

A windshield chip or crack might not seem like a big deal. If it is located away from the driver’s main line of vision, it can be easy to overlook the problem while deeming it a non-essential repair. However, many chips and cracks can spread over time or as a result of a slight road bump, such as when you drive over a pothole in a construction zone.

A damaged windshield is dangerous because it can crack into pieces at any time, and the whole windshield is more expensive to repair than an initial chip in the glass. Has windshield damage checked out early? They can assess whether a crack or chip requires a windshield replacement or a simple repair.

Tailpipe

Drivers seldom give much thought to their vehicle’s tailpipe or muffler. That is, they don’t think about it until it’s broken, and the noise becomes annoying or a police officer issues a citation. However, the exhaust system can develop small holes or ruptures due to corrosion or wear and tear.

Left untreated, the problem can escalate to require replacement of the major parts, which is pricier than patching a small hole. In addition, certain types of exhaust system damage can lead to carbon monoxide from the vehicle’s exhaust backing up into the inside of the car, posing a health hazard to the driver and passengers.

Lights

Chipped or nicked headlights and brake lights can be dangerous at night if they cause a glare or don’t function correctly. Night drivers depend heavily on lights that are working properly to safely drive, back up, and park the vehicle.

However, a chip on the glass in front of the headlights can break the headlights themselves. Also, a crack on that glass can let in moisture, which can damage the headlights and the electronics around them. Don’t let a damaged headlight, tail light, or brake light go unfixed. Has it corrected as soon as possible to avoid causing an accident?

Door Locks

A vehicle’s door lock can get frozen in cold temperatures and make it so that it won’t open readily with the car key. If jammed by an overzealous key user or a curious child poking objects into the lock, it will require a car lock repair specialist to address the problem. If the driver’s side door is not impacted, you may be tempted to let the jammed lock go until a future time. But in case of emergency, that could be a deadly mistake. Keep your car door locks functional at all times.

Minor car damage might not appear to be important and repairing these kinds of issues is often put off, sometimes indefinitely. However, small scratches, dents, or chips can indicate deeper issues and bigger future problems. For safety reasons, it is best to get problems like these evaluated promptly.

By Anita Ginsburg
who is a freelance writer and residing in Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. She recommends getting windshield cracks checked as soon as possible to determine if windshield replacement is necessary.

Member since July, 2019
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