A severe collision is a harrowing experience for most drivers. Once the shock wears off, the next sensible thing to do is to bring your vehicle to a full-service auto shop. Crashes leave damage to your car, so it’s essential to address these issues immediately before they worsen. Here are a few parts that need closer scrutiny.

What Components Should You Check?

1. Transmission

The transmission allows the car to shift gears and accelerate or decelerate accordingly. Without a functional system, your vehicle will be unable to move forward or backward. Although it’s built to be durable, some transmission components may sustain damage during a collision. It’s also possible for transmission fluid to leak, especially with broken gaskets and seals. Slipping gears, rough shifts, lack of power, and difficulty accelerating are some of the signs that you should bring your vehicle to a full-service auto shop right away.  

2. Suspension

The suspension system plays a significant role in vehicle handling, stability, and ride quality. Even if it’s designed to take a beating from potholes, unpaved roads, and other debris, it can get knocked out of alignment during a car crash. Pay attention to operational difficulties like bumpy rides and sudden pulling to one side, and look out for a lopsided appearance, even with equally inflated tires.

3. Tires

After any impact, take some time to inspect your tires for signs of damage on the surface and sidewall. Look for cracks, tears, and splits where air can leak out. Bring the vehicle to a full-service auto shop to have the alignment checked; misalignment is a common issue that most drivers overlook after car crashes. Misaligned wheels result in uneven tire wear, vibrations, uncontrolled drifting, and an off-center steering wheel. 

4. Battery

Collisions can cause electrical connections to loosen, including the ones in your headlights, radio, windows, and battery. Among these, your battery takes the most beating. Apart from the disconnected wires, the sediment inside it gets agitated enough to short-circuit the lead plates. When this happens, it shortens the battery life and leads to premature failure.  

If you’ve been in a major collision or fender bender, take your vehicle to the full-service auto shop at Schaller Jacobson Collision and Automotive Repair. Located in La Crosse, WI, their Automotive Service Excellence^®-certified mechanics provide auto body collision repairs and tuneup services to ensure your vehicle is road-worthy after an accident. Call (608) 788-2545 to set up an appointment, or visit them online to learn more about their services.