Fender benders, accidents that happen at low speeds, usually do not cause much damage. Aside from a dent or a scratch, most vehicles are able to drive away from a fender bender pretty much unscathed. If you've been in a minor accident, you know what a relief it is to inspect your car and find little to no damage. However, a visual inspection is often not enough, especially if the person doing the inspecting has no experience in body work. If you've been in a minor accident and sustained little to no damage, following are three reasons why you should stop by the body shop anyway.
There Could Be Underlying Structural Damage
Even if your car has no visible dents and scratches, the accident could have caused components of your car - mechanical, cosmetic and structural - to shift position. Such shifts are usually small and not easily spotted by a lay person. However, small shifts can cause issues with the way your car handles, which can be dangerous. Defects and damage in your car's frame can even make your car structurally unsafe.
You Could Spring A Leak
Small changes in the alignment of the various pieces of your car's body, such as the door, trunk and window, can undermine your car's watertight structure. It's also possible for seals, which are located on the roof of your car, around the trunk and around the doors, to become dislodged in a minor accident, which can allow water to seep into your car. If you don't have your car inspected for such leaks after an accident, you could wake up to inches of water in your car after a major rainstorm.
Even Scratches Can Turn into Big Problems
Small scratches may be barely detectable, but they can cause huge problems later on if they are not touched up with paint. If there are scratches deep enough to expose the metal, it won't take long for your car to succumb to the elements and begin to rust. If you have your car inspected, however, your body shop can quickly touch up the paint and prevent any future problems.
Minor damage might not seem like such a big deal, but it can lead to more problems later on. You might not even to be able to see damage caused by a minor fender bender. For these reasons, it's always a good idea to have your car inspected after any collision.
Share3 April 2015
When I graduated from college, I was able to purchase my first car. After much searching for the perfect vehicle, I selected a white sedan. This car has always been special to me because I earned the money to pay for it by myself. I even still own it. However, because it’s 13 years old now, it really needs to be painted. Instead of hiring someone to repaint it white, I’m considering trying something different. I would like to have a professional paint it either black or silver. On this blog, you will discover how to give an older vehicle a new look by hiring someone to paint it a different color.
