There are two broad categories of collision: major and minor. If you’ve had the misfortune to be in a collision, your car is likely to be damaged in some way. The damage dealt in a major collision is usually obvious but minor collisions can sometimes leave hidden internal damage that’s harder to detect. With this in mind, here’s how to know if you should visit your local Chevy dealer for collision repair following an accident.
Visible Body Damage
If your car’s bodywork is visibly damaged, you’ll be in no doubt that you need a repair job. Following a collision, you’ll commonly see dents in the doors, hood, trunk, fenders, bumpers, grill, or elsewhere. Headlights and windows might also be cracked.
In major situations, you might have serious framework damage. At the very least, a collision will leave your paintwork scraped, requiring a prompt touch-up before it starts to rust.
Leaking Fluids
Now let’s move on to hidden damage, which you might at first miss. It’s not uncommon for coolant or transmission fluid to leak after a bump. If you have a rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, your transmission is situated near the back of your vehicle, and so it can be damaged by a rear-ended collision, which accounts for 29% of all car-on-car crashes.
If this happens, you’re likely to spot a reddish liquid pooling under your car, and your gearbox might be having trouble. The fluid hoses and connections of other car parts might also be loosened, causing leaks of various colors, which will need to be immediately fixed.
Steering Problems
Even the smallest bump with another vehicle can knock a car’s framework slightly out of shape or misalign your wheels. As modern Chevrolets are perfectly balanced machines, you’ll immediately notice an alteration to your steering.
Perhaps your car will be pulling slightly to one side, or the wheel seems to favor one direction over the other. If the wheels are misaligned, you’ll sense a general lessening of handling, and you might feel odd vibrations as well.
Stuck Trunk, Hood, or Doors
If the frame is knocked out of shape, it might affect how well your trunk, hood, or doors open and close. Test them all carefully before driving again. Latches can sometimes become damaged by a mild collision, failing to lock or unlock properly. This might leave you trapped inside your car, or worse; it might cause a door to suddenly unlock and swing open while you’re on the road.
How a Chevy Dealer Assesses Collision Damage
Experienced technicians have a great eye for spotting hidden internal and external damage. Externally, they’ll spot the tiniest crack in the corner of a windshield which might expand later. They’ll inspect all the components under your hood and undercarriage and run the engine, transmission, brakes, and catalytic converter through tests to ensure everything is well.
Visit Lithia Chevrolet of Redding to have experienced technicians inspect your car for any kind of collision damage. We’re a local dealership offering excellent vehicles and customer service to match.
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