In a lot of ways, vehicles are like people. We take them to the car mechanic or dealership for routine checkups and periodic maintenance. It’s the same way we visit our primary care physicians for our annual checkups to make sure we’re in working order. But what happens when a car figures in an accident? The hours immediately after an accident is oftentimes confusing and disorienting. Where were you? What happened? What are you going to do now?
But after making sure that you and the passengers are okay, it’s time to think about what you are going to do with your car. How big of an accident is it? Is your car still running smoothly? How old is your car, by the way?
Aesthetics
Sometimes, it looks like the damage to the car is unsalvageable because of the way the car looks immediately after the accident. Take a closer look. Better yet, bring a car mechanic with you to check on the condition of the car. Broken windows don’t mean major damage. A mobile windshield repair company can fix windshields, door windows, back windows, and sunroof.
If the car has broken lights, those are easily replaceable, too. It’s the same thing with the paint, bends, and other physical deformities you may find in a car after a major accident. What you’re looking for when deciding if you should still save the car or not is damages to the engine, chassis, and electrical components.
Battery
Is it the battery? The battery can fail to start the car when it has been subjected to a collision. Sure, you have a fully charged car battery, but is it leaking? Did the battery’s case break and the fluid inside start leaking? It could be that you need to buy a new battery and realign it. After an accident, one of the things that you have to look into is the health of your car’s battery.
Engine
If your chassis and engine have been heavily damaged by the accident, you should start thinking about a possible replacement for the car. Except, of course, if the car is less than five years old. However, if you have an old car (10 years or more), paying for an engine and chassis overhaul will cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Are you sure you are willing to spend that much on an old car?
If the car has a sentimental value, the least you can do is salvage its aesthetics enough and put it in your garage as some sort of memorabilia. Otherwise, spending thousands of dollars on a car that will no longer give you years is a waste of money. Remember that your car works on the basis of how healthy the engine is. If it has been damaged severely because of the accident, you should double-check if it’s worth saving.
Computerized Components
Nowadays, cars are made up of many computerized components. With the advent of technology, cars are like living spaces. They can make calls, diagnose themselves, play music and movies, and navigate roads by themselves. However, when a car’s computer components become damaged by an accident, replacing and repairing these could cost as much as overhauling an entire car engine.
Smart cars and those that have autonomous driving capacities will be hard to replace. They’re also expensive to fix. If your car has a lot of computer components, it’s worth reconsidering the money you’re about to spend on recalibrating the components, replacing the computers, and reprogramming the software.
What to Watch out For
Some accidents render a car inoperable. Others don’t. If you cannot steer your car already even after it has undergone a major repair, then this might be the time to consider replacing it. Do not even attempt to drive the car when you feel that it is inoperable already. You might get into another accident that will damage not only your car but you and your passengers as well.
Many times, a car just needs cosmetic and mechanical work for it to run again. For example, one of the most common damages to a car after an accident is the doors’ inability to close and open easily. This is a simple matter that a quick fix can solve. It will not take your car mechanic more than a day to repair that. Other damages, however, do not have a quick and easy solution. That’s when you need a professional to work with you through the decision of having the car fixed or replacing it soon.
