So I was driving to Michigan this past weekend, and ran over what was essentially a large pothole on the onramp from I-94 to I-69 West in Port Huron. Right after I knew the tire was toast, so I pulled over and changed it. Sure enough, it blew out from the impact. I drove the rest of my trip on the spare because no one had a tire for the thing.

I get home and notice that there are some suttle ripples in the roof, which tells me that there's frame damage somewhere, but it mght have just been the shock through the chassis. I bring it to the shop I used to work and have them put the tire on and align it, and they tell me that the spindle and lower control arm are bent. This makes me think that there probably is some frame damage - how else would there be dents in the roof?

Are our cars that cheaply made, that a pothole has the ability to cause so much damage? So far, I have to get:

New Tire $205 (my cost)
Two alignments (one to get home and one for good) $75 each
Control Arm and Spindle about $300
Possibly the fram straightened $???
Roof repaired $???
And the labor to do all the front end work $???
Plus, the wheel (which is still round, but all marked up) $400?

I mean, a bump in the raod has caused over $1000 in damage NOT including labor or body work.

Something doesn't seem right to me...

 

ouch... that sucks. were you going fast? i know onramps around here everyone is at least doing 5-10 over before they even reach the highway.

 

That sucks, I have hit some serious potholes in my old Redline while living in Colorado, but no problems like described. you must have hit a small crater. Good luck with that.

 

lots of pot holes here, no probs. That really sucks dude.

 

stupid asteroids...

 

Maybe it's just Michigan...

I almost destroyed my car when I was driving to the U.P. to see a wedding. There was this genetic mutant of a deer the size of a f'ing horse in the middle of the road and I swerved and spun the car out. I have no doubt that if I would have had the stock tires on I would have had a blowout.

Sucks about your car tho. Hopefully the warranty gods will treat you well.

 

haha, i dont know new york roads but drive down to pa...you guys lose asteroids in the roads...i think some of our roads ate small planets...maybe that what happened to pluto...

 

Go back to the pothole, take a picture of it and send it with a letter to the state requesting reimbursement for repair costs. You may have to fight for it a bit but I know you have the right.

 

That would be nice to do, but my insurance will cover this with a $500 deductible, plus, the pothole is is about 500 miles from my house.

 

probably someone from this forum knows the area and can email you a pic...but that is good the insurance is covering it

 

I am very fimilar with that area considering it's only 1/2 hr away. I know the potholes up that way can be quite bad. Was this on the onramp or just as you got on I-69. Either way it can be investigated by me.

Michigan has many forms of Mutant Humans, Animals, Pot holes and occasional fat hookers that live up in thumb area. I feel for you on the pot hole. If you need help finding the hole (I can't believe I said that) let me know.

-Mike

 

I did serious damage to a Ford Taurus (company car) up in Michigan once when I hit a pothole(crater). I dont think its the Cobalts fault, I dont know many monster trucks, let alone cars that could handle some of those things! Good luck and keep your eyes open!

 

Mike - Thanks a bunch, but I really don't know that I'll need anything from the town/city/village/what have you. The pothole was on the other side of the white line for the onramp, so it technically wasn't even in the raod still (I had been driving for 9 hours straight - give me a break). The ramp I'm talking about is getting onto I-69W from I-94 W up in Port Huron... I think less than 5 miles past the Canadian border. The pothole is between I-94 and the onramp.

Also, anyone know how these (or any car) take to frame repairs? I know some people say "It'll never be the same again", but it can be repaired and everything comes to within specs, then what's the real harm? Keep in mind I'll have this car for some time...

 

The cobalt is on par with other vehicles in the same segment. They're all being made a lot cheaper today than they were 10 years ago. I get freaked out when we go through the car wash and I hear the roof's sheet metal buckle in and out just from the pressure wash. Very flimsy.

 

i got all the suspension i will give you a deal and ship Free if your interested!

 

i hit an open manhole on NY 9N/22 a couple of years ago with my 96 Cavalier coupe. Destroyed the wheel, tire, set off the ABS warning light... tried to go after New York state for the replacement of the wheel (hard to find) and new tire ($90)... they politely told me **** up a rope... still, i recently hit a pothole hard enough to bend one of my Motegi wheels and the car didn't have ripples or anything... weird.

Scott

 

Scott - whereabouts do you live? I used to work at Gil's Garage in Burnt Hills, NY and remember working on a green Cavalier coupe that had run over an open manhole...was that you? Tire was blasted and the rim was all bent to ****.

 

I ran over a 4x4 with my right tire and it made my sunroof rattle i was going like 80 on the freeway also. I just took it to the dealer and told them my runroof rattles so they adjusted it and lubed it and its fine.

 

i drive that road all the time going between rochester and flint for school, and i know the exact spot your talkign about. i hit that once, luckily made it away better than you, but needless to say i've never hit it again. Michigan freeways blow ass

 

Tell me about it...I know I was in the shoulder, but I-69W at the start up ther in Port Huron is just an abortion of a road.

My friends out there tell me to stop complaining about all the tolls in NY now

 

Welcome to dealer customer pay. It dose not help that our cars have 18's with a 45 sidewall which can make a pot hole like driving into a curb. Those prices are high tho.

 

nope, wasn't me... the Cavalier coupe in question was a red coupe... this was back in 2002. I'm from off of Exit 29-31 of the Northway... moriah NY

Scott

 

that sucks man sorry to hear..

 

Yes these cars are that chinsy, also the potholes on 94 are monsters ! In my tbird I had 20" giovanni rims and a body kit. I was going 25 mph because there was a down pour and no one could see I didnt see the pothole and hit it. It cracked my rim in half my whole car dropped and the front valance ripped off. The crack was 6 inches long with a dent that protruded about 3 inches. My new chrome rims were toast. Worst thing about it I bought the rims from a friend so no warranty and they were discontinued so I couldnt find another one !!! I cried... literrally it was just too much to take lol

 

the stock rims are about 748 or 758 a piece