CINCINNATI — After a cold winter, many of us are looking forward to this week's warmer temperatures.
But with that warmer weather comes potholes that can blow your car's tire, dent your car's rim and even damage your car's suspension.
Tanya Shearer was driving along Kellogg Avenue near the Salem Road exit last spring when, she said, "all of a sudden I hit it and it felt like a gunshot. Dash lights started going off."
A massive pothole destroyed her right front tire and impacted several other drivers.
The bigger shock came the next day, when Shearer learned she needed a new alloy wheel as well as a tire.
The grand total?
"$2,608," she said.
WATCH: Auto expert explains how to avoid potholes and what to if you hit one:
Much more than tires are affected
Every year, potholes like these do billions of dollars of damage nationwide, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll end up paying for it in more ways than one.
Jeff Bartlett is the auto managing editor for Consumer Reports.
He says potholes damage one-in-ten cars on the road each year.
"Damage can be caused not only to the tire, but also to the wheel and the suspension,” Bartlett said. Tire problems can be cheap compared to the others.
Since the problems might not be visible at first, he says you should watch for other red flags.
"If a new vibration occurs, or if the car starts driving differently, you're gonna want to have it inspected by a mechanic," Bartlett said.
To protect your car against potholes, Bartlett says:
- Maintain your tire pressure at the recommended levels
- Next, leave space between you and the car in front of you. "You wanna have a chance to see any obstacles," Bartlett said.
- Third, if you see a pothole, dodge safely if you can and slow down if you can’t
- Finally, avoid puddles. Water often hides a 4-inch pothole underneath.
But whatever you do, don't slam on the brakes.
"That increases the risk that they would be damaged," Bartlett said.
How to file a pothole claim
In the meantime, if your car is damaged, you should file a claim.
- In the city of Cincinnati, call 3-1-1
- In Hamilton County, call the Communications Center at 513-825-2280
- Elsewhere in Ohio, call the Ohio Department of Transportation
- In Kentucky, call 1-800-PATCH IT
You might be able to get reimbursed if the pothole had been reported but not repaired.
Unfortunately, the City of Cincinnati has admitted to us in the past that most pothole claims are not reimbursed, because in most cases, there is no proof of negligence, where the city failed to fix a reported issue.
That is the hurdle your claim usually has to pass.
But it is still worth filing a claim, so you don't waste your money.
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