Hey scotty, during a snowstorm I let a friends’ brother take my car around the block to get a feel for the snow. He ended up sliding into a curb going about 20mph, and it chipped away part of the wheel and made it flat. I put a new wheel & tire on, and its toed in quite a few degrees now. The car still drives, but veers to the left pretty hard. Is there anything in particular I should check for repair? I’m bringing it to a mechanic in 5 days but can’t stop worrying about the car. I haven’t driven it besides the test drive after putting on the new wheel.
What you need is a good, and I repeat - GOOD, front end alignment shop. The good ones will be able to tell you what’s wrong & how much it’ll cost to fix.
Bummer about letting others use your car as a guinea pig.
Happy new year!
I was quoted $1750 to replace the lower control arm, steering knuckle, and wheel bearing
Does that include a full wheel alignment too? More importantly, are they a reputed place? I’d take a second opinion if you have access to two good front end alignment places. Just to check if such a high price is indeed justified & if their diagnosis was correct.
Also doesn’t hurt to check with your insurance as @ad99 suggested.
Since your friend was driving the car with your consent, check to see if your insurance will cover the damage under the "permissive use" policy. Not all auto insurance has this, but it certainly doesn't hurt to check. If they approve it, you won't have to worry about paying for all of it.
