Car Problem

by Sara

2008 HONDA CIVIC
Hello,
About 6 months back I made a u-turn and hit the curb. Both front and rear tires hit but luckily nothing happened to anyone. Unfortunately the wheels and suspension got messed up. Since it is a new car and I'm the only driver in the family, (I had no knowledge about cars) I took it to a Honda company. They replaced the tires and rims. They also said they tried flushing out the fluid from the suspension. I have no idea what that means. After I got it back I noticed the car was fine, but I heard a little noise on the drivers side which didn't really bother me. When I stop the car I hear the noise. After I realized when I made turns the wheel turned back slowly I took it back and they said it will cost about $1,000 to replace the steering rack. I didn't have the money, so I didn't fix it. I'm use to it now and it does no harm. I plan on fixing it after few months when I have the money. Is this ok? Is it going to create more damage?
Thank you for your response in advance.
Sara


Steve Says,

Thanks for your question Sara! I see a lot of cars in the wintertime that come in for similar problems when they slide on slick roads into curbs. This type of accident almost always causes more damage than just to the wheels, but it does depend on how hard you hit the curb.

As for your specific question of whether you will do more damage by driving your car with a steering rack problem, it is very hard to tell without seeing the car. Most likely it will not cause any problems at all if you are used to it and know it is there. However it is very important that you do get it fixed as soon as possible because your car was not made to be driven with a damaged rack and pinion. It is important to make sure that this problem is not causing your new tires to wear unevenly too. You can have them checked at most any tire shop or repair shop as long as it's one that you trust.

When you have your car repaired you might consider finding an independent repair shop to do the work. If you can find a good one that you trust it will save you money and they will give you the same quality of work as a Honda dealership. You also might consider having them replaced your rack and pinion steering with a used part. This would save a considerable amount of money and they part would most likely be of good quality as well.

Good luck with your problem and thanks again for asking me your car repair question.