We all know that sun exposure can harm our skin, but did you know the sun’s rays can also damage your car? When you leave your car in the sun for extended...
So, you've found the perfect used car. The color is right, it has navigation and even a sunroof! As you walk around it in awe, daydreaming about taking it down the highway with...
Car accidents happen hundreds of times every day, and sometimes cars are repaired under-the-table without having been reported. Some cars get squashed while others are sold for scrap, but there are...
Buying a car is an exciting and challenging time. It’s possible to go through the whole process of buying a car, transferring the title, and obtaining car insurance without...
While at first seemingly innocuous and innocent, rabbits can do significant damage to the wiring and lines in your vehicle. Along with rats and other rodents, rabbits like to get into...
If you hit a curb hard enough to cause a splash or heat shield (or bumper fascia component, if it is that) to dislodge, I would be more worried about damage to the tire, rim, and possibly the suspension, particularly...
To request an exact repair quote please click on "Get a Quote" at YourMechanic's door mirror replacement service page. If you desire to attempt the repair yourself, and your existing mirror is not re-usable (that is the glass cannot be...
Hitting a pothole can damage wheel bearings. Basically, the force of the impact causes the ball bearings to get driven into the bearing race and cause indentations in the race. Then the bearing eventually becomes noisy. You could have damaged...
In your initial question, I did not know that valve damage occurred as a consequence of a failed timing belt replacement. The 4 valves that the shop "claims" were damaged might merely represent what they "think" was the extent of...
Overheating, if severe enough, will damage an engine. The term "blown", though, is not a technical term and thus means nothing in particular except that the engine, according to that mechanic at least, is "damaged". Typically, in the worst cases...
The only way to determine if the collision caused damage is to carefully MEASURE the alignment and, as well, the frame dimensions using a tram. If those steps have not been specifically taken, what the mechanics have told you about...
It depends. If only a bolt needs to be replaced, the price "sounds" high but even that response is speculative because there might be a lot of disassembly work to get to the bolt and then, of course the wheel...
Gasoline vapors are highly explosive so the very first thing to remember is if a "repair" involves the gas tank, exercise extreme caution. In this circumstance, for instance, do not use a vacuum to retrieve the foreign matter as that...
A 2011 model year car is "generally" too new to have a bolt so stuck that it is broken on removal. It is possible the mechanic encountered a stuck bolt but simply used the wrong technique to remove it (common...
Typically the causes of plastic cover breakage are overtightening of the fasteners used to retain the cover and/or if the cover mounting surface is distorted. The tightening torque is in the low inch pounds and if you don't use an...
The only way to determine what is broken, and who is potentially responsible or at fault, is to physically examine the engine. Speculation in the absence of a physical, on site examination is not going to help you. If you...
The frame and/or suspension components have been damaged. To determine which will require some measurements and inspection. If all the damage is suspension related, that is assuming none of the sub-frame is damaged or the suspension mounting bosses, it is...
Hello, thank you for writing in. Typically there are a few things you want to be concerned about. The seat may be in the path to get wet, but the rain can blow in effecting front seats and other components....
The adjusting bracket has one bolt, Toyota Part number 91621-60845. The adjusting bolt that you broke is part number 90119-08299. This bolt should not bottom out so you should check for the possibility that the belt is the wrong size...
If there was no impact causing the cover to dislodge, it is possible that the cover has simply "pulled through" one or more of the fasteners. The cover is plastic and so the bolts holding it on bear on a...
If the balls are roughly 3/8th inch in diameter, they come from the CV joint at the end of the axle. The CV joint may be broken which would explain why the car won't move. Replacing the axle is a...
If a vehicle hits something, or is damaged in recovery (towing), almost any part of the suspension can be bent or broken. In your circumstance, inasmuch as the tire wear is so extreme a mere visual inspection of the suspension...
It's possible that the front suspension and/or the steering rack sustained damage during this incident. The only other potential cause is a power steering pump failure and/or a failure of the drive belt. I recommend you request a power steering...
Request that a professional alignment shop use a tram to carefully and completely measure the unibody and compare all such measurements against the data set out in detail in your vehicle's Factory Service Manual. Using that strategy it will be...
Hello, thank you for writing in. The shields that are mounted on the bottom of the car provide the most protection from water and road debris. While they do provide this protection, failure of the rack and pinion should not...
