Why You Should Avoid Potholes

Potholes can seem like little more than an uncomfortable bump in the road, but a direct hit can put significant stress on your Volvo's tires, wheels, alignment, steering, and suspension. The effects are not always obvious right away. A tire may develop internal damage, a wheel can become slightly bent, or an alignment change can gradually cause uneven tire wear long after the initial impact.

That makes pothole awareness especially important around Roanoke, where winter moisture and changing temperatures can contribute to deteriorating pavement. Whether you're commuting through the city, traveling across Roanoke County, or heading farther into western Virginia, avoiding damaged pavement when it's safe to do so can help preserve the smooth ride, precise handling, and predictable road manners you expect from your Volvo.

What Can Happen to Your Volvo When You Hit a Pothole?

A pothole impact creates a sudden upward force at the wheel. The tire absorbs some of that energy, but a hard enough hit can transfer force through the wheel and into the steering and suspension systems. Speed, pothole depth, tire inflation, wheel and tire dimensions, and the angle at which you enter the pothole can all influence the outcome.

This is why pothole damage can extend beyond the component that actually touched the pavement. Depending on the severity of the impact, areas that may need attention include:

• Tires: A sharp impact can cause a puncture, sidewall bulge, cut, or internal structural damage.
• Wheels: Alloy wheels can bend or crack, potentially causing vibration or making it difficult for the tire to maintain pressure.
• Alignment: An impact can alter wheel alignment, contributing to pulling, an off-center steering wheel, and accelerated tire wear.
• Suspension components: Shocks, struts, control arms, bushings, ball joints, and related components help manage road forces and may be affected by a severe hit.
• Steering components: Tie rods and other steering hardware can sustain damage that changes how accurately your Volvo responds.
• Wheel hubs and braking components: A particularly forceful impact can place additional stress on bearings, hubs, and nearby brake hardware.

A Volvo that continues driving normally immediately afterward is not necessarily damage-free. Minor changes can become easier to notice as you accumulate more miles.

How Can You Reduce the Risk of Pothole Damage?

The safest strategy is to avoid a pothole when you have enough time and space to do so without making an abrupt maneuver. That isn't always possible, particularly at night, in heavy traffic, or after winter weather has damaged pavement.

A few driving and maintenance habits can help reduce the potential for damage:

• Scan well ahead rather than focusing only on the vehicle directly in front of you.
• Maintain enough following distance to see pavement hazards before you reach them.
• Reduce your speed before the pothole if it is safe to do so.
• Avoid hard braking as your wheels enter the pothole, which can shift additional vehicle weight toward the front.
• Never make a sudden swerve into another lane, oncoming traffic, or the shoulder simply to avoid damaged pavement.
• Keep your tires inflated to the pressure specified for your Volvo rather than estimating based on appearance.

Tire pressure deserves particular attention. An underinflated tire has less ability to protect the wheel from severe road impacts, while excessive pressure can reduce the tire's ability to flex properly. Regular pressure checks can also alert you to a slow leak caused by a previous pothole encounter.

For Roanoke drivers, these habits can become particularly valuable during and after winter. Repeated freezing and thawing can weaken pavement, and VDOT reports that freezing temperatures combined with snow or rain can lead to increased pothole formation.

What Are the Signs of Pothole Damage?

Some pothole damage announces itself immediately with a flat tire, loud noise, or noticeable change in steering. Other problems are subtler. You may not recognize anything unusual until your next highway drive or until you notice an unexpected tire-wear pattern.

After a significant impact, watch for changes such as:

• Pulling or drifting: If your Volvo consistently moves toward one side on a level road, its alignment or steering may need attention.
• An off-center steering wheel: The steering wheel should remain properly positioned when you're traveling straight.
• Unusual vibration: Shaking through the steering wheel, seat, or floor can indicate a tire, wheel, or balance concern.
• A tire that repeatedly loses air: The impact may have damaged the tire, wheel, bead, or another part of the wheel-and-tire assembly.
• New suspension noises: Clunks, rattles, knocking, or squeaking after an impact deserve attention.
• Different braking behavior: New vibration, pulling, or unusual sounds during braking should be inspected promptly.

The driving environment can affect when these symptoms become apparent. A minor vibration that is difficult to notice during a short trip through Roanoke may become much clearer once you reach sustained highway speeds. Similarly, a small alignment change may first reveal itself through uneven tire wear rather than an obvious change behind the wheel.

What Does a Pothole Damage Inspection Include?

Because several interconnected systems can absorb the force of a pothole impact, a thorough inspection should go beyond checking whether the tire is flat. A technician can examine the affected area and determine whether the impact changed anything that could influence ride quality, steering response, tire wear, or braking.

Depending on the symptoms and severity of the impact, an inspection may include:

• Examining tires for cuts, bulges, punctures, tread damage, and other signs of impact.
• Inspecting wheels for bends, cracks, or damage around the tire bead.
• Measuring wheel alignment and comparing the results with the appropriate specifications.
• Checking steering and suspension components for damage, looseness, or abnormal movement.
• Evaluating wheel bearings and hubs when noise or vibration suggests additional stress.
• Inspecting relevant braking components if stopping behavior changed after the impact.

Alignment measurements can be especially useful because a small change in wheel geometry may not be obvious from the driver's seat. Correcting an alignment problem before it causes significant uneven wear can help you get more usable life from your tires while restoring more predictable steering and handling.

Schedule Volvo Service in Roanoke, VA

A pothole doesn't automatically mean your Volvo needs repairs, but a significant impact is worth taking seriously, especially if you notice vibration, pulling, or changes in steering or braking afterward. Having the vehicle inspected early can help distinguish a harmless bump from a problem that could lead to premature tire wear or additional component damage.

If a rough stretch of pavement has left you wondering whether your Volvo is still driving as it should, schedule service with Volvo Cars of Roanoke. A professional inspection can help identify concerns involving your tires, alignment, suspension, or related components. Addressing those issues can help your Volvo return to the composed ride and confident road behavior that make a difference on everyday drives throughout Roanoke.

*Disclaimer: This content was drafted with AI assistance for initial drafting, reviewed by a subject-matter expert for accuracy, and edited by our team of writers and editors.