When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My wife hit a monster pothole, and now the car starts up normally, no lights on the dash, and the abs works. But after a few hundred yards, the comp detects the steering is massively screwed up and says ESP inoperable, see owners manual. She hit a pothole on the front driver’s side wheel and now the steering wheel is crooked by 1/4 turn counterclockwise. My deductible is going to be like $1,500. Is it worth it to make a claim or is this going to take way less than that. The tire is seemingly fine and the wheel is seemingly not bent at all. Kind of weird that all the shock went into what seemed to be destroying only the most expensive parts of the car, but it’s that kind of week. Just bought four new tires, and got it aligned. Plus it passed inspection needing literally nothing....I was really happy about that for an ‘07 MB. Back to earth now. Anyone know what might be wrong?
Edit:
$360 bent inner tie rod end and no other damage. Not even a sidewalk bubble or bent rim. If that’s what you might want your tires to do:
Tires and alignment happened BEFORE the pothole?
You have bent suspension/steering components and your car doesn't like that. (wheel speeds tell it you're going straight, steering angle tells it you're not)
Tires and alignment happened BEFORE the pothole?
You have bent suspension/steering components and your car doesn't like that. (wheel speeds tell it you're going straight, steering angle tells it you're not)
Yeah, it sucks. Not sure what can be fixed versus replaced or adjusted.
2025 AMG E 53; 2018 GLC300 4Matic; 2003 360 Modena
If possible - jack up the car from the center front pad and compare side to side. Even take measurements to compare. Look for broken wires from the wheel speed sensor - etc. When you say steering wheel is 1/4 turn off - do you mean 90 degrees? That is significant and you should see something bent. You can get entire front end kits for cheap and individual pieces really cheap. Some are very simple to swap out. Throw in an alignment and you might get off cheap. I'm going with that since your tire and rim are in good shape.
If possible - jack up the car from the center front pad and compare side to side. Even take measurements to compare. Look for broken wires from the wheel speed sensor - etc. When you say steering wheel is 1/4 turn off - do you mean 90 degrees? That is significant and you should see something bent. You can get entire front end kits for cheap and individual pieces really cheap. Some are very simple to swap out. Throw in an alignment and you might get off cheap. I'm going with that since your tire and rim are in good shape.
I think all the sensors work because at startup, no issues. A few rolls down the road and it detects that the car is going straight with the wheel turned. So I jacked it up and the tie rod end on the left side is badly bent. Normal, right. Left, don’t work good
I think all the sensors work because at startup, no issues. A few rolls down the road and it detects that the car is going straight with the wheel turned. So I jacked it up and the tie rod end on the left side is badly bent. Normal, right. Left, don’t work good
ABS/ESP/BAS often interact. So don't fret on them. Replace the mangled parts as advised then align. A reputable alignment shop can then tell if there's anything else going on. After, buy your wife a Honda.
I think all the sensors work because at startup, no issues. A few rolls down the road and it detects that the car is going straight with the wheel turned. So I jacked it up and the tie rod end on the left side is badly bent.
You're going to have to get it aligned again after replacing the tie rod. I like going to places like Goodyear that offer a 3 year alignment warranty. I have hit potholes before where it knocked it out of alignment but it was usually a toe adjustment and it's fine again, haven't bent anything as bad as you did unless it was a wheel.
2025 AMG E 53; 2018 GLC300 4Matic; 2003 360 Modena
I'd say that's good news. $50 bucks for both inner and outer and if you're not capable - any alignment shop could swap those as part of the alignment. Incredibly easy to change. Honda's must have the capability to jump over pot holes.
I'd say that's good news. $50 bucks for both inner and outer and if you're not capable - any alignment shop could swap those as part of the alignment. Incredibly easy to change. Honda's must have the capability to jump over pot holes.
Think the outer could be ok or probably not? I snagged a new inner for $30. Could still have major issues, but I doubt it. If some steel that thin started to take enough force to bend, I doubt anything like the frame started to give. It would probably just keep bending the weakest point. Weird situation because the tire and wheel are fine. And I’ve had those wheels straightened before like 1-2x each. They’re made of marshmallow. Must have been a really diffuse impact. And these tires are no joke, they’re some new super hard and noisy Sumitomo tires, 540 AAA. I think I’m never going back to another tire if these things can protect the rim like that. Not that I prefer the tie rod bending, I don’t think that would happen from a typical pothole. A plough ripped up the road and it left a deep hole big enough for the whole wheel to fall into. Penndot already filled it and if you know Penndot, that’s saying something.
Here’s a good shot of the outer.
Last edited by MBAsher; Feb 25, 2021 at 09:45 PM.
Reason: Add picture
You're going to have to get it aligned again after replacing the tie rod. I like going to places like Goodyear that offer a 3 year alignment warranty. I have hit potholes before where it knocked it out of alignment but it was usually a toe adjustment and it's fine again, haven't bent anything as bad as you did unless it was a wheel.
Yeah, I’ve bent wheels LOTS of times. PA is ridiculous. It’s usually a ruined tire and a bent wheel. One time I was doing doughnuts on the snow when I was 16 and slid sideways into a curb, bending the frame, but never bent anything before from a pothole or doing any sane driving.
Good to know about Goodyear three year warranty. Is that for all stores? Do they do camber and caster as well?
Yes, that's for all their stores. A few other chains like Firestone offer them. NTB used to offer them but now it doesn't look like they do since the name change. They can do camber and caster too, but usually they can't be set, depends on the car.
If the steering tierod us pretzeled like that I'm willing to bet the forward lower control arm is also bent. It's made of aluminum with a big bend in the middle ripe for deformation. It's right there next to the tie rod. The rear steel control arm (pictured) that the coil over is attached to is damn near indestructible.
Also when you put a force like that throgh the steering rack, you're going to damage it internally.
Never seen a pothole bend a rack end like that, you must have some huge potholes where you are
The amount of force needed to bend one of these while driving over a pothole should have rattled her teeth loose and destroyed the rim in the process, more common to see these bent like it is from sliding into a kerb or a knock to the wheel from the side wall.
Im sorry, I don't want to discount your Wife's version of events, but as you can see the steering rack is mounted in front of the wheels, so to bend the end like that she would have had to be driving backwards quite fast, as there is no way of bending the rack end in like that if she was driving forward, as the end would have been pulled, not pushed in .
Like others have said just fix it, wheel align and re set steering angle sensor, not a huge problem.
2025 AMG E 53; 2018 GLC300 4Matic; 2003 360 Modena
Originally Posted by MBAsher
Think the outer could be ok or probably not? Here’s a good shot of the outer.
From that photo it doesn't look bent to me. The inner is metal and the outer plus other parts cast - I would look for fracturing also. The other components can be measured against the other side to determine what's bent. The alignment machine will verify caster, camber, toe, etc. and reveal any other suspect parts for sure. The front ends are pretty robust - check this out...
Never seen a pothole bend a rack end like that, you must have some huge potholes where you are
The amount of force needed to bend one of these while driving over a pothole should have rattled her teeth loose and destroyed the rim in the process, more common to see these bent like it is from sliding into a kerb or a knock to the wheel from the side wall.
Im sorry, I don't want to discount your Wife's version of events, but as you can see the steering rack is mounted in front of the wheels, so to bend the end like that she would have had to be driving backwards quite fast, as there is no way of bending the rack end in like that if she was driving forward, as the end would have been pulled, not pushed in .
Like others have said just fix it, wheel align and re set steering angle sensor, not a huge problem.
It’s in a good shop as we speak. I think the bend makes sense. If you somehow froze one wheel on the driver side like she did while steering in a straight line. The car would have force moving forward about 45 degrees to the left of center. If the weakest point was a straight rod going from center to frozen wheel, it would bend exactly like it did. The wheel couldn’t turn. So the car had momentum going left and expended it bending metal to get the left wheel to take a shorter path than the right wheel. I’m glad it didn’t cause the car to do a 90 degree turn.
From that photo it doesn't look bent to me. The inner is metal and the outer plus other parts cast - I would look for fracturing also. The other components can be measured against the other side to determine what's bent. The alignment machine will verify caster, camber, toe, etc. and reveal any other suspect parts for sure. The front ends are pretty robust - check this out... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auQ4uRut1q8
That’s cool! I didn’t realize the wheel well took a beating like that, that explains some damage I saw.
2006 CLS55 IWC, 2003 Black E55 designo interior, 2005 White designo E55
Unavoidable potholes in the dark and rain with no lighting in freeway.
So far found inner tie rod damaged. Tried to get alignment but caster cannot be adequately adjusted. A full degree discrepancy over other side.
Will replace front control arms and try alignment again
One wheel appears to be slightly bent. So will also try and see if it can balance.
I never got potholes but this was one of those times where no matter what, especially that there was a car to my left, I could not avoid.
Thanks to the original poster for sharing. I had already replaced tie rods then saw this post today.maybe can help.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
.
