"Had a friend whose classic Mustang seemed fine after a minor tap, but weeks later he noticed alignment issues."
I get the caution, but honestly, alignment issues from a tiny bump sound a bit extreme to me. Maybe your friend's Mustang had something else going on already? Older cars can be quirky beasts—mine sure is. I once tapped a pole lightly while parking (yeah, embarrassing, I know...), and nothing happened. Checked everything twice, drove paranoid for weeks, and still nothing. Sometimes a bump is just a bump.
Don't get me wrong, sensors are a different story—those things trigger if you sneeze too close. But alignment or structural issues usually need a bit more force. If your tap was gentle enough that you can't even spot a scratch, I'd probably just let it go. Reporting something that minor might just cause unnecessary hassle for both parties.
Then again, cars have personalities of their own. Mine seems to punish me only when I'm already late for work.
I see your point, but alignment issues aren't always obvious right away. Even a small bump can shift things slightly, especially if the car already had some wear. Personally, I'd rather be safe and at least exchange info...just in case something pops up later.
I get what you're saying, but honestly, alignment issues from a tiny bump are pretty rare. I've nudged and been nudged plenty of times in tight parking spaces downtown—never had alignment problems pop up afterward. Usually, it's potholes or curbs that mess things up. Still, I guess exchanging info doesn't hurt if it makes you feel better...just seems a bit overly cautious to me.
Yeah, alignment's probably fine, but I've seen tiny bumps crack clips or loosen sensors behind bumpers. Had a client once whose parking sensor went nuts after a minor tap...better safe than sorry, imo.
Had something similar happen a while back—barely tapped a guy's bumper in traffic, zero visible marks. Thought it was nothing, but turns out his rear camera went fuzzy afterward. You never know with modern cars, sensors are finicky... better to cover yourself just in case.
