Totally agree with double-checking the alignment. Last time I had a minor accident, the insurance-approved shop did a decent job cosmetically, but I noticed the steering wheel felt slightly off-center afterward—nothing major, but enough to bug me every commute. Ended up taking it to my usual mechanic for peace of mind. Cost me a bit extra, sure, but I'd rather spend a little now than risk bigger issues later... especially when it comes to safety and handling.
Had something similar happen to me a while back. Got rear-ended at a stoplight—nothing major, just bumper damage—but after the insurance-approved shop fixed it, I noticed the car pulling slightly to the right. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but after a week of constantly correcting the steering wheel, I knew something was off. Took it to my regular mechanic, and sure enough, alignment was out just enough to be annoying. He said it's pretty common after even minor accidents because the impact can shift things slightly, even if you don't see obvious damage. Definitely worth the extra cash to get it sorted properly. Learned my lesson: cosmetic fixes don't always mean everything underneath is good to go...
"cosmetic fixes don't always mean everything underneath is good to go..."
Exactly this. Had a similar issue with my '68 Mustang after a minor fender bender. Looked fine after the bodywork, but the steering felt off—just didn't have that same smoothness. Turns out the frame had shifted slightly, barely noticeable but enough to affect handling. Always worth getting a second opinion from a trusted mechanic, especially with classics or older cars. Better safe than sorry when it comes to alignment and structural integrity...
That's a good point about the hidden structural issues, especially with older classics like your Mustang. But honestly, it's not just limited to older cars or classics—modern vehicles can have similar problems too. A couple years ago, I had a pretty minor rear-end collision in my 2016 Civic. The bumper got replaced, and visually it looked perfect. I figured since it was newer and the damage wasn't severe, everything else would be fine... turned out I was wrong.
After driving it around for a few weeks, something just felt slightly off. Not dramatically noticeable, but enough to make me uneasy. Took it to my mechanic, and he found that one of the mounting brackets behind the bumper had bent inward slightly during the collision. It wasn't serious enough to be obvious at first glance, but over time it could've caused alignment issues or made future repairs more complicated.
So yeah, cosmetic fixes can hide deeper problems even in newer cars—not just classics. I'm definitely with you on getting that second opinion from someone trustworthy. Even if insurance says everything's good to go after repairs, I'd rather spend a little extra time and money double-checking than risk safety down the line.
But to be fair, sometimes minor cosmetic damage really is just that—minor cosmetic damage. I've seen people get overly cautious after small incidents and spend hundreds unnecessarily checking things that were never even impacted by the accident. It's understandable to want peace of mind, but there's a balance between being thorough and going overboard.
Still, when it comes to steering or braking—anything directly related to safety—I'm definitely leaning more towards caution. No harm in having an extra set of eyes look things over if something feels off after repairs... better safe than sorry indeed.
"cosmetic fixes can hide deeper problems even in newer cars—not just classics."
Yeah, learned this the hard way myself. Got rear-ended in my Corolla last year, bumper looked brand new after repairs... but now it squeaks every time I hit a speed bump. Drives me nuts, lol.
