i dont know what the part is called its that area where wheels sit but there is plastic that covers it up from stuff flying up on the road into engine compartment. well both sides have damage and i am concerned as to why both sides driver side and passenger side has damage. is this sign of tampering? we recently went on road trip. do car thieves access engine through here to jump start illegally? what caused this?? here are pics
Looks like damage from road debris.
Tester
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but why both sides? also is it possible to drive with this damage or is it high probability it would it result in damage to internal components?
Both tires drove over the same debris.
Tester
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Run into and backed off a parking spot limiter?
I had similar damage, but farther back, after running over a just-hit deer, 65mph at night. Bits of hair and flesh hung from places underneath. The mudflaps were fringed.
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we didnt run over anything noticeable its peculiar to me this happened on both wheel sections
That damage on the right front does not look like it happened overnight… I agree with above, at some point it looks like it has hit a parking block, maybe a few times and just knocked it loose, then once you get up to speed, the air will push the inner fender wells back and up against the tires and the tires rub through them…
Live with it or replace it all, your choice…
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She probably hits parking blocks and sidewalks in front of convenience stores every day. I’ll bet these were torn loose a few years ago and you just noticed now.
Loose plastic wheel well liners will rub on the tires at highway speeds, that caused the large holes in the plastic.
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Road debris. Running up over curbs. It’s certainly not “thieves” or “tampering.” Just sh** happens.
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Good ideas above. I don’t think tampering is involved myself. However, good idea to
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Make sure the tire & wheel size is correct for the vehicle, compare to the label you can see when the driver’s door is open. If unsure, in parking lot turn the wheel fully side to side while helper looks for any interference happening in that area. If it is close but not making contact in the parking lot, remember that the wheel/tire moves with relationship to the wheel liner when going over bumps, turning etc., so it could be making contact then.
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Make sure the wheel liner is firmly attached to the wheel well at all the provided fastener points. Buy some new fasteners at a dealership if some are “iffy”.
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I agree with the other forum members that this damage is the result of driving over road debris and/or parking blocks. If somebody wanted to vandalize this car, they could have damaged many areas of the car that are far easier to reach than the wheel well liners.
Since the OP mentioned in a different thread that the coolant is extremely low, I’m going to guess that the care & upkeep of this car hasn’t been a priority for a while.
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cars are supposed to be like appliances. theyre supposed to do their intended job with minimal maintenance. i was a maintenance person by trade so i can fix things such as toilets and light fixtures since ive done many of those. also can work on shower fixtures such as replacing valves but i dont have a lot of actual hands on experience fixing or replacing parts on cars.
my dad told me when i was younger that you can tell youre in a low income area if there are a lot of autozones or oreillys nearby. then again he was a guy working for a bank making six figures since the 90s and owned two businesses.
i didnt end up like my dad although my brother did.
now i worry about my car and my girlfriends car when most middleclass americans just get rid of the car and buy a new one when it gives them problems.
Did it ever occur to you that the folks who believe in minimal maintenance might be the ones who get rid of their cars because of problems? I, and most of the members of this forum, keep our cars for 10 years–or more–but we also believe in maintenance that frequently goes beyond the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.
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my current car was purchased because the previous car got totalled. then my current car ended up in a hit and run when i parked my car on the street. i needed a car because i live in a state that believes in driving a truck if youre a man and a state that made its profit through oil with the tallest building in the state belonging to an oil company. if i could get by with a bicycle or just walk i would. but i cant. car is necessary here.
i am an obsessive type i pay attention to all issues and do my preventative maintenance like how i pay my bills. early. but unfortunately having a car meant i end up with issues and problems that arent my fault and in the end this car cost me thousands for things that were not my fault and now im in between jobs and delivering food for a living.
i worry about my girlfriends car because we live together and even though we are not married she is practically my wife and we intend to be together for the rest of our lives. and being a man i was programmed to believe i am supposed to take care of my woman like she is a baby but sometimes i am reminded that she went by just fine before she met me and im overly concerned of things that might be something she can manage herself.
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Hang in there, man. Things will get better…
Sorry you are having issues all around, but as my 23yo daughter says, adulting sux… lol
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One of the motivations to buy another car rather than repair for many families is b/c the cost to repair cars has become so high. A little Googling will show the factors that are driving the repair-cost increases, the increasing use of computerized sensors for example .
A car is like a washing machine? A $40-50,000 washing machine? I even wax my $800 washing machine.
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im not in market for 40k automobiles. if it runs great id rather buy one for under 5k. my car before this current one was bought for 3500 bucks and it ran great and would have kept going but got t boned by a maniac grandma. it was a honda insight. i hold honda with high regards because two of the hondas i previously drove both never gave me any mechanical issues. i regret buying a mazda to be frank but its an oddly fun car to drive.
I don’t think you’ll be able to buy a car in very good condition for under $5k nowardays
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