Your Car is Making a Strange Noise After an Accident: What’s Next?

You’ve just been in a car accident. Visually, the damage might not look catastrophic—a dented bumper, a cracked headlight. You’ve exchanged information, and now you’re carefully trying to drive your car home or to a safe location off the main road. But as you pull away, you hear it: a strange, unnerving noise that definitely wasn’t there before the crash. It could be a grinding, a whining, a clunking, or a hissing sound.

It’s a common and unsettling experience. Your first instinct might be to ignore it, hoping it will just go away. But a new noise after an impact is your vehicle’s way of screaming that there is hidden, potentially serious damage.

Ignoring this warning sign is a major risk to your safety and can complicate your insurance claim. What you do next is critical.

Useful Information for You: In a Nutshell

• Do Not Ignore It: A new noise is a clear sign of a problem. Continuing to drive the vehicle could cause more extensive damage and is a serious safety risk.
• Safety First: Pull Over and Call for a Tow: The safest action is to pull over to a safe location, turn off the car, and call for a tow truck.
• It’s a Sign of Hidden Damage: The noise is likely a symptom of underlying damage to your car’s frame, suspension, steering, or engine components that isn’t visible from the outside.
• Document the Noise: If you can safely do so, take a video with your phone to record the sound. This can be valuable information for your mechanic and your insurance claim.
• It’s Part of Your Claim: The cost to diagnose and repair the source of the noise is a legitimate part of your property damage claim.

Decoding the Sounds: What Could That Noise Mean?

While only a professional mechanic can give you a definitive diagnosis, here are some common post-accident noises and their potential causes:

• Grinding or Screeching (especially when braking): This is a serious red flag that often points to brake system damage. Your brake rotor, caliper, or backing plate may have been bent or damaged in the collision. This is a major safety issue.
• Whining or Groaning (especially when turning): This can indicate a problem with your power steering system. The impact may have caused a fluid leak or damaged the power steering pump.
• Clunking or Rattling (especially over bumps): This often suggests damage to your vehicle’s suspension or exhaust system. A strut, shock absorber, or control arm could be bent or broken, or your muffler could be hanging loose.
• Hissing or Sizzling: This could be a sign that a fluid line was damaged and is leaking onto a hot engine part. It could be coolant from the radiator, antifreeze, or oil, and it presents a potential fire hazard.
• Loud Roaring that Increases with Speed: This can be a sign of a damaged wheel bearing, which is critical for the safe operation of your wheel.

Your Step-by-Step Action Plan

1. Stop Driving Immediately and Safely

The moment you hear a significant new noise, your first priority is to get the car off the road and to a safe location. Do not try to “limp home.” Continuing to drive a mechanically compromised vehicle can cause a minor problem to cascade into a catastrophic failure (like a wheel coming off or a complete loss of brakes), leading to a second, more severe accident.

2. Call for a Tow

This is the smartest and safest decision. Call your insurance company’s roadside assistance, AAA, or a trusted local Tacoma towing service. Having your vehicle professionally towed to a reputable auto body shop is the correct next step.

3. Inform the Mechanic and Your Insurance

When you drop the car at the repair shop, be sure to tell them about the specific noise you heard. Describe when it happens (e.g., “only when I turn right”) and what it sounds like. This will help them diagnose the problem. You must also report this to the insurance adjuster so that the diagnostic costs and any related hidden damage are included as part of your property damage claim.

4. Do Not Authorize Repairs Until Approved

Allow the body shop to perform a full, detailed inspection to find the source of the noise. They will then send a supplemental damage report to the insurance company for approval. Do not authorize them to begin the repairs until the insurer has agreed to cover the cost.

A strange noise is your car’s check engine light after a physical trauma. Listen to it. By taking the issue seriously and getting a professional diagnosis, you protect your safety and ensure that the insurance company pays for all the damage from the accident, not just the cosmetic parts.

If you are in a dispute with an insurance company about the cost of hidden damages after an accident in the Tacoma area, you may need a legal advocate. Search the Car Accident Lawyer Directory Tacoma to find and compare trusted local attorneys who can help fight for a fair property damage settlement.

References

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – “Vehicle Safety”:An official government resource providing information on vehicle safety components and the importance of proper maintenance and repair after a crash.

  https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety

• AAA – “Finding a Quality Repair Shop”:A reputable national organization providing consumer advice on how to choose a trustworthy auto repair shop for diagnostics and repairs.

  https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/finding-a-quality-repair-shop

• Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) – Auto body repairs:Official guidance for Washington consumers explaining their rights in the vehicle repair process, which is crucial when dealing with hidden damages.

  https://www.insurance.wa.gov/your-rights-when-it-comes-auto-body-repairs