The lowest part of your car to the ground may be the tires, but the second-lowest part is the exhaust, which means it’s next in line if you experience a severe lurch from a pothole. If the pothole is deep enough or your car bounces high enough, the tip of your exhaust pipe could get slammed onto the ground. Considering that pipe is meant to prevent toxic exhaust from building up in your car, that’s definitely not a good thing.
As you drive, keep your eyes and ears open for signs of exhaust damage, including a distinctive sputtering sound from the rear of your car and fluid leaking onto the road. If you see or hear these symptoms, it could mean that the exhaust pipe, as well as its associated components, have been directly impacted. A damaged exhaust can put you on the fast track to total engine failure, which means it needs to be examined and repaired immediately.
