A year ago, while driving, I heard an unusual pop sound. Luckily, I was just pulling into my driveway when I noticed a plastic cover hanging loose under the front passenger side wheel of the car. The bolts that were supposed to hold it in place were missing.
The next day, in a rush, I attempted a quick fix using duct tape, hoping it would hold long enough for me to get to work. However, as soon as I merged onto the expressway, my tire blew out. I had to call a tow truck to take the car to the dealership. They performed a repair, but it felt more like a temporary solution, costing $700 instead of the $2200 they quoted for a more thorough fix.
Now, today, I’m at work and I hear that familiar dragging sound again. It seems to be the same issue with the plastic cover, although not as severe as before. My concern is that I drive a family member to and from work every day. It’s her car, but she has vision loss due to diabetes and depends on me for transportation. Unfortunately, she’s quite stubborn, and I don’t have much say in car repairs.
My question is, could I possibly find some kind of bolt somewhere to reattach this part myself? I’m feeling incredibly anxious about driving her home from work today and potentially experiencing another tire blowout.
It’s also a bit stressful because she’s a very critical person, and I really try to drive carefully, like a “peach” as they say. But sometimes, it’s impossible to avoid every pothole or small obstacle on the road. Honestly, I’ve had nothing but problems with this 2017 Elantra. I’ve already spent thousands of dollars on repairs this year alone, mostly due to a cooling system issue.
