A car wheel coming off and other similar incidents highlight the importance of periodic inspection and maintenance
Like any other machinery, cars have to face wear and tear on a regular basis. Careless driving, bad roads and extreme weather conditions can put additional stresses on car components. To avoid breakdowns, it is imperative to get cars serviced regularly as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
However, it may not always be possible to prevent car malfunctions. Unwanted incidents do occur and sometimes, it can be of more serious nature. A recent example involves a Tata car, whose wheel came off while driving.
Owner not happy with dealer’s reasoning
Responding to the owner’s complaint, the dealer ‘Rudra Tata Motors’ has investigated the incident. According to the dealer, such incidents of wheel coming-off can occur due to underbody damage. A vehicle riding at high speed can also have a role to play in such incidents. As per the email thread shared between the dealer and owner, the vehicle has been repaired. The dealer has requested the owner to collect the vehicle from the workshop.
However, the owner does not seem to be convinced with the dealer’s reasoning. From the images, it appears the connection between the wheel and the suspension system has been severed. A vehicle’s wheel coming off is usually linked to loosely bolted or low-quality lug nuts. As more details are not available, it is difficult to determine what exactly went wrong here.
A car’s suspension and wheel assembly are pretty robust. It’s not every day that one sees wheels coming off a car. The wheels and suspension setup are designed to bear the extreme stresses that come from the car’s motion and the combined weight of the vehicle and passengers. This is why incidents where a wheel has come off while driving needs to be thoroughly investigated.
Difficult to determine who is responsible
All the facts of this incident are not known at this point of time. It makes it difficult to determine who or what resulted in the wheel coming off while driving the car. Such cases are usually a mix of multiple factors, coming together to create an unfortunate event.
There are various things that could have gone wrong such as a manufacturing defect, a really nasty pothole or lack of proper maintenance. Till all the facts of the case are revealed, it is difficult to determine who is responsible in this case.
Good thing is that no one was hurt in this incident. While a wheel coming off is quite shocking, there could have been more serious consequences. The vehicle could have lost control and hit other cars on the road. The wheel itself could have hit pedestrians or other cars on the road. Thankfully, such eventualities did not take place.
