‘I’m a mechanic - motorists at risk of major mistake which could damage vehicle'

A car mechanic has warned petrol and diesel motorists could "destroy" their vehicle by making a major error while behind the wheel. Drivers involved in a small accident may feel their vehicle is absolutely fine and simply carry on travelling.

However, experts have admitted that hidden damage could come back to bite and make problems a lot worse. Damage to key components underneath the vehicle or located under the bonnet may be harder to identify and go unnoticed. But, running damaged parts can cause problems in the long run and even "destroy" models.

@MotorBodies was asked: "I crashed my car but it starts. Does that mean I can drive it?"

A mechanic quickly responded: “No, let me tell you why. For example, this Jaguar here, not only did it have cosmetic damage but when it came here, we found out the radiator was cracked and it was leaking coolant.

"The driver carried on driving it without coolant and it destroyed the engine. When you crash your car, it's not only cosmetic damage you've got to worry about, it's also mechanical and structural.

"Just because you can't see damage doesn't mean the damage doesn't exist. It’s not worth destroying your car."

Experts at the National Accident Helpline encouraged road users to get a vehicle checked out at a garage after any collision.

They even stress that road users could be at risk of invalidating their car insurance if they don’t make sure their car is in a safe and legal condition.

He explained: "If your car is drivable, you can drive it away after an accident.

"However, if you have any doubts, you should get your car checked to make sure everything is in good working order. If you don't, it could invalidate your insurance and you'll be left without cover."

But, breakdown experts at the RAC stress that seriously damaged vehicles are likely to be written off by car insurance policies.

They said: "What happens to your car depends on the severity of the damage.

"If the insurer decides that the vehicle is not economical to repair, the car will be written off and you’ll be offered the market value at the time of the accident.

"Your insurer is entitled to deduct the value of your policy excess from the value you receive for your accident-damaged vehicle."