Tulsa Car Repair Shops Slammed After Blizzard

Dan Bewley, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The winter storms are taking a big toll on roads and cars all across Green Country.  Drivers are now starting to get a better idea of what the snow and ice did to their vehicles.

Tires are being changed, windshield wipers replaced, and mechanics are stuck under the hood. All due to the crazy weather that forced dozens of Tulsa area drivers to fight through foot high snow drifts or even leave their cars abandoned by the side of the road.

"A lot of front end alignments, belts, hoses freezing up; stuff like that," Chris Shew, with Firestone Auto Care, said.

Chris Shew at Firestone Auto Care said the biggest problem he's seeing is where the rubber meets the road.

"A lot of the newer cars have these aluminum wheels and they're quite expensive," he said.

He said a number of car owners have tires with holes punched through or rims that are cracked or broken away.

"A lot of times it's caused by, you know this tire here it doesn't have any tread on the edges. The edges is where you get your biting edges to get your traction and stuff," Shew said. "A lot of these could be prevented by slowing down and making sure you have good tread on your tires."

If you're picking up your vehicle for the first time after it's been stuck in the snow for a while Shew said it's important for you to give it the once-over, make sure there's no damage caused by the ice. He also said to make sure your door handle is completely thawed before opening it up and let your engine run a while before driving away.

Shew said there are few things you can do before the next winter storm.

Make sure your wipers are working, keep your washer fluid filled, it helps with visibility, and as always, he said, check your tires to make sure they don't look like this, there's hardly any tread.

Those are small steps, but ones that may go a long way to keep your car out of the repair shop and on the road.