Loud Noise, now front of car is damaged

[BBBC]

So 3 days ago I was driving down the highway about 70 mph. This was two days after having some work done on my car. My windshield needed to be replaced and they looked at my software and brakes.
So I’m driving down, and paying attention, not laser focus but not staring at my phone. Loud bang and jolt on the front driver side of my car. Sounds like I hit something or something flew out from under my car.

driving and another minute the same thing. Now in the shoulder to my left there is some shredded tire debris but nothing huge and I really don’t think I hit any.

immediately my car gets wonky. It tells me my parking sense is dirty or broken, but not working either way, and my air conditioner just decides to stop working (and on a HOT day). I get to my destination 20 minutes later and the whole front of my car is majorly screwed up. A couple big gashes on the front, one of the little round discs on the front of the car that’s normally flush mounted is spun half way around and barely hanging on. One of the even smaller ones is missing altogether.

I still don’t feel like I actually hit anything. But my from is all gashed, and the one piece is missing the other almost broken off. How would this happen if I didn’t hit something like shredded piece of truck tire. And how would hitting a tire piece or something break my air conditioner?

could something inside my car have come loose and roughed up the front on its way out?

Neither of these scenarios seem even somewhat likely. Any insight is greatly appreciated!

 

[jjrandorin]

So 3 days ago I was driving down the highway about 70 mph. This was two days after having some work done on my car. My windshield needed to be replaced and they looked at my software and brakes.
So I’m driving down, and paying attention, not laser focus but not staring at my phone. Loud bang and jolt on the front driver side of my car. Sounds like I hit something or something flew out from under my car.

driving and another minute the same thing. Now in the shoulder to my left there is some shredded tire debris but nothing huge and I really don’t think I hit any.

immediately my car gets wonky. It tells me my parking sense is dirty or broken, but not working either way, and my air conditioner just decides to stop working (and on a HOT day). I get to my destination 20 minutes later and the whole front of my car is majorly screwed up. A couple big gashes on the front, one of the little round discs on the front of the car that’s normally flush mounted is spun half way around and barely hanging on. One of the even smaller ones is missing altogether.

I still don’t feel like I actually hit anything. But my from is all gashed, and the one piece is missing the other almost broken off. How would this happen if I didn’t hit something like shredded piece of truck tire. And how would hitting a tire piece or something break my air conditioner?

could something inside my car have come loose and roughed up the front on its way out?

Neither of these scenarios seem even somewhat likely. Any insight is greatly appreciated!

No, you ran over something, likely that "shredded tire debris" which can cause serious damage.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

The AC condenser coils are in the front of the car where the scoop is. Whatever you hit likely caused damage to the coils and the refrigerant leaked out.

 

[ODWms]

Pics?

 

[Atari2600]

Put up the dash cam video and let’s look at it.

 

[Gasaraki]

So 3 days ago I was driving down the highway about 70 mph. This was two days after having some work done on my car. My windshield needed to be replaced and they looked at my software and brakes.
So I’m driving down, and paying attention, not laser focus but not staring at my phone. Loud bang and jolt on the front driver side of my car. Sounds like I hit something or something flew out from under my car.

driving and another minute the same thing. Now in the shoulder to my left there is some shredded tire debris but nothing huge and I really don’t think I hit any.

immediately my car gets wonky. It tells me my parking sense is dirty or broken, but not working either way, and my air conditioner just decides to stop working (and on a HOT day). I get to my destination 20 minutes later and the whole front of my car is majorly screwed up. A couple big gashes on the front, one of the little round discs on the front of the car that’s normally flush mounted is spun half way around and barely hanging on. One of the even smaller ones is missing altogether.

I still don’t feel like I actually hit anything. But my from is all gashed, and the one piece is missing the other almost broken off. How would this happen if I didn’t hit something like shredded piece of truck tire. And how would hitting a tire piece or something break my air conditioner?

could something inside my car have come loose and roughed up the front on its way out?

Neither of these scenarios seem even somewhat likely. Any insight is greatly appreciated!

Shredded tire debris is very heavy and hard.

 

[MikeyC]

Shredded tire debris is very heavy and hard.

Yep. And hitting retread debris at 70 MPH can cause major damage. That stuff goes through plastic like a wire cheese cutter through cheese. Side note: this is why we need "Avoid highways" on the nav. Our 70 MPH highway is like an 80 MPH landfill: debris everywhere. Between the truckers and their retreads and the hicks getting out onto the highway for the first time in a week with 7 days worth of empty soda and beer cans and other trash in the bed of their trucks... I simply hate the highway!

Mike

 

[Ren.OG]

and this is why i'm upgrading to steel brake lines. can live if AC cuts but not the brakes.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

and this is why i'm upgrading to steel brake lines. can live if AC cuts but not the brakes.

You mean braided steel brake lines? With a hard enough hit, those will rip right off too.

You do know that the front and rear brakes are on different circuits, so if one flexible brake line at one wheel is cut, you still have brakes? But the key is that you can't keep driving even though the low brake fluid light is on.

 

[Ren.OG]

You mean braided steel brake lines? With a hard enough hit, those will rip right off too.

You do know that the front and rear brakes are on different circuits, so if one flexible brake line at one wheel is cut, you still have brakes? But the key is that you can't keep driving even though the low brake fluid light is on.

Oops, yea braided steel lines. Well with a hard enough hit i wouldnt expect anything to last.
yea i'm aware of that, would be terrible engineering if that wasnt the case.

 

[Timdoggg85]

Yep. And hitting retread debris at 70 MPH can cause major damage. That stuff goes through plastic like a wire cheese cutter through cheese. Side note: this is why we need "Avoid highways" on the nav. Our 70 MPH highway is like an 80 MPH landfill: debris everywhere. Between the truckers and their retreads and the hicks getting out onto the highway for the first time in a week with 7 days worth of empty soda and beer cans and other trash in the bed of their trucks... I simply hate the highway!

Mike

Soon as I started reading this I was like wait...this sounds like a fellow Florida man ...I personally don't even like following less than 5-6 seconds, no telling what kind of debris or crazy driving you'll need to avoid

 

[N54TT]

So 3 days ago I was driving down the highway about 70 mph. This was two days after having some work done on my car. My windshield needed to be replaced and they looked at my software and brakes.
So I’m driving down, and paying attention, not laser focus but not staring at my phone. Loud bang and jolt on the front driver side of my car. Sounds like I hit something or something flew out from under my car.

driving and another minute the same thing. Now in the shoulder to my left there is some shredded tire debris but nothing huge and I really don’t think I hit any.

immediately my car gets wonky. It tells me my parking sense is dirty or broken, but not working either way, and my air conditioner just decides to stop working (and on a HOT day). I get to my destination 20 minutes later and the whole front of my car is majorly screwed up. A couple big gashes on the front, one of the little round discs on the front of the car that’s normally flush mounted is spun half way around and barely hanging on. One of the even smaller ones is missing altogether.

I still don’t feel like I actually hit anything. But my from is all gashed, and the one piece is missing the other almost broken off. How would this happen if I didn’t hit something like shredded piece of truck tire. And how would hitting a tire piece or something break my air conditioner?

could something inside my car have come loose and roughed up the front on its way out?

Neither of these scenarios seem even somewhat likely. Any insight is greatly appreciated!

It certainly sounds like you hit something. Truck tires are pretty solid and have no doubt it can cause the damage you have. Have dashcam footage? Lastly….I Can’t believe it hasn’t been mentioned…but if you weren’t paying enough attention to know you even hit something….you’re a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road.

 

[MikeyC]

It certainly sounds like you hit something. Truck tires are pretty solid and have no doubt it can cause the damage you have. Have dashcam footage? Lastly….I Can’t believe it hasn’t been mentioned…but if you weren’t paying enough attention to know you even hit something….you’re a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road.

That may be true most of the time but there are exceptions. It's possible for another vehicle passing by on the left or right in traffic to fling something from an adjacent lane into your car and the debris be low enough/close enough to be obscured by the hood, A-pillar, etc.

Mike

 

[texas_star_TM3]

we are seemingly one of the few developed countries where we allow big trucks to drive on poorly retreaded tires until they shred. you very rarely see tire debris on the highways in Europe...

 

[N54TT]

That may be true most of the time but there are exceptions. It's possible for another vehicle passing by on the left or right in traffic to fling something from an adjacent lane into your car and the debris be low enough/close enough to be obscured by the hood, A-pillar, etc.

Mike

Certainly! But that doesn’t seem to be the case this time. The OP stated he was paying attention, not laser focused but not staring at his phone...and then questions whether he hit something or if something came loose inside his car and caused the damage. IMO he wasn’t focused enough. would love to see pics of the damage and or dash cam vid….and eat my words if I’m wrong

 

[BBBC]

I would definitely have noticed if there was something larger than say, a the size of a lemon or so had struck my vehicle. The loud banging happened two times. I was paying pretty close attention the first time, I was paying very close attention the second time, which was about 5-10 seconds later. Still did not see anything obvious kick up into my car or on the road that I rolled over. $2k worth of damage in a very mysterious way! Aye.

 

[DRTII]

OMG that's awful! On my drive home from the dealership I was following my wife and didn't have enough time to notice a blown out semi tire piece in the road and it hit the front of the car. I was worried there'd be damage, but got lucky. Not a scratch.

In fact, I've hit a few pieces of tire over the years and the most they've ever done is leave a streak of rubber. I doubt you simply hit a tire, and it certainly wasn't an errant rock. Do you think maybe a bird? Speed in the opposite direction could be a force multiplier and absolutely smash these panels.

Either way, that's terrible!