KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We all know that feeling, when your tire meets a pothole. It's a grit-your-teeth feeling that Erick Rhoades felt in his dream car.
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"I worked really hard over a five-year period to save up the down payment," Rhoades said. "Six months later I may possibly have suspension damage."
Potholes are littered throughout Kansas City. The weather we've seen between the frigid temperatures and snow to moderate temps, makes them worse. Rhoades was dodging one on Highway 71 going northbound when he hit another.
"We bent the rim, which the tire won't hold air anymore, so the rim's going to have to be replaced, unfortunately," he said.
Auto shops are seeing issues like Rhoades more and more every day. The damage can vary from losing a tire, to losing the front end of your car.
Larry Crowdis at Larry's Auto Services says over time, the wear and tear from those potholes will cause bigger issues.
"It's just a constant torture on that vehicle," Crowdis said. "When you subject them to harsh conditions, just like when you're subjecting yourself to harsh conditions, it's going to put a lot of wear on you, or in this case, your automobile."
Rhoades said his repairs could cost up to $650. With a family to take care of, including an 8-month old, it feels like a never ending headache.
"It is a ton of stress and it can take a couple of months to recover from financially," Rhoades said.
It may just feel like a bump in the road, but the cost has a lasting effect.
"You have a budget, you think you have it down, everybody's scraping by right now anyway, and you get to the point of where you're feel comfortable, then boom, pothole!" Rhoades said. "Pothole takes you out."
Kansas City residents can report pothole locations on the MyKCMO App.
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