How Vehicle Maintenance Can Lead to Unsafe Driving and Car Accidents

We’ve all had a moment while driving when, stopped at a red light or waiting to turn at an intersection, we spot another vehicle and think something along the lines of, “Man, what a jalopy.”

Maybe there are noticeable patches of Bondo holding a side panel together, large clouds of exhaust coming from the tailpipe, or tires that look ready for recycling. It could be an older-model car or truck that you’re amazed is still on the road at all.

Continuing on your way, you’re glad to see it go in the opposite direction, knowing it may not be safe to share the road with.

Looks can be deceiving, though. The age and outward appearance of a vehicle don’t tell the entire story. A car might look flawless on the outside but have serious mechanical problems or overdue repairs underneath. There’s no way of knowing for sure. Ohio does not require routine vehicle safety inspections, and only some counties mandate emissions testing.

We put a lot of trust in other drivers, including how well they maintain their vehicles. But with drivers trying to stretch every dollar and more aging vehicles staying on the road longer, regular service—and vehicle safety—cannot always be taken for granted.

When Vehicle Maintenance Becomes a Safety Issue

Keeping a vehicle roadworthy has become more expensive at the same time Americans are keeping their cars and trucks longer.

• The average age of U.S. passenger vehicles and light trucks reached 12.5 years in 2023, while maintenance and repair costs increased 6.5% that year.
• From the beginning of 2022 through June 2024, those costs increased by nearly 25%.
• AAA estimated maintenance and repair expenses at 9.83 cents per mile in 2023, or about $1,424 a year based on average annual mileage.

There is nothing inherently unsafe about an older vehicle. Modern cars can remain dependable for hundreds of thousands of miles when properly maintained.

But aging components eventually need attention, and rising repair bills can make it tempting to postpone service—what AAA calls “deferred maintenance.” That can turn a relatively manageable repair into a larger expense and, when the neglected component affects braking, steering, tires, or visibility, potentially create a safety problem.

Ohio crash data shows that defective equipment does sometimes contribute directly to car accidents. According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol analysis covering 2019 through 2023:

• 9,811 crashes in Ohio were caused by a vehicle defect.
• Those crashes included 46 fatal crashes resulting in 54 deaths, while another 2,819 people were injured.
• Tire blowouts accounted for 20% of defect-related crashes, while brake failures accounted for 18%.
• In fatal defect-related crashes, tire blowouts were the leading identified defect, accounting for 28%.
• Vehicles from model years 2001–2010 accounted for 47% of defective vehicles involved in crashes.
• In Muskingum County, 119 vehicle defect-related crashes occurred from 2019–2023.
• The good news: Ohio defect-related crashes declined in each year of the five-year study period, with the 1,736 crashes in 2023 representing a 7% decrease from 2022.

OSHP defines a vehicle-defect crash as one in which operating defective equipment was recorded as a contributing circumstance. In other words, the defect was not simply something investigators happened to find on the vehicle afterward.

From 2019–2023, Ohio troopers made nearly 275,000 traffic stops in which they identified a vehicle defect, with common examples including defective headlights, taillights, and brake lights, as well as cracked windshields.

Brakes

Brake pads, rotors, fluid, hydraulic components, and other parts wear with time and use. A developing brake problem may not always be obvious during ordinary driving but can become critical when a driver suddenly needs maximum stopping power. AAA specifically warns that skipping inspections can allow an unnoticed brake issue to reduce a driver’s ability to stop or control the vehicle in an emergency.

Ohio’s numbers reinforce the concern: brake failures accounted for 18% of defect-related crashes from 2019–2023 and were the most common identified defect for older vehicles in the OSHP analysis.

Tires

Tires provide the vehicle’s only contact with the road, making tread, pressure, alignment, and overall condition essential to maintaining traction and control. Underinflation and poor tire maintenance can contribute to flats, blowouts, or tread separation, while worn tread reduces grip on wet or icy pavement.

Tire blowouts accounted for the largest share of Ohio defect-related crashes, and NHTSA reports that 511 people nationwide died in tire-related crashes in 2024.

Steering and Suspension

Steering and suspension components help keep a vehicle stable, aligned, and responsive to driver input. Worn tie rods, ball joints, struts, wheel bearings, or related components can cause pulling, vibration, uneven tire wear, or unpredictable handling. A more serious failure can make it difficult for a driver to maintain control.

Faulty steering was among the additional defects identified by OSHP in Ohio defect-related crashes.

Lights, Signals, Wipers, and Visibility

Safe driving also depends on seeing—and being seen. Faulty lighting, including headlights, taillights, and brake lights, ranks among the most common vehicle defects identified during Ohio traffic stops.

Burned-out lights or turn signals can make it harder for other motorists to detect a vehicle or anticipate what its driver is doing. Worn wiper blades, damaged windshields, and malfunctioning defrosters can likewise reduce a driver’s ability to see clearly during rain, snow, darkness, or other poor conditions.

Commercial Vehicle Maintenance

Maintenance takes on added importance with commercial trucks and other fleet vehicles. These vehicles may travel long distances, carry heavy loads, and accumulate substantial mileage, while responsibility for keeping them roadworthy may fall on a motor carrier or fleet operator rather than an individual owner.

Federal regulations require covered motor carriers to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain commercial vehicles under their control and keep required maintenance records.

Results from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 2025 International Roadcheck show how often serious equipment problems are found during roadside inspections:

• 10,148 commercial vehicles were placed out of service during the three-day inspection effort across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
• The overall vehicle out-of-service rate was 18.1%.
• Brake-system violations accounted for 24.4% of vehicle out-of-service violations.
• Another 16.7% involved vehicles with 20% or more of their brakes in an out-of-service condition.
• Tire violations accounted for 21.4%, while lighting violations accounted for 12.8%.

An out-of-service violation is more than a minor equipment citation. It identifies a critical violation that requires the commercial vehicle to be removed from operation until the problem is corrected.

Vehicle Maintenance and Crash Investigations

The connection between vehicle maintenance and car accidents can become especially important during a crash investigation. A crash investigation does not end with the driver’s actions. A driver’s potential inactions—such as failing to keep a vehicle roadworthy—also demand scrutiny.

If a vehicle failed to stop, suddenly lost control, drifted from its lane, or became difficult to steer, the condition of the vehicle itself may be part of the explanation. Investigators may examine:

• Brake, tire, steering, suspension, and lighting condition
• Dashboard warnings or signs of a developing mechanical problem
• Recent repair and maintenance records
• Prior recommendations for service that were postponed or ignored
• Post-crash inspections of damaged or failed components
• For commercial vehicles, fleet inspection and maintenance records

That evidence can help distinguish an unexpected mechanical failure from a problem that developed over time and should have been found or repaired earlier.

It can also affect who may be responsible. Depending on the vehicle and the facts, maintenance decisions may involve not only the driver or owner, but also an employer, fleet operator, repair shop, maintenance contractor, or another party responsible for keeping the vehicle roadworthy.

Let a Lawyer Look Under the Hood of Your Crash

A mechanical problem does not automatically mean somebody negligently maintained a vehicle. Parts can fail unexpectedly, in spite of regular maintenance. But new or old, jalopy or not, a vehicle’s condition may be a key part of why a crash happened and who can be held responsible.

Graham Law can steer your injury claim in the right direction with an investigation that looks not only behind the wheel, but under the hood. Request your free case review.