A SERVICE manager at a Subaru dealership has revealed a common driving mistake that costs his customers thousands. With summer thunderstorms on the horizon, drivers need to understand just how much standing water can damage cars. Dustin Piggott, a service manager at Central Oregon's Subaru of Bend , was a technician who owned a repair shop before taking a management position at the dealership.
With winter in the rearview mirror, Piggott saw plenty of customers making appointments to remove winter tires and prepare for spring. Spring brings pleasant weather , beautiful wildflowers, and bright blue skies to Bend but also unpredictable bouts of rain. With rain comes deep puddles - and overconfident drivers often find themselves riding with a tow truck driver after making an unfortunately common mistake.
Typically, though, Piggott says locals know how to traverse rainy conditions. "We don't see a whole lot of vehicles being towed in due to rainy conditions," said Piggott. "When we do see them, it's typically due to a customer attempting to drive through a flooded area.
" Empty parking lots, trailheads, or some streets can flood and create what looks like a shallow puddle, inviting some drivers to test their Subaru 's capabilities. However, depending on how deep the puddle is, could be putting them at risk for some costly repairs. "Not only is this dangerous because you don't know what is under that water but, it can cause catastrophic damage to your vehicle's engine," he said.
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