Body shops see surge as drivers scramble to winterize cars

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Body shops across Northeast Ohio are experiencing a surge in customers scrambling to winterize their vehicles following this week’s winter storm.

Conrad’s Tire Express & Total Car Care on Chester Avenue has been busy since the storm hit the region.

Regional Vice President Sam Jakabcic said some locations could see 50% more customers walk through their doors.

“We’ve seen a lot of people come in with tire requests, I think because it’s been more of a late winter, people try and push their tire replacement down as far as they can and boy after yesterday, that’s just not gunna work,” Jakabcic said.

Common winter vehicle problems

Mechanics are fixing crash damage from the storm and installing new tires and batteries as drivers prepare for more cold weather.

“All the things that get compromised when the weather gets cold, and we’ve got some really cold weather coming in the next couple of days,” Jakabcic said.

Auto experts identified several warning signs that indicate vehicles need immediate attention.

Tires showing steel cords indicate the need for immediate replacement.

Battery corrosion around terminals presents potential problems.

Torn wiper blades will not clear windows properly.

“Tires don’t grow the tread back on they get worse, when you get into this type of weather, getting through snow, getting through ice, you gotta have the proper traction,” Jakabcic said.

Bad tires can lead to your car ending up in a ditch with thousands of dollars in damage.

Jakabcic encourages folks not to wait for straightforward winter maintenance; get it done before it spirals into something worse.

“There really is some common sense that you have to apply here,” Jakabcic said.