Potholes may cost you more than just dry cleaning bills from spilling coffee on yourself whenever you hit one.

Driving over a pothole can do significant damage to your car, said Nick Whittington, manager at Tires Plus, 2430 Sycamore Road.

“They can certainly damage your tires,” Whittington said. “Hitting one can rip a tire wall, bend a tie rod, bend a control arm and damage your struts.”

Justin Berry, manager of Lovell’s Discount Tire, 424 E. Lincoln Highway, said the car’s alignment can be severely damaged by potholes.

“You can screw up bearings and bushings, causing the alignment to go off,” Berry said.

Berry said business from pothole-related damage has quadrupled this year.

“This is probably the most we have ever had,” Berry said.

This winter has been one of the worst for pothole-related car damage, said Robert Perales, sales associate for Rich’s Tire Service, 9970 Keslinger Road.

“I’ve probably sold a half-dozen rims in the past month,” Perales said.

Whittington said the driver is the best person to see if the car has any damage because they are familiar with the way the car drives.

“The first thing you should do is get a feel for your car,” Whittington said. “Pulling to the left or right or shaking in the steering wheel is a telltale sign of damage. No one knows your car better than you do.”

The price range for repairs varies because there is a wide array of parts that can be damaged, Whittington said.

“You can pay $25 for a flat repair to literally over $1000 depending on what the damage is,” he said.

Berry also said there is a wide price range depending on whether the damage is to the tire or the wheel itself.

“The price can be $200 for new tires or $700 or $800 for wheels,” Berry said.