Depending on your car type, your tires might have four, five, or six lug nuts, which are vital in holding the wheel in place as you drive.

Some car models come with a loose wheel nut indicator to warn the driver when there’s a missing or loose nut. However, some vehicles don’t have this, requiring the driver to constantly check if they’re all in order.

Due to safety concerns, car owners get concerned about driving with missing lug nuts and the risks involved.

If you’ve been driving for long with some missing lug nuts, listed below are some of the problems you might encounter:

Lug Nuts Wear-Out

Your car is fitted with the right amount of lug nuts that can handle the pressure. Therefore, when you lose some nuts, the pressure is redistributed to the remaining ones, contributing to faster wearing out.

Vehicle Wobbling

When you have a missing lug nut, the pressure becomes unevenly distributed, causing the vehicle to shake and wobble, and you’ll notice that the wobbling becomes worse as you brake, turn or accelerate.

If this goes on for longer, your wheel studs will eventually snap, and the wheel will come off. This is quite dangerous and could lead to fatalities for you and other motorists.

Wheel Bearings Damage

When your wheel hub is affected, it puts pressure on the bearings necessary for the car to function properly.

Once your bearings wear out, you’ll have to replace them as soon as possible. Replacing these bearings is more expensive than replacing a missing lug nut; therefore, you need to check constantly.